We’ve all heard that consistency is key to success, and yet being consistent consistently (yes, I went there) can be far more challenging than we’d like. Life is busy, hectic, and often overwhelming. How are we supposed to reach our goals with consistent action when even waking up at the same time everyday is hit or miss? Enter: mini monthly goals.
Mini monthly goals are just that. Tiny, relatively achievable goals you set for yourself for one month only. After the month is up you can either continue with your goal or give it up completely. My two rules are (1) choosing something new each month and (2) tracking my progress in a notebook or habit tracker. I find that setting my sights on one small goal a month is far less intimidating than some dramatic long-term lifestyle overhaul (looking at you New Year’s).
The beauty of the mini monthly goal is that it can be anything. Some months you may choose to focus on something that is more meaningful to you, such as spending 20 minutes each day on the blanket you’re knitting for your nephew. Other months you can choose something somewhat frivolous, like trying a new hairstyle every day because you enjoy the process, even though you work from home and no one will see it. It doesn’t matter what the motivation is so long as you check off that box every day.
Over time, completing the daily goal will become a habit in and of itself regardless of the task you’re trying to accomplish. Each month will feel a little bit easier than the last. You will start to look forward to checking the goal off your list. There’s no need to overcomplicate things either. Do you have a super busy month coming up? Keep is simple – write one thing you’re grateful for in your phone. It can be one word – that’s it. You did it.
Ready to tackle your own mini monthly goals? Below is a list of sample goals. Choose any that work for you, but don’t be afraid to come up with your own. Personal, silly, serious – anything goes!
- Draw / sketch / paint
- Take supplements / probiotic
- No spend month
- Take a device-free walk
- Max 30 minutes on social media
- No eating out or take out
- Make coffee at home
- Vegan month
- Take a photo
- No alcohol month
- Meditate
- Listen to a podcast
- Gratitude journal
- Morning pages
- Plank / push-up / squat challenge
- Read
- Drink x amount of water
- Pick a mantra, repeat it to yourself daily
While I am now checking off my mini goal each and every day, it certainly didn’t start this way. I struggled a lot in the beginning, often only getting through half the month in sporadic bursts. But the more intentional I became about the goals I set, the more I look forward to doing it everyday. My current mini monthly goal, for example, is taking a probiotic before dinner each day to see how my gut feels with a bit of consistency.
If you find that it’s difficult to do something everyday, try NOT doing something everyday. The first time I completed my habit every day was a no alcohol month. I didn’t have to do anything, I simply had to not do something. It may seem silly, but this gave me the motivation I needed to check off the boxes in the months going forward.
What do you think about establishing a mini monthly goal practice? Is this something you already do, or perhaps something you’d like to add to your daily routine? I’d love to hear the mini monthly goals you’re working on so we can keep moving forward together.
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