The Ultimate Setting Goals Guide
How are you doing on your New Year's resolutions?
The answer for most of you is, "Oh yeah, I forgot about those."
Setting goals does not have to be like a carrot on a stick - always dangling in front of you, but never actually achievable.
In fact, setting goals plays an essential role in just about every success story. Think of the greatest people you know in any field. In athletics, business, music, entrepreneurship and literally anything else, those who are expert at setting goals rise to the top.
So, by the end of this article you'll know:
Why Is Setting Goals Essential?
If you'd like to make more money, live a healthier lifestyle, maintain a happier marriage or otherwise improve your life, then setting goals is how you do it.
Goal setting...
Goals are how you make the most out of the time you have, and how you accomplish everything that matters. They're what allow you to focus, to shed stress, and to generally feel content with where you're going.
Are you starting to see why you should pay attention to your goals more than just once a year? In fact, this is one of the key secrets to actually achieving your goals... But we'll talk more about that later.
How Do You Set "Good" Goals?
Let's be frank - setting goals can be intimidating.
It's a monumental task to sit down and figure out what you want to do with your entire life, especially when your only starting point is a blank sheet of paper.
This is why one of the most crucial parts of both setting and achieving goals is segmentation. Breaking things down. Making them bite sized.
So, you're going to start by answering each of these 10 life-category questions. For each one, think about where you want to be in 25 years:
Also, note that each of these questions is asking what you want, not what someone else wants. Answer each one genuinely, and only for yourself.
Prioritize Your Goals
The next step in creating effective goals is to assign a priority to each life-category, from most important to least important.
Is business your top priority? Family? Community?
Prioritization is essential because nobody can work on all 10 of their life-goals at the same time. You only have 24 hours each day, so some goals must take priority.
Now, starting with your most important life-category, figure out everything that needs to happen before you'll accomplish each 25-year goal.
Then, using those steps, work backwards from 25 years. Where do you want to be in 20 years in order to meet your 25-year goal? What about 15 years? 10 years? Five years?
Once you have a five-year goal, create a one-year goal. Then a six-month goal. Then a one-month goal. For the top 3 most important categories, you should even create a one-week goal. Depending on your personality (are you a procrastinator?), you may even benefit from a one-day goal, aka. a daily to-do list.
See?
We're breaking things down. Making them bite sized.
Once each of your 25-year goals are prioritized and and palpable, all that's left is accomplishment.
How Do You Achieve Your Goals?
The best way to make your goals work for you is to deeply ingrain them in your mind.
How do you do that?
Repetition.
Remember earlier when we said that you should pay attention to your goals more than just once a year?
Well, that was a slight under exaggeration...
Review Your Top 3 Goals Every Single Week
That's right. Instead of once per year, you should make time to review your three highest priority goals every week. Even if it's just 15 minutes, make it happen. Make it a habit.
You'll find it easier if you schedule a day and time to go over your goals, ideally at the very end or very beginning of every week.
As for your seven lower priority goals, review them once a month. Again, write this into your schedule. Make the last Sunday of every month your designated goal-reviewing day, or something like that.
And if you want to make your weekly review much more natural, then...
Write Down Your Goals
Most people make the mistake of relying on their memory to track their goals.
Guess what?
Life is busy. That means you're going to eventually forget even the big stuff like a 25-year goal.
Please! Don't put your future at the fickle mercy of your brain. Write down your goals. Make them concrete. Hold them in your hand.
And of course, there's no point in writing down your goals unless you keep them someplace visible and accessible. Don't write down your goals only to tuck them away into some drawer. Put them on your mirror. Write them on an index card and keep them in your wallet. Do something to keep them handy.
Follow These Tips and Accomplish More
I cannot emphasize this enough: your success tomorrow depends on the goals you set today. They are literally your future's foundation. Start treating them that way.
As you're finishing this article, you're probably feeling pretty motivated.
Don't let that go to waste!
Now is the perfect time to pull out a pen and paper and start setting your own goals. Use this article as a guide, and I promise you'll come out the other side with clarity, confidence and purpose.
The answer for most of you is, "Oh yeah, I forgot about those."
Setting goals does not have to be like a carrot on a stick - always dangling in front of you, but never actually achievable.
In fact, setting goals plays an essential role in just about every success story. Think of the greatest people you know in any field. In athletics, business, music, entrepreneurship and literally anything else, those who are expert at setting goals rise to the top.
