How to Reach your Goals and Maintain Your Mental Health

We all have goals that we want to achieve, but is this constant hustle state good for our overall well being? We are always plotting to secure the next bag, get a promotion and planning for yet another graduate degree. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with advancing your career, but at what point are we grateful for being exactly where we are today? We have already accomplished more than we thought we could but yet we constantly find ourselves not being satisfied. We are always planning our next moves, but our hearts and our minds are tired. It is possible to reach your goals and maintain your mental health along the way. Here’s How:

1.   Be Present

“In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being.” Eckhart Tolle

Stop and reflect on where you were a year ago. Do you remember what your goals were then? Have you accomplished them? Whether you have checked off every goal from a year ago or not, you have inevitably grown a lot since then. A year has gone by and you have learned a lot more in school or work. Remember that everything you want to be, you already are. You’ve already survived 100% of your worst days and overcome them all. That is something worth being proud of.

2.  Celebrate Today

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day or to celebrate each special day.” Rasheed Ogunlaru

You don’t have to wait until your next promotion or to be in a relationship to be content. Go ahead and plan to take a spontaneous trip with your friends or go to happy hour with your co-workers after work instead of going straight home. Plan yourself a self care day this weekend just because. Take yourself out on a nice date. Call up a friend just to tell them how thankful you are that they are in your life. Life never works according to our timelines and tomorrow is not always promised. You might not be exactly where you want to be yet, but you’re already closer than you were yesterday. Cheers to being exactly where you are today!

3.  Remember That You Are Not Alone

“When the world comes crashing at your feet it’s okay to let others help pick up the pieces. If we’re present to take part in your happiness when your circumstances are great, we are more than capable of sharing your pain.” Rupi Kaur

Not every opportunity is going to work out and sometimes you might fail at something. And that is okay. Whether you win or lose, you have gained valuable experience that you will be able to apply the next time around. These challenging moments reveal your character and serve as a teacher. It’s understandable to feel down during these times, but remember that you’re not in it alone. Reach out to a loved one and tell them you need them to just listen to you vent in that moment and not to give advice.

4.  Find Your Tribe

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life.” Amy Poehler

Surround yourself with people that support you. Life is too short to be around people that bring you down, belittle your achievements – big or small, drain your energy and don’t uplift you. Pay attention to how you feel after you hang out with certain people. Do you leave feeling inspired or do you feel drained? Do they encourage and support your vision? We have the ability to choose who we spend our time with and unfortunately not everyone is on your team. Choose your company wisely.

5.  Log Out of Social Media

“The real reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”  Steven Furtick

We all know that social media isn’t reality but yet we spend far too many hours scrolling through it every single day. We think it’s mindless and just to pass the time, but honestly it affects us all more than we know. Everyone posts their best moments and their highlights on social media, but you could be having a bad day or a bad month. Challenge yourself! Log out of social media for a week and see if you notice any difference in how you feel about yourself and your goals. Use this time to read a book, journal, listen to a podcast or read the bible. Instead of watching everybody else post about how they got a promotion, you’ll be putting in the work of your own to get where you want to be. Real moves are made in silence. Don’t even sweat it. Your time will come and it will be all worth it.

Created by Cree Clay, Pretty Girl Practice is a medical blog to inspire those interested in Medicine. Follow her journey from Medical School to Residency. Cree is originally from Dallas, TX and attended Texas Tech University. She will be graduating from Medical School this May and starting Psychiatry Residency

Follow her blog at: prettygirlpractice.com