Make Fun Goals for 30 Days

April 12, 2010 1 Comment

If you never reach your goals, it can be even harder to finally get there. You have it set in your mind that you can never reach a goal, and that can really mess with your motivation.

I had that problem.

I had such lofty goals, that I never seemed to get to the finish line. I was afraid that I just wasn’t able to do it. In short, I needed proof that I could reach a goal.

To prove to myself that I can reach my goals, I made an easy, fun goal to do each day for a month.

Halloween Movie Month: A Case Study

I love movies. I watch one about every other day. I also love horror movies. In September of 2009 I decided to start a Halloween Movie Month for the month of October to celebrate Halloween. I vowed to watch a Halloween movie (horror, scary-themed comedy, or a movie with Halloween in it) every day of October.

For added incentive, I also vowed to post what movie I watched on my personal Facebook account, along with a short synopsis/review, for all my friends and family to see.

Fun Results

Not only did I achieve my goal of watching a Halloween movie every day, I had fun! It was exciting to watch each movie and post about it. I expected my Facebook friends to ignore my updates about it every day, but most of them really enjoyed it. Some even said they looked forward to it every day.

Afterward, I felt really good about myself that I accomplished this goal. Even though it was something that I liked to do and wasn’t too big of a stretch to complete, the completion motivated me to do more. Since then, I’ve done other 30 day challenges, including counting calories and exercising every day.

Not only that, I plan to do another Halloween Movie Month for October 2010, this time with a completely new list of Halloween-themed movies.

Now It’s Your Turn

If you’re having trouble reaching your goals, make your own fun 30-day challenge. Here’s how:

1. Pick something you like to do, whether it’s reading books, going for hikes or drawing pictures.
2. Make a vow to do that thing every single day for a month. If you like reading, vow to read 50 pages of a book each day (you’ll finish a few books in a months time). If you like drawing, you could vow to draw a different self portrait every day. Or, if you like hiking, you could vow to go for a half-hour hike each day.
3. Update social media with your daily results. Whether from Facebook, Twitter or your personal blog, update your readers and friends every day once you’ve done what you promised. Even if it’s a simple, “I walked today!”, the accountability will help you stay motivated.
4. Celebrate once the month is over. Reaching your goals, even if they’re simple and fun, is something you should celebrate. Have a party or buy yourself something nice.
5. Make a new goal. Now that you have the momentum created from reaching your goal, don’t stop. Make a brand new goal. This time, try something a bit harder. If you could reach the other goal, you can reach this one, too.

Photo by Leo Reynolds

Tags: challenge, list, timeFeatured, Goals, Motivation