3471: Why You Should Incorporate Your Feelings into Your Goal Setting AND How to Stay Consistent by Chalene Johnson

[00:00:00] Sichere Dir das neue Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra mit der nächsten Generation Galaxy AI. Bei O2 mit doppelten Speicher und Galaxy Watch Ultra. Jetzt vorbestellen. O2 can do. This is Optimal Living Daily. Why You Should Incorporate Your Feelings into Your Goal Setting AND How to Stay Consistent.

[00:00:23] Both by Chalene Johnson of ChaleneJohnson.com and I'm Justin Malik, the guy who's been reading to you every day, including holidays, since 2015. And we keep that up so let's get right to it and continue optimizing your life. Why You Should Incorporate Your Feelings into Your Goal Setting by Chalene Johnson of ChaleneJohnson.com Big Goals

[00:00:49] Everyone has long-term goals, but most of us are scared of big goals. You know, like saving up to buy a house, losing over 10 pounds, or paying off debt. Big goals are scary because most of us have tried and failed when it came to a big goal, and that sets us back in even wanting to attempt another one. Big goals feel intimidating. They feel far away and huge, like a mountain we aren't prepared to climb.

[00:01:16] One way to handle big goals is to break them into smaller goals. Smaller goals create momentum, especially if they're attainable and easy enough to achieve. Another way to tackle big goals is to focus on goals in terms of your feelings and what you really want out of it. In order to do this, we must establish how we feel and use those feelings to create new goals. Establishing feelings and setting goals.

[00:01:43] When I set out to do things, I want to do the things that make me feel a certain way. Usually happy, useful, or in charge of myself. And I want the same for you. It's time to stop setting goals because you feel like you're supposed to do them. You know, things like have a huge house or a fancy car. Whatever it is, it's probably a representation of visual success. It's time to start thinking about how you want to feel and using those feelings to achieve whatever it is you dream about.

[00:02:13] For me, I want to make sure I always have freedom of choice. If I'm presented with an opportunity that takes that away from me, I say no because it'll take away from my happiness. Identifying your true feelings can be done with phrases like, I need to feel blank in order to feel happiness. And would saying yes give me a feeling of blank? Understanding your feelings and being true to yourself will help you launch into goal setting.

[00:02:40] Once you know what you need to feel happiness, the goals will fall into place. If you take my example of feeling freedom of choice in order to feel happy, think about all the goals I can set with that in mind. If I want to change my workout because I'm not sticking with it, I need to use freedom of choice to help me refocus. Maybe you're the type that following a schedule is good, but being told exactly which workout to follow each day is too restrictive, so you don't do it.

[00:03:09] This time you're approaching it knowing you want freedom of choice, so instead of following a rigorous and structured plan, you may want to choose from a pool of videos or alternate which workouts you do so that you consistently have that freedom of choice. Remember that goal setting is very personal and individual, which is why knowing your feelings and using them to plan can work for everyone. It may take a little time to sort out how you feel and where you want to go,

[00:03:37] but once you do, those goals will take shape and will be easy to approach and achieve. No goal is worth pursuing if it takes away from your happiness. Remember, it's your life and your goals. You are always in charge. How to Stay Consistent by Chalene Johnson of ChaleneJohnson.com Maybe you've heard the phrase, consistency is key when it comes to being successful,

[00:04:06] but what does being consistent really mean? I did some research and basically it means being predictable, having regular harmony or steady continuity. The way I see it, being consistent is a general movement forward. This can be applied to any goal or life achievement you have. The most important thing I learned is that being consistent is not being perfect. It doesn't have to be something you achieve every day.

[00:04:34] It's just a steady movement forward. A great example I found was babies and their growth charts. If you're a mother, you've probably heard other moms talk about percentiles. They measure the baby's head, length, and height, and each go into a percentile chart. This doesn't mean your baby has to be in the hundredth percentile to be healthy. It's just a mark of progress and consistency. The doctor is looking for a growth pattern, not a specific number at a specific time.

[00:05:04] And that's consistency, having progress in a pattern, not being perfect. Setting expectations. In order to be consistent in reaching any goal or applying anything new to your life, like an exercise program or a lifestyle change, you have to set up your expectations from the very beginning. Being consistent is a skill that can be learned, but you have to develop it. This starts with knowing what you want and where you're headed.

[00:05:32] You must tell yourself that you expect you will do this and that you'll keep showing up. If you think you'll fall off the wagon, then you probably will. I know what you're thinking. There's that negative talk circling around your head taunting you. It's saying things like, you've tried this before, or what about when you get tired or hungry? It's time to replace those negative thoughts with alternatives. Next time you hear yourself talk about falling off the wagon,

[00:05:58] immediately replace those thoughts with five positive affirmations describing what you'll do to stay on that wagon. We can't stop the negative, but we can certainly drown it out with positive. Holding yourself accountable. The last thing you can do to be consistent is to hold yourself accountable for your progress. Now that you have your expectations, set up a plan to help you achieve your goals. This means writing things down on paper

[00:06:26] because our minds are too busy to hold us to it. To grow and become better starts with a plan. So start planning right down to your daily tasks. Make sure you have small, measurable, and attainable goals. If you want to lose 75 pounds, focus on losing those first five pounds and chip away steadily. Short and fast approaching goals will make it easier to reach them and will give you momentum to hit that next goal. Work on this goal every day.

[00:06:55] But remember that it's okay to miss a day. Life happens and sometimes other things take priority, like family or self-care. Imperfection is to be expected because we're human. Don't let a slip mess up your progress. Regroup and try again at the next opportunity. You just listened to the posts titled Why You Should Incorporate Your Feelings into Your Goal Setting

[00:07:22] and How to Stay Consistent both by Chalene Johnson of chalenejohnson.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Chalene, more commonly narrated over on my brother's podcast, Optimal Health Daily, because she writes a lot about fitness. The first article is a good continuation from what we were talking about yesterday with the post from Carl Pellin. He mentioned that instead of trying to complete tasks, we should look at our objectives, the bigger picture.

[00:07:53] Chalene was talking about looking at our feelings, what we truly want when setting goals. It might sound good to lose 10 pounds, but if that goal isn't aligned with how we feel or tend to feel, we probably won't succeed. Another goal could be to get out of debt. But at what cost? No pun intended. If we decide to completely eliminate eating out, for example, but some of our happiest moments are eating out with friends and family, there's going to be conflict there

[00:08:23] and we're much less likely to succeed. Maybe in this case, we pick something else to eliminate or we choose how many days a month are acceptable for eating out. It's just a different way to look at it, but it could make a big positive difference. So let me know how it goes. But with that, we've reached the end for today. Thank you for being here. I hope listening every day is able to add and compound to your life like it has for mine. Have a great rest of your day and I'll be back tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. And then the next day is the end for a month. In the end for a month, what we're doing, where you're going to do it, and then you know what happens to your life.

[00:08:53] So let's go there.