When you’re striving toward your long-term goals, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and lose track of the small steps that get you there. But when you set daily goals, you can focus on what’s right in front of you—and that’s how we get big things done.
When it comes to goal setting, there are two important factors: intention and actionable steps.
First, set an intention for your goal. What do you want? What will make you feel accomplished at the end of the day? This is your WHY. Once you’ve figured out why this matters to YOU, then it’s time to take actionable steps toward achieving that intention. We know this probably sounds overwhelming (and it totally is), but breaking down tasks into smaller parts makes them easier to manage. And once you’ve gotten the hang of it? You’ll be able to tackle anything!
Setting goals is an important part of life, but it is also one of the most difficult. Many times, we set goals that are too large or not specific enough to be sustainable. This is why it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want and how you are going to get there.
If we take a look at the following example:
As an air pilot, I would like to become a world-class pilot. My goal is to fly an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean alone in less than 12 hours.
This goal is achievable because it has been done before by many pilots. The key here is having specific steps that lead up to achieving your goals and breaking them down into manageable pieces (i.e., getting a license to fly solo).
The comparison between setting a goal to become a world- class air pilot and setting a goal to literally fly a bird are two completely different goals. Finally, you need to have a constant check back on your goals to make sure you are on the right track to achieving them. It is pointless and time-consuming to set goals you have no intention of achieving them. Normally, what prevents us from succeeding in life is our failure in setting them.
Setting goals is important. It helps us prioritize, and it provides a way to measure our progress. But if you’re like most people, your resolutions just aren’t sticking.
That’s because, when it comes to setting goals, most people don’t do it right.
They set passive goals like “I want to be healthier.” Or they set vague goals like “I want to lose weight.” Or they set unrealistic goals that are likely to make them feel bad when they can’t achieve them: “I want to make $1 million this year.”
If you’re serious about making your New Year’s resolution stick, take the time to create a plan for how you’re going to achieve it. You might think this sounds tedious at first—but the truth is that the more detail you put into your plan, the better chance you have of actually achieving what you set out to accomplish!
Goal setting is a critical step to achieving success. There are different ways to set goals, but the most effective method is the SMARTER technique.
SMART goals are defined by as (S)pecific, (M)eaningful, (A)chievable, (R)elevant, and (T)ime-Based goals which are (E)valuated, with a (R)e- Adjusted approach which have been set until you achieve success. This is a crucial process to acheive success and those who don’t follow this goal setting would find goal attainment way tougher.
SMART goals only work when you start writing your goals down on paper. Include what you want to achieve specifically and elaborate it in full details without missing out any important points. For instance, don’t just mention you aim to be a millionaire or to become fit.
You need to set smart goals.
You’ve probably heard a lot about goal-setting, but it can be a tricky process. You want to set goals that are meaningful and achievable, but also not too lofty or unrealistic. For example, if you want to earn a billion dollars within one year and you’re currently having a heavy debt burden, your goal is not going to be very realistic. But if you instead want to earn $1 million in one year and then pay off your debt with the rest of the money, that seems more realistic and achievable.
The same goes for weight loss: if you aim to lose 10 pounds by next week and you’ve been struggling with an eating disorder for years, this goal might not be very realistic either. But if you instead aim to lose 1 pound per month over the next year while focusing on improving your eating habits along with working out more often, then this seems much more achievable.
So how do you know what SMARTER goals look like? Well first off we need an exact figure on how much money we aim to earn and an accurate quantity of pounds that we aim to lose as well as include a specific date for its attainment.