How to Stick to and Achieve Your Goals

Is it just us, or does time seem to travel at both snail AND warp speeds these days? As we ponder how we’re already making our way through the month of February, we can’t help but notice that the fiery flames of New Year’s resolutions may need some fanning. When it comes down to it, accountability plays a big role in reaching goals. It’s clear how accountability helps goals, but how does one stay accountable? Some days we struggle to remember to take CBD, let alone track goals. Let’s talk about common goal-setting mistakes, how to measure your progress towards a goal, and how to find an accountability buddy to stay on track.

How Accountability Helps Goals — Get SMART

Setting goals can make you feel good about your potential and get you excited to start your journey; but if they aren’t clearly defined, they may be hard to stick to or measure. One way to make your goals more realistic and attainable is to use the SMART goal method. You may have heard of SMART goals in a business setting, but the method works great for personal goals too. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Specific – What are you trying to achieve and what are the steps?
Measurable – How much? How often?
Achievable – Is the goal attainable? Try not to overpromise or make unrealistic goals.
Relevant – Why are you setting this goal? How will it improve your life?
Time-bound – When will you achieve your goal by?

Here’s an example of a goal that doesn’t use the SMART method: Save more money this year.

Here’s an example of a SMART goal: I will save a total of $12,000 this year by transferring $1,000 per month ($250 per week) to a savings account using an auto-transfer tool or financial app.

Here’s another example of a goal that doesn’t use the SMART method: Remember to take CBD every day.

And here’s the same goal using the SMART method: Each day, I will set an alarm to take my Daily Dose of CBD while I drink my coffee. I will put my CBD order on subscription so I have my next bottle ready when my 30-day supply is up. I will document my efforts by recording my doses each day. After 30 days, I will assess how it made me feel and determine if I need a stronger or weaker dose. 

Setting SMART goals gives you a mini roadmap to success and a way to measure your progress. Put the right systems in place once you’ve set your goals so you have a tool to help you stay consistent. Set reminders, use an app, or tap into a resource to help you with your goals.

While it’s important to stick to your roadmap, striving for “perfection” can be toxic to your overall wellness. Every journey has the possibility of bumps, detours, and forks in the road. If you’re looking for a quick remedy to your problems, you may be disappointed. Anything worth achieving is worth the work you put into it. However, remove the all-or-nothing mindset to increase the chance of achieving your goals, giving yourself grace along the way.

Measure Your Progress

Setting goals is relatively easy. You determine what is important to you, you set your SMART goals, then you start on the journey. But how do you measure the progress you’re making on your goals? First, if you’ve made a SMART goal, you have set a measurable goal with actionable steps. Some questions to ask when you’re measuring your progress include:

1. Are you documenting your efforts? If not, can you start? 
2. Are you staying consistent? If not, what would help you to stay consistent? If so, have you given yourself a reasonable amount of time to make progress?
3. How are you staying accountable? Do you need an accountability buddy?
4. Are the numbers tracking with the number you set? If not, what can you do to correct it?
5. Are you using an app or program to track your success? If not, would it help? If so, what does the data say about your progress?

Use these questions to stay on track while you work on your goals. As long as you take small steps forward, you are on the right path. Consistency is key.

Find an Accountability Buddy

Everything is better with a friend by your side. Holding yourself accountable can be challenging, especially when your old habits feel hard to break. But again, we know how accountability helps goals. And we’ve all heard the advice: “don’t talk about it, be about it”. But if you want to tackle your goals with the help of a friend who has a similar goal, we are all about it. Find an accountability buddy by talking with your loved ones about their goals. Ask a friend (or friends) if they have a similar goal, and if so, make a pact and plan to work together, check-in, keep each other accountable, and remember to take CBD to keep it all in balance. 

Want our advice? It all includes CBD.

Got a plan to get fit? Grab the CBD and hit the gym together! CBD and fitness are a match made in heaven after all. Trying to spend more time outdoors? Put the Soothe Stick in your bag! The trails are calling you! Trying to set a better schedule? Use these tips to plan (but first, prep with a dose of Daily Drop). Trying to get the kids out of the house more? Grab the Founder’s Bundle and take the whole crew to the park or pool.

Need to reorganize the whole house? Use the help of our #FindYourHapsy challenge and a REALLY good friend to tackle the junk. Goals are a whole lot easier with the little help from our favorite friend, CBD. What are you waiting for? Your future self is calling! And we have made it even easier to help you remember to take CBD — now you can subscribe and save on all your favorite Hapsy CBD products!