The world in which we live is a reflection of the perception of the mass social construct that dominates the timelines and means of living in a society. We welcome you to yet another edition of the wellness digest, where in this article we address the concern of goal setting and how to achieve it in a healthy, balanced, and productive manner. The generation we belong to is obsessed with achieving milestones after milestones, setting benchmarks for themselves, and being extremely hard on themselves. The hustle culture we live in often leads to burnout and stress. Hence, it is an absolute necessity to first recognise what you actually want and then strategize towards it. Here are certain steps to know what you want to achieve:

1) Try out all the activities you like and narrow them down.

To know what you actually want, it is important for you to try everything that excites you, then narrow down your list to the skills and strengths that you have and brainstorm niches that match your skills and strengths.

2) Be consistent in the pursuit of your goals.

Whatever it is that you plan to achieve, befriend consistency and perseverance in the process of working towards it.

Strategies that will help you achieve consistency:

1) Break down Your goals into everyday tasks. When you have big goals in mind to achieve, it often becomes overwhelming to achieve them when there is no definite direction. Create a step-by-step strategy to achieve your goal and work towards it accordingly.

2) Structure and discipline will be your new friends. Structure your goals in such a way that they include doing something every day that brings you one step closer to your goal. Create a designated time to work on your desired goal every day.

3) Cut down on any negative influences. Often external influences like external validation, social media, and other people's journeys mislead us into the false notion of believing that we are behind or our goals are insignificant. It is essential to realise what truly aligns with you and cut down on negativity.

Once you have a definite vision of what it is that you want to achieve, here are certain steps that will help you achieve your goals:

1) Write down your goals on a piece of paper. List down your vision on a piece of paper, no matter how vague it is. A vision, once written down on a piece of paper, becomes an aim.

2) Do a backward analysis of your goal and break it down into simpler steps. An aim, once broken down into simpler steps, becomes a goal. Break down your goals into actionable tasks and set specific timelines to achieve them. Set small tasks that you can achieve every day that bring you closer to your goals. Then review your progress weekly or monthly.

3) Do smart work, not hard work. It is more important to do the task with deep focus and a strategic approach than to aimlessly work for hours with no productivity or focus.

4) Schedule breaks in between. It is important to schedule breaks between hours of productivity. Engaging in your favourite activity or taking a walk in nature leaves you feeling energised and boosts your productivity.

One way to practice this is the Pomodoro technique: its simplicity is its greatest asset. i) Obtain a timer and a list of tasks.

ii)Set a timer for 25 minutes, and until the alarm goes off, concentrate only on that one thing.

iii)Mark off one pomodoro when your session is over, then note what you accomplished.

iv)After that, take a five-minute pause. Take a longer, more restorative pause of 15 to 30 minutes after four pomodoros. The method's main components are the 25-minute work sprints.

5) Be confident and persistent in the pursuit of your goals. The world around you will try its best to make you believe that you are not worthy of your goals. Hold confidence in your journey and be consistent in the effort that you make

6) Practise mindfulness and gratitude. There will be bad days where there is zero productivity, and you will feel dull and out of motivation. In those times, learn to be mindful of not stretching yourself towards burnout. Learn to rest when it gets too heavy. Unwind and reflect on how far you have come. This will make you feel grateful for every effort you make each day towards achieving your goal.

It is often overwhelming to see the world around us gallop in stride and us progress slowly towards our goals. But it is important to realise your journey is set on its own unique timeline, and no one’s clock has authority over your way of living your life according to your individualistic timezone. Keep going.