Without goals, your life lacks meaning and purpose. You’ll wander aimlessly through your life never seeming to find time to make things better. That means you are surviving rather than thriving. Goals should focus on what you value and hope to accomplish long-term. The ultimate goal of Sadness to Joy is to help you achieve a joy-filled life, so let your goals reflect that. The answer is the PIRA Process.
PIRA Process
The following four-step self-awareness process can be used with any change you want to make: Plan, Implement, Reflect, and Adjust (PIRA). Here’s how it works.
- PLAN – set goals, and map out steps to achieve them. For instance, you could eat healthier, add more physical activity, or carve out time to build your faith. Be sure to list obstacles which may interfere, and then plan strategies to overcome them.
- IMPLEMENT – carry out your plan step-by-step. If obstacles come up, use the strategies you developed in your plan. If an unplanned obstacle comes up, pause to think before you respond.
- REFLECT – at the end of each goal period (day/week/month), reflect on your plan. Did it go the way you hoped? If not, why? Did it go better than you hoped? Great! Why do you think that was the case?
- ADJUST – change whatever didn’t go the way you hoped. The unexpected obstacle, for instance. Plan how you will overcome it next time.
Using the PIRA process helps with self-awareness by keeping your mind focused on one activity at a time. Ask yourself how what you’re doing at this moment moves you closer to your goal? If it doesn’t, how can you change what you’re doing so it does align with your goal? So if today’s plan didn’t go the way you hoped, reflect and adjust your plan for tomorrow. This allows you to start each day with renewed hope. These small daily adjustments will make the difference.
What bad habits would you like to change? What goals do you have? What help do you need?
