Do you need a habit or a goal to achieve your objective?
The answer is both.
At first glance habits and goals may seem similar, but there are key differences between the two that can make a big difference in how you use them to reach your objectives. Since we often talk about goals at the beginning of the year it might be useful to see how habits help us reach our goals.
Habits are actions that you do regularly and often without thinking. They are usually unconscious and are the result of repeated practice over time. Habits are great for helping you maintain consistency and stay on track with your objectives.
For example, if you have a goal to lose weight, forming healthy eating habits such as meal prepping and avoiding sugary snacks can help you stay on track.
Goals, on the other hand, are specific objectives that you want to achieve. They are usually more long-term and ambitious than habits and require a lot of planning and hard work to reach.
Goals can help you stay motivated and focused on the future. For example, if you have a goal to not yell at your kids, setting a goal of having two times a day when you would normally have yelled at your kids replaced with a different tactic can provide you with the motivation to stay on track. You see small successes daily or weekly.
When it comes to using habits and goals effectively, the key is to use both together.
Habits provide the foundation for reaching your goals, while goals provide the motivation and focus to stay on track.
Habits provide consistency and goals provide the motivation and focus to reach your objectives.
HABITS + GOALS = SUCCESS!!!