Simplify Goal Setting When Life Feels Overwhelming

Goal setting feels impossible when every minute of your day feels like it’s already spoken for. Kids, J.O.B., Spouse/Partner, all the things that make up your life and vie for your time. It can be overwhelming.

Start Small to Simplify Goal Setting

But you have moments in which you can pause for a bit, those moments when the kids are at school or asleep, the J.O.B. is in a lull, your partner is off doing their thing. Take this moment to breathe and write down what you’d like to achieve. One small thing that will bring you closer to your BIG Dream.

Once it’s written, it becomes a thing in the world. You can see, feel, hear, and if you’re willing, even smell and taste it. 🤪 Just the act of writing down your goals makes you one of the 3% of people who even THINK about their goals.

It may seem strange, but just the act of thinking about your goals (16% of people) gets you closer to achieving them. Adding in the step of writing them down propels you towards your goals even faster. What really does the trick? Write your goals down and review them on a regular basis (1% of people – and the highest achievers).

So take that 30 seconds of down time, when everyone is off doing their things and you have a moment to stop, grab a sticky note and write down your BIG Dream and put it on the fridge or bathroom mirror. Somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Then in your next 30-60 seconds of time, when you’re waiting for the coffee machine to deliver, think about the steps it will take to get there. Grab more sticky notes, your journal, or the back of a handy envelope and jot them down. You don’t have to get detailed, just make the notes.

Align Your Goals with What Matters Most

As you’re going through the day, start thinking about the following:

• Solid & Strategic: Ask yourself, “What small goals can I achieve that contribute positively to my BIG Dream?” This ensures that you are working towards meaningful objectives that contribute positively to your overall life plan, avoiding aimless or contradictory efforts. Even the smallest of tasks can turn the boat towards your BIG Dream!
• Core Values: Ask yourself, “Do these small goals align with what is most important to me?” Goals aligned with your core values are more motivating and fulfilling, leading to greater satisfaction and consistency in pursuing them. By connecting these goals to YOUR values, you ensure that they are not some fluffy, lofty thing that will never be given a second look. (Kind of like those pesky New Year’s Resolutions that fall off the radar within weeks, if not days. They just don’t stick.)
• Actionable: Make sure that you have clear steps to make these small goals happen. It could be just one thing you do each day that will move you and your BIG Dream forward. Actionable goals prevent overwhelm and provide a clear roadmap to follow, making it easier to start and maintain progress.
• Measurable: Ask yourself, “How do I know I’m making progress?” There is always something you can measure when taking action. It will be either something you did or didn’t do. Examples are, “I read an article on <insert subject of interest>.” (research of BIG Dream), “I didn’t react to <former thing you’d react to>.” (emotional growth), “I hit 10,000 steps!” (physical growth). Measurable goals allow you to see how far you’ve come, which can be motivating and informative, helping you to stay committed and recognize achievements.
• Plan: Gather all your sticky notes and start to map out your journey.
  • When can you see the time to sneak this action in?
  • What resources will you need?
  • How will you celebrate this small action?
    Having a structured plan helps to organize your efforts, manage time effectively, and reduce the anxiety of uncertainty, enabling smoother progress towards your goals.

This SCAMP framework was developed by my friend Heather Campbell. She helps ambitious early-stage founders turn their unique attributes into profitable, client-attracting brands.

With permission, I adjusted this framework from Marketing to Goal Setting because I found it to be more connected and aligned than the old standard SMART goals.

Make Time Work for You

Take one small step each day. It doesn’t require much time. It just requires that you take the time given to you, even if it’s just 30 seconds.

Feel free to download and print my SCAMP Infographic to put up next to your sticky notes to remind you that it doesn’t take much. It takes intentionality to make all those seconds add up!