Resolution season is upon us. Wherever you look: new year, new habits, new you. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you can overhaul every aspect of your life that you’re not happy with, all at once—and even easier to forget that this all-or-nothing mindset will have you burned out by March. Inevitably, the self doubt and blame will follow: “If only I’d tried a little harder. I didn’t want it enough. Oh well. There’s always next year.”
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone, but it’s probably time to re-examine how you approach the things in your life that you’d like to change. When approached in a healthy, realistic way, goal setting is a powerful tool to get you where you want to be. So much so, it’s a foundational aspect of our mental health supports.
Be More Specific
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to goal setting is thinking big. That’s a great starting point, but if your goal is too nebulous to nail down, it’s not really a goal yet. And if you have a list of big things you plan to achieve simultaneously, you’re not setting yourself up for success. There are plenty of goal-setting methods out there, but you’ll find that the effective ones have core things in common, like focusing on what’s clear, realistic and measurable.
This is the cornerstone of our goal-oriented approach to counselling. Identifying specific, measurable outcomes that clients want to reach gives them something tangible to work toward, and ensures that their counsellor can provide the right support to help them get there.
Take it Step by Step
If narrowing down what exactly you hope to achieve or gain feels too daunting, try looking at your big-picture idea and thinking about how you’d reach that point. For example, ‘I want to be better at public speaking.’ By starting with the how—seeking resources or professional support, learning what exactly makes for good public speaking, finding opportunities for practice—that concept can more easily be shaped into a goal: ‘I want to successfully apply the fundamentals of public speaking in my next meeting.’ This way, you’re also starting the work of breaking your goal into smaller steps, which is another characteristic of effective goal setting. Don’t be afraid to reach out for guidance during this process. It’s important that your goals be meaningful and motivating to you, but you can still benefit from a different perspective.
When it comes to counselling, whatever your reason for seeking support, you won’t have to determine your goals alone. Taking ownership of your well-being journey and gaining the tools you need to tackle challenges on your own are crucial parts of the resilience-building supports we offer, but know that you’ll always have professional guidance along the way. With this approach, you’ll be making incremental progress in your sessions while learning valuable skills you can apply day to day—getting you closer to where you want to be.
Go with the Flow
While planning is key, so is flexibility—after all, change is what goals are all about! Remember that aforementioned all-or-nothing mindset? The key to success lies somewhere in between. With a small shift in your outlook, mistakes become lessons and every bit of progress a milestone reached. It may not come easily at first but keep at it. Over time, you’ll find that no setback is too big to overcome and no achievement too small to celebrate. And whether you reach that initial goal, need to adjust it as you grow or find that there’s more you’d like to achieve, you’re ultimately following that forward momentum in a healthy and productive way.
This also applies to counselling. While it’s common for providers to require a more rigid, single-focus approach to treatment, that’s not our style. If a client’s goals change throughout counselling, they can work with their counsellor to explore a new direction, as long as it’s within the counsellor’s scope of practice and the client continues to benefit.
Put it All into Practice
This might all seem straightforward but creating attainable and sustainable progress takes effort and isn’t always easy. Just remember that where there’s a challenge, you can also find healthy growth. When it comes to your personal wellness goals, Arcora is here with EAP and counselling supports to help you overcome obstacles and find your forward momentum. Ready to get started? Reach out!
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