4. Written Goals Can Change Your Life16 things on Twos"First say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do" -Epictetus"I think we all suffer from these 'slumps' once in awhile, those days or weeks or months when we feel completely overwhelmed and hopelessly unproductive. We all have those moments when it feels like no matter what we do, we simply can't pull ourselves together or get caught up."Reminder to self: it is OK to feel like that sometimes"It's not enough to have a vision in your head of what you wish your life could be. It's not enough to have some vague semblance or hazy daydream of what you'd like to accomplish someday. You have to actually take the time -- whether it be five minutes or five hours -- to WRITE IT DOWN."⭐️ "Taking the time to write down your vision of the future not only forces you to self-evaluate and to decide what is most important, but it also motivates you to ACT on those dreams. Writing them down makes them real. And once they are real, you can't ignore them."✍️ Tips for effective and concrete goal setting:1️⃣ Be clear about your objective: you have to know where you want to go before you can know how to get there. Trying to move forward without first taking the time to clearly realize and write down your objectives probably won't accomplish much because you'll constantly be wondering where to go to next. Make it quantifiable.2️⃣ Give yourself a due date: this creates a sense of urgency and combats our tendency to procrastinate. It will give us just enough motivation to stop putting things off and start really getting things done. A goal without a deadline is just a pipe dream.3️⃣ Break down large goals: look into breaking them down to yearly, quarterly and monthly goals.Yearly: pie in the sky, long term vision. Things that can be done in a year that will get you closer to the big dreams of the future.Monthly: reasonably finish in 30 days that will get you closer to finishing everything on the yearly list.Weekly: based on monthly goalsDaily: checklist that reflects the things that need to be done each day in order to meet the goals for the week4️⃣ Track your progress: continually monitor and track your progress. Write down your goals in a place where you can refer to them often.5️⃣ Create accountability: find a person or group of people to hold you accountable, especially for those goals that require more self-discipline that you currently possess.6️⃣ Celebrate your success: be sure to make time to celebrate not just the big accomplishments and major milestones but the small victories too.