What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to goal setting?
Is it finding the “right” goals to set? Knowing how to set realistic goals? Or maybe even setting goals that you will actually feel motivated to work towards? Possibly all of these and much more?
Whatever your struggle is I want you to know that you are not alone.
One of my greatest passions in life is setting goals that I can slowly work towards achieving over the course of a specific amount of time. Sounds so nerdy I know but honestly, I don’t care! I contribute a huge amount of my success in life to my ability to set goals constantly.
It’s so important to set goals for two reasons. One, they show where your current mind state is. Your goals are a mental and physical reflection of where you envision yourself 3, 5, and sometimes even 10 years from now. When you can dream that big it shows that you have big plans for yourself in the future.
The second reason is because it’s a continuous sign of personal development.
Think about it this way, when you set goals, they are going to be related to yourself in some way. Whether that’s through your health, your career, your family relationships, or your life in the future, every goal you set has a direct connection to you.
When you work on those goals, you’re bettering some part of you in some way that is all going to help you become the best version of yourself. I personally do not believe that we can become the best version of ourselves without the commitment to fully engage in personal development.
As you can see setting goals plays an important role in our lives. They can help us paint a picture of how we envision our future life, as well as reveal to us the most important and meaningful aspects of our life in the present moment.
Goal setting isn’t easy but it isn’t hard either. If you struggle with setting goals that you can then set out to achieve today is your lucky day. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that will help you out tremendously!
Let’s get into it!
Related Posts: 6 Ways to Engage in Personal Development
Related Posts: How to Create Balance for Success
First let’s take a look at how to set goals.
When setting goals ask yourself these two questions.
- “How will this goal benefit my future?
- “What area of my life will this goal improve?”
I have found that asking myself these two questions before setting any goal helps me be very intentional about the goals I set. These questions help to provide insight into the things that matter most to you, as well as bring a realization about the areas of your life that do not reflect what you want it to reflect.
Once you have asked and answered these two questions you are ready to move forward with the goal setting process.
The Goal Setting Process
1. Make it meaningful
The most important part about setting a goal is to make sure that it’s meaningful. You don’t want to set goals for the hell of it. Instead, they need to have a deep and important meaning to you. Think of this part of the process as the part where you really brainstorm what you want for yourself in the near future.
The way I like to approach this is by creating a map or guide of some sort. This can be a very detailed list about things you want for yourself, it can be a mind map, or even short paragraphs that thoroughly describe what you want.
With taking this approach I have found that it makes it easier for me to envision what I want. This is because seeing the words help me paint the image in my mind, which allows me to dream about what my life could be life if I was able to make this goal happen for myself.
The more meaningful the goal is to you, the more likely you are to write it down and work towards achieving it.
2. Make sure it’s realistic
The second most important part about setting a goal is to make sure it’s realistic. While it’s nice to dream and imagine the “what ifs” in life, it can he hurtful. This is because we often times dream about the best-case scenario in a perfect world that is free of limitations.
Doing so can quickly lead us down a path of discouragement.
Instead, dream about the best-case scenario in the world that you currently live in. This helps you to acknowledge what roadblocks, if any, are in your way that you need to clear in order to move forward. It also brings to your attention any limitations that may exist, which gives you the opportunity to brainstorm ways in which you can overcome those limitations.
This is why your goals need to be realistic. They need to be representative of where you are currently in life and how far you can comfortably move away from that position.
If you overextend your reach you run the risk of falling short of reaching that goal. However, if you extend just the right amount, you increase your chances of reaching that goal and setting yourself up to successfully achieve another.
3. Make it a S.M.A.R.T goal
Lastly, make it a S.M.A.R.T goal. There are many different ways to identify a S.M.A.R.T goal but this is what I believe to be the best representation of this type of goal.
