ALIGN YOUR GOALS WITH YOUR ENERGY
In preparation for the new year, we’ve been talking about fresh starts and goal setting.
This week I wanted to share a tool that will help you create effective goals that will make you WANT to work towards achieving and will set you up for huge success!
WHAT TYPES OF GOALS ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL?
Most of us have heard of S.M.A.R.T. Goals, but a few years ago I created a different goal structure P.R.A.N.A.
Prana is a Sanskrit word that has a number of interpretations in English, including "life force," "energy" and "vital principle." The term is used in Hindu and yogic philosophy to refer to all the manifest energy in the universe. Definition from yogapedia.com
Aligning our goals in life with our energy will help ensure you live a life that supports the person you want to be and the things you wish to achieve.
Here’s the P.R.A.N.A. goal setting tips to keep in mind when creating a goal:
POSITIVE – Keep it positive! In other words, stay away from words like “quit” “won’t”, “don’t”, etc.
Reiterating the negative is REITERATING.
Instead of saying “I’m going to quit doing X", try to rephrase it to “I’m going to start doing Y” Then, when you think of your goal you are REITERATING what you WANT and bringing in that intention.
As soon as you tell yourself NOT to do something, the three year old comes out and you can’t stand not-doing it. Also, you are constantly repeating the verb you are trying to stay away from. “Quit eating sugar” – how many times a day will “sugar” pop into your head?
Another example: I’m going to limit social media. Social media….social media…social media….facebook, facebook… It’s like it’s calling you all day.
Instead try focusing on the positive aspect…what you want to BRING IN. What will you do instead of social media? Text a friend each day? Spend more time with your family? It’s much more motivating and positive to have the words friends and family come to your mind throughout the day.
REALISTIC – be realistic! I’m not saying to tone it down, but if you are looking for a career growth or change that would require more education, more work, etc are you really ready and willing to DO THE WORK?! Understand what it would realistically take to reach your goals and be willing to work for it.
ACTIONABLE – Is it something you can take action on or does it involve someone else?
While hard work and dedication can help influence the outcome, creating goals that ultimately rely on someone else to do their part are very hard to achieve.
What can YOU do to ensure the goal is met? For instance, “I’m going to finally get that raise”. Is there something that you need to do and work towards in order to get it? Or do you have to rely on your boss to hope you did a well enough job and that the budget is there for a raise?
Set goals that YOU can take action on. We don’t want to have to rely on others to achieve our dreams.
NURTURED – Do you have the support you need?
Is this a goal that is supported and nurtured in your current environment? If not, can you create a more nurturing environment?
For instance, if you want to start a meditation practice can you create a quiet space where you will not be interrupted?
Are your roommates or partner willing to give you that time?
How can you create a nurturing environment for yourself?
ACCOUNTABLE – Can you or someone else hold you accountable? You are more likely to meet your goal with an accountability partner or with a group of people that have similar goals. If not, is there a way you can hold yourself accountable?
While S.M.A.R.T. Goals help you refine your planning strategies, P.R.A.N.A. Goals help you create and determine what you want to achieve and why.
What are some of your 2023 goals? How can you apply these concepts to make them more motivating and exciting?!
If you need help, I’m just an email away. I LOVE this stuff and love chatting about goal development so I’d love to hear from you.