How To Set Goals – SMART Goal Setting Tips

How To Set Goals – SMART Goal Setting Tips

Goals give direction and purpose to everything that you do.
Without them, you just aimlessly jump from task to task - and this leads to feeling overwhelmed, dissatisfied - and ultimately, to a lack of success.
Whether you want to climb the corporate ladder, run a marathon for the first time, or simply become a better person - setting goals is a vital part of any effort to improve.
Being able to formulate, set, and make progress toward goals is a skill that will help you achieve your dreams.
By setting and meeting realistic goals, you become the happy, successful person you deserve to be.
Here’s a closer look at goal setting, and how you can make it work for you.

Number 1 - Believe In The Process

The first step to goal setting is to have absolute belief and faith in the process.
If you don’t absolutely believe you can achieve what you want, then you might as well forget about goal setting, and do something else.
If you’re in doubt, look around you.
Everything you see, began as a thought.
You too, can turn your thoughts into reality - if you only believe!

Number 2 - Evaluate And Reflect

The only way you can reasonably decide what you want in the future and how you’ll get there, is to know where you are right now.
Take some time to think through your current situation.
The purpose of this evaluation is twofold.
First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and the pursuit of what you want to accomplish.
Second, it shows you where you are - so you can determine where you need to go.
Evaluation gives you a baseline to work from.

Number 3 - Stay True To Yourself

One of the key things to remember when setting goals, is to stay true to yourself.
Your goals should be things that YOU want to do - not things that you imagine other people want you to do.
Following this rule, will help ensure your dedication and passion toward your goals.
You owe it to yourself to determine what your goals should really be.

Number 4 - Set Goals That Motivate You

When you set a goal, it has to mean something, and there has to be value in achieving it.
If the outcome is of little to no importance to you, then the chances of you putting in the work, are next to none.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done, so start simple.
Break down your goals into your top three, or top five, and the ones with the highest sense of urgency.
It’s best to focus on one or two goals at a time - so start with the goals that are the highest on your priority list.

Number 5 - Visualize What You Want

Think of what you deeply desire in your life, or where you want to be a year from now.
What changes have to take place?
What do you need to know or learn?
What personal, financial, social or physical properties need to be addressed?
These are some important questions you must ask yourself.
Be very specific.
The clearer you are, the easier it will be to focus on your vision and make it happen.

Number 6 - Make Your Goals Positive

So often you hear people say, “Oh, I want to lose 30 pounds.”
But, instead of “losing”, why not try “gaining” something!?
Try gaining energy, vitality, or health - try becoming healthier, instead of losing weight.
Instead of watching less TV - try spending more time with your kids, or more time at the gym, or more time walking outside.
Instead of checking your email less - try to be more productive and concentrate more on the task at hand.
Always try to switch the negative into a positive.
When you concentrate on gaining, earning more, or expanding - instead of losing, cutting off, or cutting down - your mindset changes.
You start seeing the glass half full, instead of half empty - and this helps keep you motivated in the long run.

Number 7 - Make Sure Goals Do Not Conflict

It's surprisingly easy to harbor views that are good separately, but are at odds with each other.

For example, you want to work overtime to buy that new car, but you also want to spend more time with your family.
The conflict that arises when you have two opposing goals or desires essentially results in having to choose one over the other; or in some cases, it leads to no action at all.
When you’re setting goals, one of the most important rules to remember is that they should not conflict with one another!
If you find that two or more of your goals conflict, you need to take some time to really think about which goal is more important to you.

Number 8 - Write It All Down

Writing your goals down is an essential part of the goal setting process.
In today’s digital age, many of us have forgotten how useful it can be to record things on paper.
Keeping a goal setting notebook will be very useful in helping you stay focused, motivated, and on track.
Writing your goals down gives you a road map of sorts for achieving them.
If you don’t write down your goals, you could find yourself just forgetting about them.
So have your goals written down somewhere - where you can see them every day.

Number 9 - Identify Your Purpose

Knowing WHY you want to achieve a goal is powerful.
Identifying the purpose of your goal helps you instantly recognize why you want that particular goal - and whether it’s worth working toward.
Knowing why you want something gives you powerful motivation to see it through to the finish.
For example, if the purpose of earning X-amount of dollars is to put it in the bank for a rainy day, you probably won’t be as motivated as you would be if you needed the money to pay for medical bills.

Number 10 - Make Sure Your Goals Are Attainable

It’s important to make sure that your goals are possible to achieve - without being too easy.
Careful thought is required to ensure that your goals are both realistic and challenging.

Not only that, you must fully perceive them as being attainable!
If you do not believe in its attainability, a goal will be very difficult to achieve.
If a goals seems unattainable, consider whether the goal itself is actually too difficult, or if you’re simply suffering from a lack of confidence in your abilities.

Number 11 - Have A Deadline

A good goal always has a deadline.
For example:
You want to fit into your favorite pair of jeans by the end of the year
You want to buy a house by the time you’re 35
You want to buy a new car by the summer
Whatever it is, make it specific and add a deadline.
Your mindset is going to switch into a different direction, because now you know that you have a limited window of opportunity.
You know your starting point - and you know by when you need to achieve it.
Even if it takes you 10 years, it’s still a limited window of opportunity, and your mindset will change.

Number 12 - Create An Action Plan

Having a goal without a plan is like trying to complete a complex project without a project plan.
There’s too much going on, it’s too disorganized, you miss deadlines and you don’t have priorities.
Eventually you get frustrated and the project (or goal) fails or collapses under its own weight.
Being really clear about what you want, knowing your purpose, writing your goals down, committing to them, and staying focused gives you the power of clarity to create an action plan.
You may not know all the steps ahead of time, but you will know the next steps that take you in the right direction.

Number 13 - Stay Focused

By focusing on your goals, you manifest.
You may not know how you’ll reach your goals, but when you focus on them daily, they become easier to reach.
This is why having your goals written down somewhere, where you will see them each day, is a really good idea.
Your mind will notice that there is a discrepancy between where you are now, and where you want to be - and this will create pressure to change.
If you lose focus, you can always bring it back.

Number 14 - Difficulties Are Only Challenges

Almost all goals that are worth setting your mind upon (especially long-term goals), will involve obstacles and difficulties of some sort.
The most important thing in dealing with such obstacles and difficulties lies in the way you approach them.
It is extremely important to see these obstacles and difficulties as challenges.
When you view something as a challenge, you will find it much easier to maintain a positive and motivated attitude.
Additionally, you will enjoy the process of working toward your goal much more than you would otherwise.
As you overcome each challenge, you will feel progressively more empowered and capable.

Number 15 - Accountability

It can help to share your goal with someone you trust, like a good friend or a mentor.
They can provide valuable feedback at critical junctures.
When someone knows what your goals are, they ask you from time to time, where you are in the process of achieving those goals - and this holds you accountable.
Accountability puts some teeth into the process.

Number 16 - Review Your Goals Daily

Make it part of your day to review your goals.
This keeps your goals alive and at the top of your mind.
It will also help you see if one goal feels stuck, or if you are over compensating on another goal.
The most important benefit of setting goals, isn’t achieving them - it’s what you do, and the person you become - in order to achieve your goals.

By following these steps, you have all the elements you need to succeed.
Some days will be easier than others, but if you stay focused, you will be amazed at the progress you will make!
We want to know what you think!
What do you find the most challenging about setting and sticking to goals?
Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this article, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends, so we can keep making them.

For more articles like this, Remember to turn on the notification.
Also, be sure to check out our other articles as well.

Thanks for Reading!