We all have goals and dreams, but some people seem to be better at reaching those goals than others. If you’re reading this, you may not be one of those people, but that’s okay! You can change. Reading this means you want to change, and that’s always the first step to becoming a better person.
Now, before we get into the steps, your mindset has to be in the right place. If you don’t think you’ll reach your goal, you won’t. If you don’t think you can win that competition, why would you work towards it? If you don’t think you could lose 15lbs, why would you work out? If you’ve seen others fail and you don’t think you have better odds, why would you try?
You need to have a certain level of confidence, self-esteem, and belief that it’s possible. No matter how difficult or far away that dream may seem right now, if you seriously want it, you will make progress. If you need some additional encouragement, check out my 5 Hard Truths That Will Make You Feel Confident Today and 7 Self-Care Tips To Improve Your Self-Esteem Articles.
Now, without further ado, here is 8 steps for setting goals to ensure you’re set up for success!
1. What Is Your Goal?
What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? Where do you want to go?
There is no ‘goal planning’ without a goal.
Some examples of this could be learning to play piano, losing weight, starting a business, travelling around the world, being more outgoing, winning a competition, and so on.
If you don’t have a goal in mind but want something to work towards so you spend your free time more wisely, you can pick something you already have a deep interest in but was just observing and envying others who can do that thing, such as blogging or juggling. You can also pick something that will benefit your life and your future, like getting more fit, or saving up more money.
In this world, there are so many goals you can aim towards. The only thing I would NOT suggest is doing something you feel you should do because others do it or because they say you should. Even if it could benefit you, it’s hard to feel motivated to work on something you don’t care for.
Or worst case scenario, you end up resenting those who pushed you because you end up hating it. This happens for artists and creators in most cases where they did it for fun, but people kept saying they should sell it, and now they’re stressed and tired due to all the business. It’s no longer fun for them.
So definitely figure what your goal is and write that down!
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
Maya Angelou
2. Now Be More Specific & Figure Out Your WHY
The main reason why so many New Year Resolutions fail is because people are too vague about it.
People say they want to lose weight, or they want to play the guitar, or they want to save up money…
But how much weight do you want to lose? Maybe you’re not even focused on the weight but just want to lose your love handles. If you want to play guitar, what do you want to play? Do you want to learn to shred, or do you want to play in a band, or you just want to learn the basics to play by a campfire? If you want to save up money, how much would you like to save up and by when? Do you want to save up for emergencies, for a house or a car?
You also need to take a moment to figure out why you want this. Is it because it’s always been a dream of yours? Because it would be a great asset for your future career? For better health? To impress somebody or inspire others?
By having a more specific goal in mind, it will be easier to focus and find a path towards it. By remembering your why, if it really means something to you, it will keep you motivated. So definitely take a moment to figure what exactly you want to do and why.
3. What Is Actually Included In Reaching This Goal?
Now, this is where some serious research and deep thinking come into play. You wouldn’t just hop on a plane to a destination for a trip with no plan in place now, would you? If you’re travelling, you’ll pick a date, make arrangements at work, buy tickets, book your accommodation and tours, make a list of what you need to pack and so on. Achieving a goal requires just as much planning and foresight to ensure things run as smoothly as they can.
If you want to lose weight, are you going to do body weight exercises? Maybe you plan to get a membership for a gym, or you may need to buy equipment for home. Losing weight also requires you to eat more consciously, so will you keep buying lunch or start meal prepping? If you’re going to meal prep, you should do research on the best foods and recipes and do some grocery shopping beforehand. If you want to learn guitar, do you have one already? Is it in good condition or needs repairs? Will you self learn or take lessons?
And of course, it’s also important to consider how much time may be required to reach that goal. As you do your research on your goal, you should be able to find some time estimates. If the average person can lose 1lb a week, then it should take you 2-3 months to lose 10lbs. If you want to learn guitar, depending on if you just want to play basic songs or shred, it could take years or decades.
By doing research and being aware of what it will cost and take, you can ensure you start off on the right foot, and not get frustrated when things take longer than you initially thought it would.
“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.”
Walt Disney
4. What Is The Time Frame For This Goal?
Now that we know what exactly our goal is and ensured we have all we need to start on the right foot, it’s time to create a time frame for that goal.
Goals can be both short term and long term. In my opinion, a short term goal is usually something that can be done in under 6 months, or it has a definite end date, such as a competition. A long term goal, on the other hand, could be a life long goal or something without a definite end, such as learning an instrument.
For short term goals, the finish line is within sight, so it’s easier to plan what you need to do each day or each week as you build up for it. Long term goals can lead to procrastination or laziness as some aren’t motivated if the finish line is too far away, thus it’s best to lay out checkpoints or milestones as you work towards that goal.
For example, if you plan to run in next years marathon, but you haven’t exercised or ran in ages, your first month may just be you stretching and walking for 10 minutes each day. Then you’ll attempt a run and see how far you can run and at what time. From there, you’ll have a goal each month where you increase those increments until you know for sure that you can run the whole marathon within whatever amount of time.
5. What Setbacks Might You Face?
Not every goal is going to be a straight path. You may get lazy, you may cheat, you may lose motivation. Maybe you’re trying to save money, but your friends keep inviting you out. Maybe you’re great at exercising once you get started, but you know you have a bad habit of binging or just laying in bed when you feel stressed or depressed. Or perhaps your job is unstable, so you’re not always sure how much you can invest in your new business.
