As people we have goals in life. However, some people do not set or have these goals for themselves consciously. What they do in life happens as if by reflex. They go after what they go after haphazardly without planning, their goals are as memorable as their thoughts.
Learn steps to achieve goals successfully. Setting goals and following them gives direction in life.
A person would think of what they want and go after it and when another thought comes along the previous is ditched as quickly as it appeared. Needless to say a person needs to learn how start setting goals for yourself.
A life without conscious goal setting is not good for the individual because at the end of the day they may not achieve what they wanted. When approaching life this way it is likely one is going to feel less of an achiever along the way. This feeling is even more deadly to an entrepreneur.
As a digital entrepreneur it is critical to know the importance of goal setting, take the right steps achieve goals. So the first thing to do after deciding to start making money online learn how to set goals and achieve them.
Contents
Set Your Goals in Your Sights
If you want to be healthier, wealthier and have strong, healthy relationships, then you need to set goals. Goals are what can take you from the life you have now to the amazing, fulfilled and happy one that you long for.
When setting goals, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind to make your goals a reality.
Be Specific When You Set Goals
One thing you want to do is to make sure that every single goal you set, whether big or small, short term or long term is a specific goal. The reason for this is because specific goals are successful goals.
You should be able to clearly state in one sentence exactly what it is that you want to achieve because that’s all a goal really is – something you want to make happen. Goals that aren’t specific make it more difficult for you to take action on because they’re not concrete enough.
They’re sort of happenstance. When you have goals that aren’t specific, it makes it harder to feel motivated about the direction to go in. When you know exactly what a goal is, it paints a clearer picture of what you need to do in order to make it happen.
A goal that’s not specific enough would be something like “I want to lose some weight and get in shape” or “I want to be more fulfilled.” Neither of those goals are concrete enough because they don’t tell you what you need to do.
Clear, specific goals are ones that have an accomplishment with them. For example, a goal that says, “I will lose 15 pounds” is a fairly specific goal that has an accomplishment verses “I will lose weight and get in shape.”
But you could do even better and put more details into it, such as, “I will lose 15 pounds within 90 days by pursuing a mindful eating program and walking 4 miles a day.” That’s very specific – and basically failproof if you adhere to it.
Some people say their goal in life is to be successful. But what’s considered a success to others might not be success to you. So you have to first get real and get specific about what success is to you.
Is it owning your own business? Getting a promotion? Making a certain amount of money per month? Per year? You must decide what exactly it is that you want for your life.
Instead of thinking that you want to be successful, define it according to your terms such as, “I will earn six figures a year” and then break that down by how much you need to earn every month, then every week and every day in order to make that happen.
Determine what resources you need to make that happen – such as skills, education, mentorship, or whatever it takes. If it’s a health goal you want to achieve, don’t just think that you want to lose fat and build muscle.
Specifically say what you want your BMI to be and what training exercises you need to do, and where at – gym or home – and when (how often or what days of the week). People who have goals that are specific create a map for the brain to follow.
It’s a “step one, begin here, step two, this comes next” sort of thing that works much better than floundering each and every day without an end result in mind. Specific goals make it harder for you to get off track because you know what lies ahead.
When making out your goals, write down what it is that you want, when you want it by and the reasons that you want it. Knowing your personal motivation can propel you forward.
Look at the example where you want to earn a specific income every year. That’s your goal – but your personal motivation might be to give your children a private school education.
A word of caution: You don’t ever want your specific goals to be because you want to please someone else – such as, “I will lose forty pounds so my significant other will find me more attractive.”
That’s a goal that depends on someone else’s actions, which you can’t control. You could lose forty pounds and he or she might still not be happy. Always choose your goals based on your own motivation and what will make you happy.
One thing to remember is that the more positive you are with your goals, the more they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, instead of saying, “I hope to lose ten pounds,” say, “I will lose ten pounds” – because the first way sounds doubtful while the second sounds determined.
Before you can achieve something in real life, you first have to achieve it in your mind. When you use the word will when writing out your goals, the brain sees it as a positive affirmation.
