Wondering how to successfully keep short-term and long-term goals? Or how to even keep track of all your daily goals?
Whether you’re wanting to set better budget goals, become a better leader, or finally start that business idea, here are tips that’ll help answer these questions and start you setting and achieving your goals.
With the start of the new year come new year resolutions. It is an age-old tradition that we fall victim to every single year. There is something about the calendar striking January 1st that inspires us to finally pursue that goal we have been putting off for months, Mondays are simply no longer a good enough start date.
So, suppose you are someone that has set new year resolutions and found yourself struggling somewhere mid-January. In that case, it could be due to the process you are following when setting the goals, or rather, the lack of a process. Believe it or not, goal-setting is a skill that is incredibly beneficial in personal growth and can be quickly developed given proper guidance.
We would like to introduce you to a goal-setting method that has worked wonders for creating achievable goals. The best part is it consists of only 3 simple steps.
Step 1: Identify Your Goals
While this step may seem self-explanatory, it is anything but that. Many of us are not clear about what we want when we set our goals, resulting in their inevitable failure, further discouraging us from pursuing them. Similar to creating a business plan, it is essential to establish your “why” and visualize what the desired result would look like when it comes to growth and development in any area of your life. This will not only give you the motivation needed to start but also help you become clear on the exact result you are desiring.
Identifying your goals can be quite overwhelming at the beginning of your goal-setting journey; hence, breaking it into smaller parts is important. The term “SMART Goals” has been used intensively in school, business, and personal growth books, and for a good reason. Setting SMART goals can make them look more achievable rather than making a statement that seems so out of reach. But what exactly are SMART goals?
Specific:
Your goal must be clearly defined. It is not enough to state “I want to be fit” rather consider framing it in a concise and actionable way such as “I will go on a walk every day”. By being specific, you are increasing your chances of accomplishing the goal.
Measurable:
How will you measure your progress in the growth or skill you are trying to accomplish? A great example of a measurable goal would be “I will go for a 30-minute walk every day to lose two pounds of weight”.
Achievable:
Your goal must be achievable in nature. When learning a new skill such as a language, setting a goal to be fluent in a week is nearly impossible to achieve. You must set a goal that focuses on gradual growth, such as “I will learn 2 new words a day”.
Realistic:
The goal you are pursuing needs to be realistic, similarly to being achievable. Consider your surroundings and resources when setting goals. Becoming a snowboarding champion living in Florida is simply not a realistic goal to set. Consider your time allowance, resources, and surroundings.
Timely: What is the deadline for your goal? Setting a date for when you want to accomplish the goal will create urgency and inspire you to take action.
Step 2: Review Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Self-awareness is a gift, especially when it comes to personal growth and development. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses can help you develop an effective and actionable plan for your goals by helping you put emphasis on your strength characteristics and avoid your weaknesses.
Taking into account your habits and personality can help you personalize your goals and the plan to achieve them according to your character. If one of your weaknesses is public speaking, becoming a motivational speaker may not be the ideal goal to set for yourself, instead help overcome the fear of public speaking gradually, such as joining a club or being more active in your local community.
If one of your strengths is discipline, you can easily set a goal that focuses on a skill that requires a lot of commitment and time. It will be easier for you to achieve that goal than for someone that has a habit of procrastinating and losing interest.
Step 3: Create a Plan to Achieve Your Goals
Now that you have completed the two steps above, it is time to create a plan on how you’ll achieve your goals. Contrary to what you may think, this is the easy part. By having outlined what your goals are and your strengths and weaknesses, you did most of the work, now it is time to write it down and accomplish goals!
Combine what you learned about yourself and your SMART goals into one actionable plan. If it is a skill you are trying to learn, decide what the desired skill is, what level of proficiency you are seeking to achieve, and work some time into your schedule. The most important part is sticking to it and being consistent. By creating a definite plan of days and time you will work on your goal, you are more likely to stick to it.
Discipline keeps you going when your curiosity, motivation, and excitement evaporate.
Regardless of what goal you are trying to achieve, following the 3-step goal-setting process will help you get started and put you on a path to success.
Happy goal setting!
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