Spend some time thinking deeply and honestly about yourself, your life, and your mindset so you can better prepare for potential bumps in the road and get yourself back on track. If you know in advance that these things may slow down your progress or get in your way, you won’t get as discouraged or give up when things get hard.
That, or you can give yourself extra time so you’re still on track for your goal. By making note of these potential barriers beforehand, you can prepare or may even have a backup plan since you already saw it coming.
6. Write It All Down
Writing things down changes a nice thought to an actual goal. It’s easy to forget about something or act like it wasn’t that big of a deal when you get lazy, an thus but writing it is the first step to convincing yourself that this is serious, and that you are going to make it a reality.
Now, every person operates differently when it comes to reaching a goal, and I recommend you do some research and figure out what is best for you.
Get a planner if that helps you organize. Maybe get a white board calendar so you can keep an eye on your tasks and checkpoints. Coordinate your grocery shopping, meal planning, and gym sessions. Organize practices and rehearsals if it’s a group project.
If you’re like me with a very random, unpredictable schedule, then sometimes just writing down what tasks you want to work on today can help keep you focused. Do what works for you!
7. Find Ways To Keep Yourself Accountable
Even with the highest drive and discipline, it’s always a good idea to find additional ways to hold or keep yourself accountable.
While I am good at picking up the guitar and practicing regularly, even I have those moments when I’m just too busy or too lazy to pick it up. I may go a couple weeks without practicing if I’m just not in the mood. However, I have an Instagram account where I keep track of my progress that I feel compelled to update, and I have this band which forces me to sit down and learn songs in time for rehearsal. Being the leader as well, I want to lead by example, so I make sure I learn the songs thoroughly so I can spend rehearsals listening and helping my mates.
Depending on what you’re doing, if you can find a coach, mentor, teacher, or a friend/family member who would have no mercy on you, or social media where you will try to maintain a schedule, or even just a membership that you’ve paid for and thus want to make sure you get your money’s worth, just anything that will push you to stick to it and work on it regularly, that’s great!
8. Evaluate & Adjust Regularly
Finally, as you go about your goal, it’s good to grade yourself often and change your checkpoints accordingly. If you don’t have a personal teacher or coach, you are the only one who can see if you’re on progress and if you’re learning things correctly. You need to keep an eye on yourself and be quite serious. Don’t just let things slide or say it’s not big deal as this will lead to laziness and poor results.
As for your checkpoints, you can always edit them to fit the situation. If your original goal was to lose 10 pounds in 3 months, but you managed to lose 8 pounds in the first month, you can either shorten your goal to 2 months, or decide to push yourself to lose 15 instead. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a destination wedding, so you’ll have to put your business plans on hold for two weeks. That’s fine! Life happens!
It’s not a problem nor a failure to change or edit your goal and checkpoints. There may be things you didn’t expect or realize until you started. Things may seem easy from a distance, but as you get into it, it turns out to be more challenging. Maybe what seems hard for a lot of people turns out to be really easy for you, and vice versa, so adjust your goals and checkpoints if you need to. Just don’t give up when things don’t go according to Plan A!
Additional Tips & Insight
1. Sign Up For A Class or Coaching
Some goals are easier to work towards independently, but for many others, it may be worth it to invest in a class or a coach. While you may be wasting time trying to figure things out, these resources can lead down a straight path which will help you see results faster.
Even if it’s just someone willing to answer your questions when you’re feeling lost or frustrated, it can really help. What may seem hard suddenly becomes easy when an expert can explain things clearly to you. Having practice or lessons with them will also keep you accountable.
2. Never Put Your Down Yourself
You are trying to learn or do something new and reach a goal…that’s amazing! While so many people are wasting all their time binging Netflix every evening, you are at least working towards something that will better your life or make you happier.
Even if things seem hard, and even if you struggle and don’t get it at first, don’t put yourself down. You can criticize your skills and joke at yourself when you make silly mistakes, but never say that you can’t do something or that you’re not good enough.
3. Maybe Now Is Just Not The Time
If you find it really hard to commit to a goal, it may just not be the right time for you. Sometimes you’re just not in the right mindset, or there’s just too many things going on in your life, and you just can’t seem to focus or find the time. If your motivation is low, forcing yourself to practice will only make you hate it in the end. If it is a dream of yours, you can always come back to it later on.
You’ll probably make more progress in less time when the time is right anyways. You’re not a failure for taking a break or focusing on things that need your time. Here’s some inspiring stories of people who found what they wanted to do or switched careers later on in life.
Conclusion
I hope this article was useful and insightful. This was created from me based on what I feel helps me achieve my goals easier, but everyone is different, so feel free to pick and choose some of these. All that matters is that you are working towards your goals.
One final tip that I highly suggest is starting a journal. Journaling is not only a great way to record your past, but it also helps you learn more about yourself and keeps you focused on what you want for the future. You can learn more about the benefits in my How Journaling Builds Confidence & Helps You Achieve Goals article.
Feel free to let me know what you want to work towards in the comments, and be sure to come back and tell me when you achieve them too! ^_^
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