S.M.A.R.T goals are:
- S – specific
- M – measurable
- A – action-based
- R – realistic
- T – time-bound
Creating S.M.A.R.T goals help you align the vision you have for your future. I also like to think of this part of the process as a game of connect the dots.
Take the time to make sure that each goal you set is specific, measurable, action-based, realistic, and time-bound. Let’s take a quick look at each of these more closely.
- Specific means to make sure you are very clear about what your goal is. Instead of saying “I want to have my own business” make it specific about the type of business you want to own.
- Measurable means to make sure that it motivates you. Much like it being meaningful you don’t want to set a goal that you are not going to be motivated to work towards daily.
- Action-based means to make sure that your goal is attainable. Is it something you can realistically work towards? Can you achieve this goal without quitting half-way through?
- Realistic means to make sure that your goal is realistic. Does it make sense to work on this goal now?
- Time-bound means to make sure that your goal is time sensitive. You don’t want to set a goal that is going to take you 3 years to achieve. Instead focus on goals that you can achieve within a couple of months.
Related Posts: 10 Positive Habits That Will Change Your Life for The Better
To help you get started with setting your goals I’ve put together a free Goal Setting Workbook . Just simply click the link below to download your copy and start writing your S.M.A.R.T goals today!
Download the free Goal Setting Workbook
How to Achieve Your Goals
Now that we’ve discussed how to set goals lets look at how to achieve them. Believe it or not it’s a lot easier than you think.
1. Dream it out
Once you have set your goal it’s time to spend some time dreaming about it. This is very important because the more time you spending imagining what your life would be like if you achieved this goal, the more motivation you may feel to work towards it.
The dreaming stage also allows for you to be able to identify any needs that you may have in order to reach your goal. This is very important because if you go the entire goal achieving process without meeting your needs, you can burnout and lose motivation quickly.
To avoid this, you need to be honest with yourself about what it is you need in order to be successful with achieving this goal. Once you have done so and your needs have been met, achieving the goal will seem all the more realistic to you.
2. Work towards it daily
Lastly, work towards it daily. This is why it’s important to set a goal that is meaningful to you and one that you know you will feel motivated to work towards.
Just like goals don’t set themselves they also don’t come true in the blink of an eye. It requires hard work, commitment, and dedication. In order to achieve a goal, you have to be willing to work on it and towards it until you have achieved it.
This can be challenging at times because life often happens and can get in the way. However, when you’re dedicated to your goal you learn ways in which to adapt to your situation, and use everything that is currently happening to your advantage.
When you also take the time to work on your goals daily this ensures that you are able to achieve it within the time span you have set for yourself. Naturally, the quicker you are able to achieve a goal the faster you can set a new one and begin to work on it.
However, it’s important to take your time with achieving your goals. You don’t want to rush and miss out on important steps or achieve it to the best of your ability. You want to give yourself enough time to comfortably work towards your goals.
That when you achieve it, it’s not out of anticipation, but out of hard work and dedication.
Related Posts: 12 Habits of Mindful People You Should Consider Adopting Today
Related Posts: How to Boost Your Confidence So That You Can Live A Happier Life
Conclusion
Goal setting can be one of the most fulfilling things in life.
This is because our goals have a direct and meaningful connection to us. They signify aspects of ourselves and represent areas of our life that we want to improve. The best part is that there are no limitations or restrictions to the kind of goals you can set.
You can set goals related to your marriage, your relationship, your family relationships, your career, your education, or whatever you believe is the most important part of your life to foster. Recognizing the areas of your life and self that you want to improve can help you set more realistic and meaningful goals that you are more likely to work towards achieving.
The next time you set a goal keep these things in mind:
- Make sure they are meaningful
- Make sure they are realistic
- Make sure they are S.M.A.R.T.
- Make sure you are able to spend time dreaming about it
- Make sure you are able to work towards them daily
These are all the tools that you need to get through the goal setting process, as well as achieve your goals. I’d love to hear what goal setting tips you may have?
-Xo
Kimora