To Reach Your Goals, Embrace Self-Compassion

The way you word your goals can make a big difference in terms of whether you actually reach them. Self-compassion in goal setting can normalize negative feelings around your goals because it acknowledges that discomfort is a natural part of the human experience, and it can also allow you to let go of paralyzing perfectionism. It also can heighten your ability to recover from setbacks.

There are a few strategies for you to try as you phrase your goals. First, phrase them differently. Use descriptors that feel expansive and genuine and break you out of the connotations you’ve developed with common goal buzz words. Second, focus on what you will do, rather than what you’ll stop. Third, celebrate the steps that get you to your goal, rather than just the end result. Finally, embrace the process and use if-then statements to increase your potential for success.