What are Internal Goals?
Internal goals are the things that you want to accomplish for yourself. They're personal and can be anything from improving your health to learning a new skill or hobby.
Internal goals are different from external ones because they aren't directly related to work or other people in your life; instead, they focus on what makes you happy and satisfied as an individual.
How to Set Internal Goals
Make your goals specific and measurable.
Break your goals down into smaller steps.
Set realistic and achievable goals that are in line with what you want to achieve, not just what you think is possible at the moment.
How to Be Accountable
To be accountable, you need to track your progress and celebrate successes. It's important to surround yourself with a support system that can help keep you motivated when things get tough. Finally, develop a plan for overcoming setbacks so that they don't derail your efforts entirely.
How to Take Action
Now that you've identified your goals, it's time to take action. Here are some tips for making sure your internal goals become reality:
Set deadlines for yourself. Setting a deadline is an important first step in taking action, as it helps keep you motivated and focused on achieving your goal in a timely manner. For example, if one of your internal goals is learning how to play guitar within six months (and committing at least 30 minutes per day), then write down this goal on paper or type it into Google Calendar so that there's no chance of forgetting about it! Then create milestones along the way--such as purchasing an acoustic guitar by month three--so that each week feels like progress towards achieving this larger goal rather than just another week where nothing happened.
Make a schedule for tackling your goals
Developing a Routine
Developing a routine is one of the most important steps in achieving your goals. It's easy to get distracted or overwhelmed by all of the things you want to do, but if you don't have a set schedule for working toward your goals, it will be difficult for them to become reality. The first step in developing a routine is finding time every day--even if it's only 30 minutes--to work on your goals and make progress toward them. If this seems impossible at first, try prioritizing self-care and rest over other tasks until they become more manageable. Then adjust as needed based on how much time has passed since last checking in with yourself about where things stand with respect to getting closer towards reaching those internal targets (and whether or not any adjustments need making).
How to Stay Motivated
There are a few ways to stay motivated, even when you're feeling down.
Set rewards for reaching milestones. If you have a goal that will take some time to achieve--like losing weight or learning how to play an instrument--it can be helpful to set smaller goals along the way. For example, if your ultimate goal is to run a marathon in 2020, then make it easier on yourself by breaking down that big task into smaller chunks: sign up for a 5K race this spring; start training for another 5K race next fall; get in shape so that by January 2020 (or whenever), you're ready for your first marathon! This helps keep things from feeling overwhelming while still giving them meaning and purpose over time.
Find motivation in the success of others. It's always nice when someone else has been through what we're going through now--and even nicer when they've succeeded at something similar! If possible try connecting with other people who share similar interests as yours so they can provide support during challenging times while also providing encouragement when things go well too!
How to Overcome Challenges
The first step in overcoming challenges is identifying them. You can't get around an obstacle if you don't know what it is, so take some time and think about what's preventing you from achieving your goal. Once you've identified the obstacles, break down the challenge into smaller steps that are easier to tackle individually. For example, if one of your goals is to save more money this month by cutting back on spending at restaurants and bars, try writing down all the ways in which these places cost money (taxi rides home after drinking too much? Extra tip money?) and then brainstorm ways of spending less money there (going out with friends less often or meeting up at home instead). With each obstacle identified and broken down into manageable pieces, develop strategies for overcoming each one--and remember: don't forget about yourself!
The Benefits of Achieving Internal Goals
Increased self-confidence: Achieving a goal will give you a boost in confidence, which can help to improve your self-esteem. You'll feel proud of yourself and more confident in your abilities as you see the results of all your hard work come together.
Improved physical and mental health: When we set goals, we tend to be more motivated and focused on what needs to be done in order for us to achieve them. This means that our minds are less likely to wander into negative thoughts or worry about things outside our control (which can lead to stress). Additionally, when we're working towards something positive like achieving an internal goal--rather than focusing on what hasn't happened yet--it allows us space away from negative emotions such as anger or frustration so that our bodies can relax instead!
Tips for Achieving Internal Goals
Make a list of your goals and prioritize them.
Develop a plan for tackling each goal, including how you will measure success and what resources (time, money) are required to achieve it.
Get help from a life coach or mentor who can hold you accountable to your plan and provide guidance along the way
Conclusion
You can set internal goals and achieve them.
There are three steps to setting internal goals: identify what you want, write down your goal and make it specific, and then break that goal down into smaller steps.
Internal goals are different from external ones in that they're more about personal growth than achieving something tangible (like a promotion).
