š This Tiny Tweak Made Goal Setting Feel... Fun?
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Thereās just SOMETHING about the calendar turning to September that instantly makes me want to grab my planner, sharpen my nonexistent pencils, get ridiculously organized, and embrace the seasonal fresh start with some shiny, new goals.
Itās givingā¦ teacherās pet?
But, for real.
I just canāt help it.
Whether my ambitions are personal, professional, or something in betweenā this time of year feels natural to get my life together & set a few goals to finish the year strong.
And, today, Iām going to share ONE specific mindset shift that completely changed how I set and approach my goalsā¦
This absolutely applies to you, as well. Because no matter what type of ambitions you are setting this autumn, Iām confident they can be optimized in a *very specific way* simply by changing your wording. Letās dive in!
When it comes to setting goals, the language we use matters more than we might think. Oftenā without realizingā we fall into a deprivation mindset, focusing on what we need to cut out, avoid, or give up. While this approach can work, it can also feel like weāre constantly restricting ourselves, which isnātā¦ exactly motivating. š
Instead, consider an addition approach: setting goals that emphasize what youāre adding to your lifeā rather than what youāre taking away.
For me, itās a mindset shift of scarcity into one of abundance. For example, flip āIām going to stop buying my daily $5 coffee to save money,ā into āIām going to start depositing $5 into my savings every day.ā
Itās a small shift, but rather than cutting out indulgences or habits, youāre choosing to ADD in something positiveā and getting the same result in the process. Letās explore this a bit moreā¦
Deprivation approach: Iām am only allowed to eat out 3x/week
Addition approach: Iām going to start cooking at home 4x/week
Deprivation mindset: I cannot spend more than $700 per week.
Addition approach: I will add $5000 to my savings by the end of the year.
Deprivation approach: I want to lose 5 lbs.
Addition approach: I will add 3 servings of vegetables and 100 oz. of water to my daily food intake.
Deprivation mindset: I want to get rid of a ton of stuff.
Addition approach: I will add a 1-hour decluttering session to my schedule each week.
Deprivation mindset: I want to cut back on my caffeine consumption.
Addition mindset: I will start drinking herbal tea at 12:00 PM daily.
Deprivation approach: I want to stop scrolling my phone before bed
Addition approach: Iām going to start reading for 15 minutes before I go to sleep
Itās a subtle change, but donāt the second phrases in each set sound more doable? More motivating? More tangible?
ā¦Maybe even more exciting?Ā
Personally, the goals Iāve written in the past that were focused on avoiding or depriving myself became so incredibly hard to stick to. Blame it on good olā human nature, but forcing myself to remove things that I enjoyed in the name of āmaking progressā simply didnāt feel good. I wanted to accomplish my goals in a way that felt uplifting, tangible, and inspiring, ā¦
āØ So, what if we stopped depriving ourselves in the sake of our goals and instead focused on adding positive habits to our lives?Ā āØ
Whether itās adding more protein to your meals, reading an extra chapter per day, incorporating a quick meditation into your morning or making an extra deposit into your savingsā all the little ājust one moresā that we add into our lives truly DO move the needle in a much more effective and intuitive way than dwelling on what youāre going to take away from yourself (because honestly, whatās fun or motivating about that???).
ā”ļø Now, I gotta askā how are you going to reframe your goals to an addition mindset this fall? What could you add in? What small habits could set you in motion towards your goals?
I encourage you to take even 20 minutes to write and reflect on your hopes for this upcoming seasonā¦ while life often feels hectic and busy, it is truly so powerful to make the time, intentionally pause, clarify what you really want, and set a goal or two for THIS season of your life.
Even if your life feels fast-paced lately, donāt underestimate what you can accomplishā with proper direction and some focus, a lot truly can happen in a short amount of time.
Alright, my friend, thatās all for today ā”Ģ If this post was helpful for you, Iād be so grateful it if you left a like or comment, or shared it with a friend or accountability partner. Word of mouth is so powerful for this little olā newsletter, and I am so grateful for all of you that read along each and every week.
Cheers to September and cheers to fresh starts!
While the bulk of this post was entirely free & open to everyone (I hope you enjoyed!), I couldnāt resist making an extra treat for my paid subs ā”Ģ Check it out below!
