Hands up if you’ve ever set yourself a goal only to scrap it or even forget it before completion.
We may even pretend we never even set the goal in the first place. We know we set the goal for a reason, but we don’t even know where to start. So we seek out distractions, Social Media, TV, playing games – anything to stop you from thinking, about how stuck you feel. Its a feeling I know too well. I’m going to show you a simple goal setting technique. This technique will be your catalyst to feeling that great sense of achievement every single day.
This isn’t my technique, it’s a technique I use. A medley of all the literature I’ve read on the subject.
A sense of achievement is one of the greatest feelings we experience. No matter how big or small the task, getting things done feels great. By definition a goal is ‘the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result’. When we go through life without an aim or ambition, we risk missing out on our desires. We risk feeling stuck.
“A goal properly set is a goal halfway reached~ Zig Ziglar”
Identify Your Values
When setting goals it’s important that they are aligned to your own values. Your values are the things that you believe are important in life. What makes you, you. Living out of sync with your core values makes you feel uncomfortable. This discomfort can present itself in many ways; irritability, insomnia, mood swings and even procrastination. My 5 core values are; motivation, personal growth, passion, humour and fitness. These are the things that need to be present in my everyday life in one way or another. You may have more than 5 core values or you may have less. To simplify things a little, focus on up to 5 of your core values. These are the ones that will stand true no matter what. These are the ones that you’re passionate about. Other examples of values can be found here.
Write Your Goals Down
Once you’re all clear on your core values, you can start to set your goals. Your goals, as you may have already guessed, should be aligned with your core values. This way you are likely to really identify with them and strive hard to achieve them. You should also write your goals down clearly. Writing your goals down forces you to clarify what you want. Keep your written goals somewhere where you can review them regularly. Review your goals daily, not only does this help you to commit to them but it also helps to programme it into your subconscious to that even when you’re not consciously thinking about your goal, your subconscious is working behind the scenes to help achieve your goals.
When we write down our goals, we transform what we imagine into reality~ Gina Greenlee
Make Your Goals SMART
SMART is an acronym that stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timed
Your goal must be that specific you should be able to visualise it clearly in your mind’s eye. How will you know that you’re on track? If you cannot measure your progress, you won’t know how close you are to achieving your goal. A SMART goal is one that you can achieve. That’s not to say it shouldn’t be a challenge. How relevant is your goal? Check your goal is relevant to the situation you’re in and that is tied in with your values. Finally, your goal should be time-bound so make sure it has a deadline. Imagine starting a car journey with no idea how long it will take you to get there.
Make a Plan
Let me use another analogy to depict this point. Think about the steps involved in making a cup of tea. There are certain steps which depend on another step. For example, you can’t boil the water before you fill the kettle. There are also steps you can do simultaneously. You can put the tea bag in the mug whilst the kettle is boiling. Think of anything that could delay or prevent you from making a cup of tea. No tea bags? Or maybe you run out of time and have to tend to something else which is more important. No matter how big or small your goal is, breaking it down into mini-tasks will provide transparency.
Once you can see all the critical steps, tools and skills involved, you’re set for success.
