What's the 411 on The 511 Method?

Photo by Iga Palacz on Unsplash.

In the health and wellness industry, goal setting activities are a dime a dozen. You'll find tons of experts claiming they know absolutely everything about goal setting. Sometimes it's neatly wrapped up as "manifestation," while others claim brain studies have been done to prove that their specific method will make you consistently adhere to goal achievement.

The truth is, you are the only one who can assess where you are in your goal-setting journey, and I think simplifying this process can truly work wonders. If you've already done all of the self-help books, listened to all of the podcasts, and seen enough TED talks, you're probably ready to put it into action. I'd like to challenge you to use this year to do so.

I can't say I came up with a groundbreaking method, because there are so many versions of the method I'm about to share with you. At the heart of it, the idea behind any goal-setting method is simple. When you write things down, they become solidified and much less overwhelming. Your nervous system quite literally goes into a parasympathetic state when you write.

So here it is. I like to call my method the 511 Method. Here's what you're going to do.

Write out 5 major goals you have for the next 5 years. Focus on different areas such as health and wellness, relationships, finances, business, personal and physical. Really get detailed here. Instead of "I want to buy a house" make it "I want to buy a blue house with 3 bedrooms and a big backyard in the city of X."

Now hone in on 1 goal that you will focus on for the next year. This will be your area of prioritizing. Attach this to a feeling. How will you feel at the end of the year when you have accomplished this goal? Why is this area of focus important to you? Outline this for yourself as vividly as you can.

Break down the year into months. For each month, come up with 1 activity you will need to do in order for this goal to be accomplished by the end of the year. What you're doing here is creating an actionable plan for the month ahead that will help you stay on track and continue to take steps towards accomplishing that goal.

Now I know things happen, life happens, and we should all be adaptable to change. You can modify the small goals on a monthly basis when you check in with yourself on how accountable you've been with yourself. The purpose is for you to see that you can truly accomplish things little by little and work towards it in a systematic way.

I really like this method because it helps you to look at your time more mindfully. The 511 method really helps you prioritize your areas of focus. Through this method, you can start to take a look at habits that can get in your way, or obstacles that deter you from accomplishing. The 511 method also lets you look at your personal development in a holistic way. This method helps you create a well-rounded vision for your future self.

Ciao, Yana

This piece was originally published in Little Notes from Your Therapist.

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This post is written for educational purposes and is not medical or mental health advice, nor a substitute for care from a licensed provider. Reading it does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are in crisis or need urgent support, call or text 988 in the United States, or call 911.