Goal setting is a powerful tool that can give direction, motivation, and structure to your daily efforts.

It helps you prioritize your work, and gives markers of achievement and opportunities for success and rewards. It’s your roadmap to success!

Setting and achieving goals gives a sense of pride and accomplishment

Ideally, you will set both short-term and long-term goals and create a plan of action to achieve them.

Studies have shown that those who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them.

Research also has found that planning separates high-performing people from the lower performing.

Goal setting is a learned behavior

Like all behavior modifications (changing your diet, becoming more positive, increasing your income), it’s something you have to practice and adopt into your daily life.

It’s not something that happens overnight.  Success requires that you prepare and willpower is not enough.

You can learn to set appropriate goals and make them easier to achieve!

Set an appropriate goal

What is an appropriate goal you ask? 

First, your goal must be specific and quantifiable.  For example, “I want to sell more products this month” isn’t a quantifiable goal, but “I want to sell 100 products this month” is. 

Secondly, if your goals aren’t measurable, they’re easier to dismiss. 

This is why so many New Year’s resolutions fail. 

Goals like “I want to lose weight this year” or “I want to earn more money” aren’t strong enough to hold yourself accountable nor do they give you a clear plan of action.  

Start with small and achievable goals

When first learning to adopt a goal-setting mindset, you should begin with smaller, achievable goals.  Why set a goal that is easy to achieve? 

Because you’re establishing a pattern of achievement and success.

If you set a goal of one million dollars in sales and your sales last year were $10,000 then you will be setting yourself up for failure.

And that’s the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish. 

If, on the other hand, you set your sales goals for $15,000 then that’s a more reasonable goal and one that you’re likely to achieve. 

Small goals = a pattern of success = bigger goals. 😁

Make your goal time frame short

If it takes six months for you to accomplish your goals, the satisfaction won’t be as strong. 

That’s one of the reasons so many programs advertise “Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days.” or “Write a Book in a Month.” 

People desire instant gratification. 

While you’re learning your goal-setting and achieving behavior, make the beginning goals happen quickly. 

For example, “I want 10 new customers this week,” or “I will make 25 sales calls.”

See how clear that is?!

Plan how to achieve your goal

Remember that the shortest point between two distances is a straight line.

Make a list of the steps you’ll need to take to achieve your goal, what obstacles you foresee, and who might be able to help you.

Or perhaps you’ll need to learn something new.

Celebrate your accomplishments

Lastly, once you’ve accomplished a goal, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. 

This is important!  If you don’t take the time to relish the accomplishment, then you’re missing a crucial motivator to reach your next goal. 

Once you’ve taken a moment to feel pride and accomplishment, you can then set another goal or work on accomplishing another you’ve already set. 

Don’t wait, don’t procrastinate, and do it while you’re still glowing with success.

Goal Setting Conclusion

As you continue this process you’ll establish a pattern of behavior within yourself. 

You’ll begin to see success move into other areas of your life. 

Goals like, “I want to go out with my significant partner two times this month” or “I want to exercise three times this week for 15 minutes”, will come naturally to you along with making them happen.   

Download my free goal setting worksheet to help you set and achieve your goals!