Goal Setting, Reimagined 

If you are a creature of habit and routines, any disruption to your life may send you into a whirlwind of uncertainty and chaos. What if you could take a breath, relinquish control, and feel grounded again?

One approach to doing this is by reimagining your goals. In her book, “The Desire Map,” Danielle LaPorte highlights a goal setting method that focuses on how you want to feel rather than an end result or specific outcome. Here’s how you can use that concept to reimagine your goals. 

Step 1: Brainstorm

Spend 10 -15 minutes writing down how you want to feel as you move through your life. Write as much as you can – the more the better. If you’re having a hard time thinking of ideas, try coming up with a list of words that spark your imagination. Here are some words to get you started: goddess, warrior, calm, peace, kind, helpful, brave, open-hearted, open-handed, creative, grit, loving, and loved. 

Step 2: Narrow the List Down 

Review your list and select three or four that speak to you most – these are your core desires. How do you REALLY want to feel every single day?

Step 3: Create Goals 

For each core desire, create a goal. For example, if your core desire is peace, a goal might be “I will start to meditate.”

Step 4: Make Goals Measurable 

Goals are easier to reach when they’re quantifiable. You can use a strategy called S.M.A.R.T. to help you develop measurable goals. This stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Write your goals in a way that becomes more tangible, more specific, and truly attainable. Instead of saying, “I will start to meditate,” you could say, “I will meditate for five minutes every morning after I eat breakfast.”    

Step 6: Review Goals Daily 

Place your list of core desires and goals in a place where you can see them daily and say the goals out loud. Affirm your efforts and remember that goals that speak to how you want to feel will help you feel grounded in who you are and where you want to be in your life.