Whether you’ve consciously set New Years Resolutions or not, there is probably a list of things that you want to achieve in 2021. That ambition is great, but have you weaponized it? The reason resolutions often don’t work and die out after a couple of weeks is because people don’t know how to plan them constructively and set their goals in a way that they are effective. It is difficult to follow through if you don’t know about the right tools. Sounds familiar? We’ve got you!
Here’s how to get ahead and be successful with goal setting:
Step 1: Believe in yourself and the process
Goals are set to give yourself a sense of purpose and are a pathway to success. The first step is being confident in the process and your ability. Every bit of success you see around you, began as a goal in someone’s head they stood behind with faith. You can do it too, you deserve success and achievement. Begin with this crucial premise.
Step 2: Set SMART Goals
SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
Set Specific goals
Your goal must be clear to you. Vague goals are rarely succeeded because they don't provide direction. Why are you setting this goal? Define precisely where you want to end up. Don’t see your goal as the start of something, but rather focus on the end of it; where do you want to be at the end of the ride?
Set Measurable goals
When setting specific goals; include precise amounts, dates, and so on so you can measure your degree of success. How will you know you have been successful if you don’t measure your progress? Setting up a measuring system will also track your small wins, and small wins help with motivation you need to stick to your goals.
Set Attainable Goals
Your goals should be challenging, get you excited, but not so hard to attain that you’re constantly missing the mark. A goal is meant to spark motivation, not discouragement. There might be certain factors needed for your goal that you simply don’t have; acknowledge that if that is the case, and see how you can attain those factors or make the goal smaller.
Set Relevant Goals
Each of your goals should align with your values and long-term goals in life. If your goal is to sell a new product, it should be aligning with your future business plan. Make your goal something you’d be able to defend if someone asked you why you’re doing it. Settle the motivation behind your goal and also review and update your goals if things aren’t going as planned so it stays relevant and something you’re trying to attain.
Set Time-Bound Goals
When you’ve got a deadline, break your goal down into bite size chunks. What is the one thing you need to do this month, this week, today etc to be on track? The more clarity, the more likely you are to stick to the goal.
Step 3: Make your goals a MUST not a SHOULD.
Focus on changing your mindset to one where it is not an option or something you think you should do but instead an absolute must. Don’t be afraid of setbacks. You only fail when you stop trying
Step 4: Accountability
Accountability is another factor that plays a role in effective goal setting. To achieve a goal, you need to make sure there is someone to hold you accountable in the face of adversity.
We as Getting Ahead offer a personal goal setting and accountability course to do just that. We offer personal coaching that will help you set up your goals, hold you accountable to them and thus lead you on a path of success. We want to see you succeed this year, and we hope we’ve encouraged you to work on it efficiently.
If interested, you can sign up for our course here.