Master the Art of Goal Setting With These Simple Strategies

Jan 104 min read

Once you've become acclimatised to your new surroundings as an expat, setting goals can be a great way to steer your efforts toward a meaningful life abroad. Whatever goals you're aiming for, be it personal growth, career success, or a healthier lifestyle, defining clear goals can give you a sense of purpose and direction. Here are my top tips to help you master the art of goal setting and step with confidence into your dream life.

Be Clear About What You Want

A vague goal like "I want to be healthier" is hard to measure and even harder to achieve. Instead, be specific. Ask yourself: What does "healthier" mean to you? Does it involve exercising three times a week, eating five portions of vegetables a day, or getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night? The more detailed you are, the easier it is to focus your efforts. I'll expand more on this later in this post.

Set Goals That Matter to You

Your goals should align with your values and personal aspirations, not someone else’s expectations. If you’re chasing something that doesn’t really matter to you, it’s easy to lose motivation, and you're likely to feel frustrated about not achieving it, without being aware of the reason you didn't put in the work. Take a moment to reflect: Why is this goal important to me? How will it improve my life or make me happier? If the goal does originate from another source, reflecting on what achieving it will mean for you, in addition to those you love and care about, will help you gain motivation.

Break It Down into Smaller Steps

Large goals feel overwhelming - break them down into smaller goals.

Big goals can feel overwhelming, and are often abandoned before any notable success is achieved. By breaking them into smaller steps, you can work through systematically, celebrating small wins along the way. Before you know it, the overall goal seems closer and easier. As James Clear says in his book Atomic Habits, "The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding". If your goal is to find work as a new expat, your first goal would be updating your CV. Add to that, incorporating learning a new skill related to the field you want to enter, followed by attending a networking event and you have taken 3 actions towards your overall goal. Had you not broken down the goal into smaller steps, the overall goal might have felt impossible.

Write It Down

Writing your goals makes them tangible and harder to ignore. Keep them somewhere you’ll see regularly: in a journal, on your phone, or stuck on your fridge. Revisiting your goals often reminds you of what you’re working toward and helps you stay accountable. You can also add some "why" statements to the note, so that you can remind yourself how you will benefit from achieving them.

Make Your Goals SMART

I've said it before and I don't mind saying it again. The SMART framework is a classic because it works. I used it when I was a sports coach, an occupational therapist and I use it now as an expat coach. I've prepared an infographic to help you, with some examples.

Stay Flexible

Life happens, and sometimes even the best-laid plans need adjusting. Be open to tweaking your goals if circumstances change. Flexibility allows you to stay committed without feeling like a failure if things don’t go exactly as planned. To allow yourself to change course demonstrates an ability to implement learning and make decisions based on experience, not just to follow in a particular direction because you feel committed. It can help to consider what has led you to re-consider and write down your new goal or strategy, to reinforce an intentional re-direction.

Celebrate Your Progress

Every milestone, no matter how small, deserves recognition. Rewarding yourself for progress keeps your motivation high and reminds you of how far you’ve come. Did you hit your first big milestone? Treat yourself to something you enjoy (even if it's just a small glass of wine with a toast to further success).

Find Accountability

Share your goals with a friend, partner, or coach who can encourage you and hold you accountable. It’s easier to stay on track when you know someone is cheering you on or checking in on your progress. Personally, I find motivation in the idea of owning up to not doing what I've said I would. Some might need more regular accountability than others, so work out what feels most helpful for you.

Visualise achieving your goals to reinforce commitment

Use the Present Tense

Your brain is more likely to believe something is possible if you talk about it as though it's already happened. Try visualising having achieved your goal. What does it feel like? What changes has it brought to your life? This mental imagery can help reinforce your commitment and keep you motivated, especially on days when progress feels slow. It reminds you how satisfying it will feel to have achieved it.

Reflect and Reassess Regularly

Set aside time to evaluate your progress. Are you on track? Do your goals still align with your priorities? Regular reflection ensures that your goals remain relevant and allows you to adjust your approach if needed. This is connected to being flexible, but particularly emphasises the need to take time to intentionally reflect on what you want. Otherwise you're likely to stagger down a path that is no longer lighting you up. Reflecting regularly enables you to make small tweaks to steer your trajectory, avoiding the mental turmoil of a U-turn or abandonment of your progress.