So, by the end of this article you'll know:
- Why setting goals is essential
- How setting goals will improve your life
- What makes a "good" goal
- A surefire process to set those "good" goals
- How to actually achieve your goals
Why Is Setting Goals Essential?
If you'd like to make more money, live a healthier lifestyle, maintain a happier marriage or otherwise improve your life, then setting goals is how you do it.
Goal setting...
- Gives you purpose
- Motivates you to take action
- Boosts your self-confidence
- Helps you do more in your life
- Makes you better at what you do
Goals are how you make the most out of the time you have, and how you accomplish everything that matters. They're what allow you to focus, to shed stress, and to generally feel content with where you're going.
Are you starting to see why you should pay attention to your goals more than just once a year? In fact, this is one of the key secrets to actually achieving your goals... But we'll talk more about that later.
How Do You Set "Good" Goals?
Let's be frank - setting goals can be intimidating.
It's a monumental task to sit down and figure out what you want to do with your entire life, especially when your only starting point is a blank sheet of paper.
This is why one of the most crucial parts of both setting and achieving goals is segmentation. Breaking things down. Making them bite sized.
So, you're going to start by answering each of these 10 life-category questions. For each one, think about where you want to be in 25 years:
- What do you want to accomplish artistically?
- What attitude or behaviors do you want to cultivate?
- Where do you want to be in your career or business?
- How do you want to serve your community?
- How do you want to continue your education?
- What do you want for your marriage?
- What do you want your family situation to look like?
- How much money do you want to make?
- What do you want your body to look and feel like?
- How will you spend your leisure time?
Also, note that each of these questions is asking what you want, not what someone else wants. Answer each one genuinely, and only for yourself.
Prioritize Your Goals
The next step in creating effective goals is to assign a priority to each life-category, from most important to least important.
Is business your top priority? Family? Community?
Prioritization is essential because nobody can work on all 10 of their life-goals at the same time. You only have 24 hours each day, so some goals must take priority.
Now, starting with your most important life-category, figure out everything that needs to happen before you'll accomplish each 25-year goal.
Then, using those steps, work backwards from 25 years. Where do you want to be in 20 years in order to meet your 25-year goal? What about 15 years? 10 years? Five years?
Once you have a five-year goal, create a one-year goal. Then a six-month goal. Then a one-month goal. For the top 3 most important categories, you should even create a one-week goal. Depending on your personality (are you a procrastinator?), you may even benefit from a one-day goal, aka. a daily to-do list.
See?
We're breaking things down. Making them bite sized.
Once each of your 25-year goals are prioritized and and palpable, all that's left is accomplishment.
How Do You Achieve Your Goals?
The best way to make your goals work for you is to deeply ingrain them in your mind.
How do you do that?
Repetition.
Remember earlier when we said that you should pay attention to your goals more than just once a year?
Well, that was a slight under exaggeration...
Review Your Top 3 Goals Every Single Week
That's right. Instead of once per year, you should make time to review your three highest priority goals every week. Even if it's just 15 minutes, make it happen. Make it a habit.
You'll find it easier if you schedule a day and time to go over your goals, ideally at the very end or very beginning of every week.
As for your seven lower priority goals, review them once a month. Again, write this into your schedule. Make the last Sunday of every month your designated goal-reviewing day, or something like that.
And if you want to make your weekly review much more natural, then...
Write Down Your Goals
Most people make the mistake of relying on their memory to track their goals.
Guess what?
Life is busy. That means you're going to eventually forget even the big stuff like a 25-year goal.
Please! Don't put your future at the fickle mercy of your brain. Write down your goals. Make them concrete. Hold them in your hand.
And of course, there's no point in writing down your goals unless you keep them someplace visible and accessible. Don't write down your goals only to tuck them away into some drawer. Put them on your mirror. Write them on an index card and keep them in your wallet. Do something to keep them handy.
Follow These Tips and Accomplish More
I cannot emphasize this enough: your success tomorrow depends on the goals you set today. They are literally your future's foundation. Start treating them that way.
As you're finishing this article, you're probably feeling pretty motivated.
Don't let that go to waste!
Now is the perfect time to pull out a pen and paper and start setting your own goals. Use this article as a guide, and I promise you'll come out the other side with clarity, confidence and purpose.
Setting Goals... Now is the time to master this incredibly
important aspect of your life. Learn how to set your goals effectively
so that you get what you want out of life and win!!!
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