Setting goals is one of the most important things anyone who wishes to accomplish anything in life must do. It is a great way to give yourself direction, focus and motivation.
In the words of Brian Tracy, “Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement”, this simply means that without having set goals, all you have is wishful thinking that will amount to nothing but failure.
Below are ten steps you can take to actualize set goals.
- Belief
The first step to goal setting is to have absolute belief and faith in the process. If you don’t believe you can absolutely transform your life and get what you want, then you might as well forget about goal setting and do something else.
- 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 must take place? What do you need to know or learn? What spiritual, emotional, personal, financial, social or physical properties need to be addressed? The clearer you are with each of these dimensions will bring your vision into sharp focus. The clearer you are, the easier it will be to focus on making it happen.
- Write it down!
Writing down your goals is key to success. By writing down your goals, you become a creator. Failure to write down your goals often means you will forget them or won’t focus on them. Have them written down where you can see them every day.
- Purpose.
Knowing why you want to achieve your goals 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 and motivates you to see it through to the end.
- Commit.
This might sound obvious to you but it’s a step that has disastrous consequences when it’s taken lightly. Write a few pages about why and how you are committing to each goal; why it’s important to you, what it means to you, why the outcome is necessary and what you are going to do to make it happen. Without strong commitment you aren’t likely to follow through.
- Stay focused.
By focusing on your goals, you manifest. You may not know how you’ll reach your goals but when you make a daily practice of focus, they become easier to reach. Having your goals written down somewhere where you will see them each day is a good idea. Your mind will notice that there is a discrepancy between where you are now and where you want to be which will create pressure to change.
- Develop plan of action.
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 write down a list of action steps. You may not know all the steps ahead of time, but you will know the next steps that take you in that direction.
- Do it now!
To show how committed you are to your goals, think of something you can do right now that will get you moving toward fulfilling your goals. Even if it’s just making a phone call, do it now. You will be surprised how this simple step reinforces all the previous steps and gets you motivated and moving toward what you desire.
- Accountability.
To push through when things get tough, you have to hold yourself accountable unless you bring in outside help like a coach who provides it for you. It makes sense to have someone beside yourself who can provide valuable feedback at critical junctures, like a friend or a mentor. Telling your friends and family about your goals may give you the accountability your need.
- Review.
Make it part of your day to review your goals and take action. This keeps your goals alive and top of mind. It’s a good time to convert the overall plan into discrete action steps that you can take throughout the week. It will also help you be aware if one goal feels stuck and you are over compensating on another goal.
By following these steps and practicing your goals each day, you have all the elements you need to succeed and achieve your goals. It isn’t always easy to push through. Some days will be easier than others but if you stay focused on your goals you will be amazed at the progress you will make.
Remember, almost everything begins as a thought. You can be what you imagine if you follow these simple steps.
Culled from:
Bradley, F. (2013, July 7). 10 Steps to Successful Goal Setting [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2VXglYD