Today I have three techniques for goal setting success. Something I have realized as my blogs have evolved is that the way I set goals has changed…a lot.
I started out with the basic idea of SMART goals, moved to 90 days goals, switched to chunking my goals into 10 day sprints…you name it, I tried it.
I have found that following simple steps makes goal setting…simple! Let’s get to it.
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Technique 1 – Goal Setting is A Journey
The best tip I can give you is to realize that goal setting is something to be learned…the more you practice, the better you get at it.
I used to get so disappointed when the goal I set did not happen. Sometimes I was close, and other times I was not even in the ballpark.
It confused me about whether I could actually achieve my goals.
Then I got a goal setting mentor and I learned that achieving the goal is the not the “end goal”…at least in the beginning.
The goal is to take feedback from not hitting your goal to create better goals
I know that may sound a bit woo-woo, but in order to achieve goals, the best skill you can have is learning what did not work.
Problem solving from what did not work helps to create a path to what will work.
The other thing to know is the difference between a goal and a wish.
We may wish to earn 10K a month, but if we are starting at zero, that is going to be really challenging.
It might be better to look at where we want to be in a year, and break that down into smaller goals that will lead us toward our big goal of $10k months.
I suggest creating powerful goals that lead to success.
Technique 2 – Create Powerful Goals
In order to set powerful goals that are achievable, take some time to research the dreams you have to find out if they’re even doable.
Follow the basic SMART goal idea: Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Relevant, and Timely or time-bound.
You do want to challenge yourself some but you don’t want to make the goals so hard that you experience only failure.
To ensure maximum success, make sure that your goals meet the following criteria.
Your Goals Match Your Core Values
To create balance with your goals, be sure to set goals in the four main areas of life.
And try to make your goals overlap/or work together, such as getting in shape while spending more time with family, for a win-win.
- Family
- Financial
- Physical
- Personal
If a goal for some reason doesn’t fit into one of your core values, it’s not likely you’ll experience much success because you do not care enough to prioritize it.
You Are 100 Percent in Control of What You Want to Achieve
Self-limiting beliefs can get in your way on this one.
For example if you think you do not have control over your financial future because “that’s just how it is,” you may want to change to more positive thinking.
Be realistic about whether you do have control or not and give yourself more credit.
Practice Envisioning the Goal
This is good practice for all areas of life.
Success thinkers like Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield practice envisioning success, as do most professional athletes, movie stars, and even politicians.
If you need to draw a picture, make a vision board, or take a day out to fantasize about your big dreams and see how they all fit together in the big picture of your life, do so.
You need to see the end to be able to truly achieve it.
Be Specific About What You Want
Every goal you make needs to be very specific in nature.
If you really want to be sure to reach the goal, you have to know when you reached it.Click To TweetInstead of saying “I want to start a business,” state exactly what type of business you want to start, who you want to be your clients, and other information that makes the goal more concrete.
Make Your Goals Measurable
At which point have you achieved the goal?
If you can’t give a number or something that is measureable, then you won’t have a real goal.
If you want to use the business example, you might include that you want to earn x amount of dollars each week by a certain date.
And then how and why you are going to do it.
Be Actionable
To achieve any goal there has to be steps that you can take to get there.
Like using a roadmap to reach a destination that you want to go to on vacation, you need to draw a map to your vision of success with the steps and paths you’ll take along the way.
Put not only what but when and how you’ll accomplish the step.
Be Realistic
You don’t want to write a goal that is too hard to achieve or worse, impossible. Be sure that it’s scientifically possible to do it by researching everything realistically.
For example, you’re not likely going to start a business today and earn six figures by tomorrow or even the first year in business.
People who tell you that you can earn $10K a month right away with their program are scammers. They will be the ones to earn $10K, not you.
Look at the research and determine what is doable and how you’ll do it.
Be Timely
Every goal has to have a time limit otherwise you may never achieve it.
Start with the end and work your way back to today, creating the list of things to do each day to finally reach the end result.
But, do set a time limit.
Put it in your planner or calendar, and stick with the goal for a set period, such as 90 days.
Resist the urge to change the time because you’re not sticking to your task lists.
- Audit your goal at the end of the time period and review what worked and what did not.
The important thing is to give each goal a lot of thought, consideration and study before setting it.
One of the biggest issues regarding setting goals is to keep them at a high level.
We all want to accomplish things in life.
But setting goals that are too general is going to make it difficult to accomplish them. It’s also going to be difficult to measure how you are doing.
The best approach is to break big goals into chunks.
Technique 3 – “Chunking” for Goal Setting Success
Think of the chunks as action items.
These actions are measurable units that you put to milestones. You need to set them up in a way that holds you accountable.
Otherwise, they won’t get accomplished.
Write your goals and action steps down on paper.
Put it in a place where you can view it every single day.
There is some kind of magic between your eyes seeing your goals on paper and linking the concept to your brain to take action on them.
This does not mean that you will wake up the next day and your goal is achieved.
What it does mean is that your brain is going to start looking at ways to help you achieve your goal.
This may take time, so be prepared.
It’s okay to dream big with your goals but be realistic about accomplishing them.
When you break your goals down into action steps and find they are not within your ability or skill set to accomplish within the specified periods, rework them until you find the right mix of actions.
Making the goals and actions too difficult will set yourself up for frustration when not being able to accomplish them.
Evaluating how well you accomplish the action steps will go a long way in helping you meet the goals.
The set of actions will get you where you want to be.
- If you find you are stumbling on some of your action items, determine why and see if you can get back on track.
It is at this point you can recognize that you were too aggressive with the plan, and this will enable you to seek alternatives.
Move ahead with your actions and keep going.
Understand that roadblocks are a natural part of the process.
If something worthwhile was easy, you wouldn’t need to set goals to accomplish it, and everyone would be doing it.
It probably won’t be worth it either.
- Overcoming obstacles give people a sense of accomplishment, and it can help us grow.
Setting goals is important.
But creating action items related to those goals is the key to making them a reality.
It is much easier to perform smaller chunks of work than it is to wing it towards whatever goal you are striving for.
And if you succeed with a chunk, then you really are moving into goal setting success.
Conclusion
I hope that you have enjoyed this post and found it helpful. How I set and achieve goals has evolved over time, which I guess is why there are so many different ways to set goals.
If you want more info, be sure to get your 5 Minute Guide to Internet Marketing Success guide. It is full of helpful information on what Internet Marketing is all about.
Please share with others…sharing is caring! Let me know in the comments how these tips work for you! Until next time, happy blogging and follow me on Pinterest!
-Irma 🙂
