Goal setting is part of our every-day life. We constantly use it, from writing down a to-do list to planning our next career move. The problem is, the majority of us do not set our goals the correct way.
Here you’ll find ways to create successful goal setting techniques, scientific tactics and some of the research that I have found.
If you are somebody that does not like to write down your goals, then you are stalling and failing to reach your potential. You will find lots of useful tips in this article.
What is Goal Setting?
By definition, it is creating a target that you wish to achieve. Quite a simple task, yet most that set their intentions don’t reach them.
It is simple to identify your objective. The skilful part is being able to make attainable plans and ensure that you are willing to do what it takes.
You may be one of many who wants to earn £1 million. But who’s actually willing to endure the pain it takes?
Would you miss out on socialising, seeing your family and not enjoying days-off?
You wish for a six-pack and full-fitness, but are you willing to prepare your meals each and every day?
Now you’re beginning to understand setting objectives is the easiest part. Maintaining consistency and doing the things you need to, is something else.
Thankfully, there are experts that have dedicated research that can help us meet our goals. This article will help you with a step-by-step breakdown for setting goals.
Why is Goal Setting Important?
Setting goals is important, regardless of your aims. Simply plodding along allows you to get distracted and ultimately waste time. You’ll be looking back, wondering where all that time went and what you did with it. By setting goals for yourself, you’ll be able to find focus whilst continuing to strive forward.
- They give you focus
- You can measure progress
- Help you avoid getting distracted
- Overcome procrastination
- Provides motivation
How to Achieve Your Goals
By using a range of resources and different techniques, here at Treasure Talks we’ve provided you with the ultimate step-by-step guide to help you meet your long and short-term targets.
Prioritise Your Goals
Do you have a huge number of goals you wish to achieve, by no particular date, floating around your mind?
Or- when reading this, are you unsure on what you hope to achieve in your life, both career and overall?
Both types of people can use these steps to find help. You will be able to unearth some of the things that appeal to you. The more passionate you are about achieving the goal, the more likely you are to remain consistent.
You can set them for any area of your life:
- Career
- Finances
- Education
- Family
- Creative
- Physical Health
- Mental Health
- Charity
If you are looking to untangle the biggest goals that you have and find out what ones are priority, then follow these instructions:
1. You can use Warren Buffet’s direct tactic. The 20-slot rule is one that asks you to write down 25 of your goals. Try to stick to one category above at first. For instance, write down 25 career goals that you wish to achieve in the next five years.
2. When you’re done, highlight or circle the five that you most wish to achieve.
3. The other 20 should be avoided by all costs; they will merely waste your time. Scrap them and concentrate on the five goals that you set.
Write Them Down
Writing down your goals improves your chances of succeeding. In-fact, research has shown that by doing so, you are 42% more likely achieve them.
There are different ways to write down your goals. First off, you should take the advice from Warren Buffet discussed above. This will help you to identify your goals.
You can then use a system that I’ve used. I have found my main goals for different areas of my life, career, health and even things to engrain into my routine.
Below you can see an example of how I use Trello, here’s my goal setting template:
You can create the following sections:
- Key
- Long Term goals
- To-do
- Doing
- Completed
- On-going routine
The key simply differentiates the different types of goals you may set. You can then write down your goals to achieve within five years. You can also make separate boards, if you would like one specific to your project.
Make Small & Consistent Steps
Everything thereafter, will be the small steps you take towards meeting the said goals. Writing down the long-term plans is a great process, but you’ll need to follow it up with smaller actions. These steps should be easier to achieve and attain, yet they will need to help you meet the long-term goals.
I do this by then using the To-Do list, Doing and Completed categories. Trello is great because it allows you to move one objective from one list to another. For instance, if you have something in the ‘To-Do list’, once you start it, you can move it to the ‘Doing’ list.
The ‘To-Do’ list should entail of the small things, they can be daily or weekly checklists. But they are the things that need to be done next. Once you begin, transfer them to the ‘Doing’ category before then sending them to the ‘Completed’ list. The brilliance of keeping a ‘Completed’ category, is that it reminds you of how much you have already done, it’s a great feeling seeing all of the productivity you have had.
Trello is a great tool because if anything changes you are able to alter the goals and targets accordingly. It is best to not go off track, but is understandable that whilst journeying through our aims, they can take a slight de-tour, in terms of the path we take to succeed our goals.
Goal Setting Daily Routine
You can also add an on-going routine category. This is something that should serve as a reminder. For instance, meditation on a daily basis may be something you want as a core habit. In which case, you can add this to the on-going routine as it serves your entire goal setting process.
You could put on there exercise, practice gratitude, drink four litres of water plus anything else that may benefit you. Another aspect that’s great to etch into your daily plan, is to use the Think & Grow Rich method, of using affirmations and manifesting them into reality.
1. Write down, what you desire, the date you wish to attain it and how you will achieve it.
2. Write it down every single morning, to remind yourself and help you see it in the physical.
3. You can then say it out twice a day, again, this will help you manifest it into reality whilst motivating you to keep up the consistency on your small steps.
Measure Your Goals
Measure your goals, if you planned to be able to do 20-push ups in one-go and started off being able to do zero, then you can do a progress-check. See if you are still improving, if not then you will need to add new steps to your to-do list.
Don’t get too fixated on the result as it can be off-putting, use it as information. Not to determine failure, every step is an achievement!