Can you believe we are halfway through 2018? How are your goals going? Let’s take a look.

First, this is not about resolutions. A resolution can be, “I want to lose weight this year,” or “I want to make more money.” These statements are vague and not measurable. We are talking about goals.

Goals should be specific, measurable, and have a deadline.

So instead of “I want to lose weight this year,” a goal would be “I will lose 20 pounds this year.” That is specific, you can keep track throughout the year, and there is a deadline.

Tip #1 Re-evaluate

I don’t know about you, but I am in a very different place than I was at the beginning of the year when it comes to my mindset.

• Look at your list of goals and decide if they are goals you really want to pursue.

I’m not talking about a goal that you haven’t hit so you take it off your list. I’m talking about a goal that sounded good at the time, but isn’t something you are actually committed to pursuing.

Maybe at the beginning of the year you wanted to lose 20 lbs., but you are not willing to sacrifice the time it takes to meal plan and work out. You aren’t willing to sacrifice the money it takes to join a gym or buy healthier food. You aren’t willing to sacrifice your tastebuds and really want to keep eating the foods you like. If this is the case, then losing weight is an aspiration but not a goal.

• Maybe you need to modify your goals to be more in line with who you are today.

My goal in my business was to add a certain number of customers. I have since grown through training and personal development, and my new goal is to serve a certain number of people whether or not they become my customers.

Tip #2 Re-commit

Now that you know the goals on your list are goals you actually want to pursue, sit down and figure out what it is going to take to hit those goals.

Work it out on paper.

• What steps do you need to take to make that goal a reality?

In my business, I know the requirements for me to hit my goal are to bring in a minimum of 4 new customers and one new business partner each month. These are the smaller goals within the big goal. I can then break this smaller goal into specific steps.

• Something that might come up at this stage of the game is the deadline.

Don’t ever lower the target, but you may need to evaluate your deadline.

Let’s say you set a goal of losing 50 lbs. by December 31st. You have been working hard to stay on track, and you have lost 10 lbs. so far. Hurray!! You have lost 10 lbs. That’s amazing! But, is it realistic to think that you will be able to lose 40 more in the same amount of time? It is ok to modify the deadline and still be committed to the goal.

Tip #3 Reward

(how do you like that alliteration? My teacher and preacher friends will surely appreciate it!)

We are incentive driven creatures.

Just think back to your school days when you were offered little trinkets as incentives to do fundraisers. As a mom, I beg my kids to just let me buy them the trinket online! But I have found even as an adult, I am motivated by incentives. My company offers trips, bonuses, and free products. Right now, I’m working toward earning an iPad even though I could just go buy one!

• A reward for hitting your goal will keep you motivated even when you don’t feel like moving forward.

Maybe for a weight loss goal you want to go on a beach vacation. For a financial goal you may want to invest in a new computer or a trip. Make sure you choose something you really want so it will keep you focused on the goal.

If you’ll take a little time to implement these three tips, you will find that it can make the difference between hitting your goals sooner instead of putting them off for another year.