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Success in anything requires several key elements: motivation, effort, determination, commitment, and execution. These are the same key elements to setting and achieving your goals. Which is why I think setting and achieving goals is an integral part of being successful. So if you’re just squeaking by doing the bare minimum and want to excel instead, here are some tips for setting and attaining goals.
1. Put your goals in writing
Place them where you will see them daily. It is much easier to ignore a goal that is in your head. There is no accountability. A simple reminder of your goals will give you a sense of guilt if you stop working towards them and a sense of confidence when you know you are getting close to achieving them. It’s kind of like those thermometers teachers used to hang on classroom walls during fundraisers and school challenges so you were constantly aware of how close you were to your goal, or how much work needed to be done to get there. Our brains respond to visual stimulation, so write down your goals and track your progress. Use a big thermometer if it helps!
2. Set challenging but attainable goals
Goal setting is a balancing act, and if you haven’t set goals for yourself previously, start small, or you may get discouraged. Once you are used to setting goals for yourself, kick it up a notch. The key to this is setting a goal that is well within your grasp but requires more effort than what you may typically exert.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new things
Part of achieving goals may mean changing your process. Think about it, if you’ve set a challenging goal as I suggested, the requirement for that was you were going to have to put in a little more effort to get there. Sometimes this will mean a change in the way you do things, either making your process more effective, putting in more time, or trying something new. Don’t be afraid to do that, if you do the same thing day in and day out you should expect the same result. Change it up and change the result.
4. Stay motivated
This is where a visual aide tracking your progress may help. I really am not suggesting a huge thermometer (unless that works for you). It is important that you see the progress you are making toward your goal, especially on days you feel as though you’ve made no progress. If you try to measure it in your head it just doesn’t have the same effect as the visual. Which brings me to my last tip.
5. Make sure your goals are measurable
Think about it, if your goals are intangible or vague, how you will ever feel like you’ve reached them? If your goal is “I want to be successful”, you need to define what success means to you, i.e. I want to make $100,000 a year, I want to own my own home, I want to get a promotion at work, etc. Make sure they are clear and measurable goals and have a clear time you want that goal to be achieved in.
What are some other things you do for achieving goals? Post them in the comment section!
If you are looking for more great tips, check out our other blogs here!