5 Steps to Set Goals You Can Actually Achieve Easily
This post will teach you the goal setting how to in a way that makes goals easier to achieve.
I am a big believer in creating goals: goals for the day, goals for the year, and goals beyond. If you learn to design how you plan on achieving your goal, you eliminate failure.
This post is all about setting goals that you can follow through on.
Why Goal Setting is Important
They help us move through life with purpose. They help us find success in our everyday lives. Whether you have big goals or small goals, having something to aspire to brings value to life.
The only problem is that too many people want to achieve their goals, but they have a hard time committing to achievement.
Why? Because oftentimes, the goals set are vague or unrealistic. Let’s change that now. Let’s make our goals clear, easy, and achievable!
The Goal Setting How To
To set goals you can actually achieve, follow these five simple steps.
With a little planning, you can set goals you will achieve.
1. Define Your Goals Clearly
We all know it’s nice to have goals, but you have to go from wishing to goaling (just made that word up).
It’s a wish to want to win the lottery, but there are no actionable steps that can guarantee success.
One can wish to lose weight, but, to make it a goal, that person needs to define it with the SMART method (measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).
Using weight loss as an example, let’s play out how to follow the SMART framework.
Goal Setting Smart
Goal Setting SMART Goals
Specific: This means that you want to use clear language as a statement of what your goal will be. For the weight loss goal, a simple statement like, “I want to lose 20 pounds” is perfect.
Measurable: Measurable means that you need to be able to measure success. Do you know how many times people are making strides toward a goal, but if they aren’t able to see the increments of success, they don’t believe they are making progress?
A goal like wanting to lose 20 pounds can be measured by tracking weight and measurements with a scale and measuring tape. Journaling and apps can help you see your progress in any goal you want to achieve.
Achievable: Your goal needs to be realistic while still pushing you to grow. You don’t want to make it an insane goal that sets you up for failure.
Relevant: Your goal needs to relate to you in some capacity already. Does it fit in with who you are as a person? Your values and priorities?
If the goal is weight loss, it needs to identify what you value. For example, it’s relevant because my health matters to me, and I’ve been prioritizing that for the last couple of years.
Goals are going to take time, so you need to know you can prioritize achieving them.
Time-bound: Again, the difference between a wish and a goal is having an end-game, and deadlines help keep your goal at front of mind. I want to lose 20 pounds over the course of 6 months is a realistic time commitment for me to achieve the goal.
2. Break Down Your Goals
Now that you have your SMART goal all set up, you can take action by chunking it up. Smaller increments will keep you more motivated to keep going.
In the weight loss example, not worrying about the whole 20 pounds, but focusing on the first three pounds will make the goal feel much more doable.
Whatever your goal, how can you break it down into smaller steps?
Want to organize your kitchen?
- First, break it into zones to focus on.
- Go to the zone, and start by getting rid of expired food or whatever you don’t use
- Pull everything out.
- Clean the shelves.
- As you put back, organize the way you find it useful.
- Repeat in the next zone
3. Create a Realistic Timeline
Yes, you have a goal and want to achieve it, but it isn’t going to happen overnight. You must set a realistic timeline for achieving your goals.
Keep in mind any obstacles that can get in your way when planning.
It's also important to be flexible with your timeline. Life makes sure that things don't always go as planned, so be prepared to adjust your timeline as needed.
It would be unrealistic to say that 20 pounds could be lost in two months. It’s unhealthy and not a smart way of going about it, but 6 months give the space for holidays and any plateaus that may arise.
4. Identify Potential Obstacles
There will always be things that come up. I don’t know how many times I’ve scheduled my week only to have to toss aside those plans because my child got sick or something came up. Plus, there are always other things that arise that we need to account for.
It doesn’t only have to be a schedule change, but it will almost definitely be motivation. The course to success is never smooth.
There are times you’ll want to quit. Allow yourself those few moments, then move on and get back in the groove.
5. Celebrate Your Achievements
This is where tracking your success helps. You need to be proud of how far you’ve come! Achievements, no matter how big or small, are still achievements.
By owning your success, you are going to stay motivated. How you celebrate is up to you. It can be connected to the goal, or a night out with your hubby. Whatever you want to do to make yourself feel celebrated.
Treat yourself when you hit a milestone in your goal setting.
Follow these steps, and you will achieve your goals. Growth comes from taking the first steps, so get started today.
This post was all about setting goals.