It doesn’t matter how specific your goals are – if you create ones that are so far out of the realm of possibility, there’s absolutely no way they could ever come true. So don’t self-sabotage. Your goals need to be specific, but they also need to be ones that you’re capable of accomplishing.
Make Each Goal Doable
If your goals aren’t doable, then you’ve set yourself up for failure before you even get started. When setting a goal, look at every possible angle so that you’re creating goals that are reachable.
A doable goal is a specific one – but it’s one that’s within your power to reach it. You have to know what to do in order to make it happen. If you don’t know, it’ll be hard to create a doable goal.
If you were going to set a doable weight loss goal, it wouldn’t be, “I will lose fifty pounds in a week.” That’s not doable – even if you don’t eat for seven days straight. To make a fifty pound weight loss goal doable, you’d break it down.
First, you’d break down the fifty pounds down by smaller, short term weight loss goals that you could reach safely within a week – such as 1-2 pounds. Losing weight in smaller increments leading up to the fifty pound weight loss makes you see your accomplishments in action, keeps you motivated and is a doable goal.
Then you would break your doable weight loss goal down into habits you’re going to break or new habits you’re going to adopt. You would list your eating plan and your weight loss plan – all of which contribute to the accomplishment of your goals.
If you can list the steps it’ll take to reach a goal and know that you have the power to put those steps into action, then you’re creating a doable goal. Ask yourself if you have the resources for it.
If you don’t, but you acquire the resources right away, then it’s a doable goal from the outset. But if you set a goal and you need something that’s not within your reach at the time, then it’s not a doable goal.
It’s a “yes, but—” goal. Things have to be put into place before it becomes doable. If the goal is something that requires the help of other people and you’re not sure they’re going to be onboard, then it’s a questionable goal.
Until you know for sure that all of the pieces and people are in place, it can’t be a doable goal. It needs to be one that you have the ability to achieve but also one that you’re passionate about.
For example, a doable goal could be tied into the fact that you don’t like your career. You feel you’ve reached the highest level that you can go and there’s simply no more potential for growth.
You want to do something that challenges you – maybe something that’s a complete change from what you do now. You want to quit your job. Is that a doable goal? Yes. You want to take one that requires a master’s degree and you only have a bachelor’s degree.
Is your goal still doable? Not until you get the master’s degree. So what you’d want to focus on at that moment is the doable goal of pursuing your master’s degree and then later, apply that tool you’ve earned toward the next doable goal of changing jobs.
When you’re creating your list of goals, make sure that you question the goal. Ask yourself what’s in it for you. In other words, what do you hope to get, achieve or change with this goal?
How is it going to improve or simplify your life? Then ask yourself what are the possible setbacks – such as lack of resources, family or friends are against the goal, etc. Ask yourself how you see yourself overcoming those setbacks.
If you can’t see a possible way out, that’s a good sign that the goal may not be doable.
If you’re afraid to move forward, ask yourself if there’s a mentor or someone who has accomplished what you desire that you could reach out to.
Make a list of everything you need to have or what you need to learn in order to make your goal doable. See if it’s something that you can make happen so you can start your journey toward reaching your goal.
Once you know what you need, write out a map of steps to follow. Any goal should have a start and end date. “Someday” is not a start date because it’s not specific enough.
If you’re afraid or are having some self-doubt when thinking about your goals, this is something that’s a normal reaction – because even thinking about making changes is scary. To overcome that, look back at your life at times when you achieved other goals.
How To Achieve A Goal Successfully
Make Sure It’s the Right Goal for You
Most people set goals in the hopes of achieving success in various areas of their lives. Sometimes these goals are ones that are rooted in tradition, family expectations or the hope of a financial successful life to take care of others.
But are they the right goals for you?
If you don’t truly want what it is that you’re working for, if you’re not passionate about it, then it’s probably not the right goal for you. Yes, goals can lead you to success in your health, your finances and in your relationships – but you want to make sure that you’re not just going through the motions because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do.
The goals you set should always be centred on what it is that you want. Not what your family or friends want. Because second-hand goals aren’t true self goals and you don’t want to end up feeling regretful down the road.
The wrong goals are the ones that rob you of what could have been. You end up not happy, working hard and reaching what you thought was success – only to end up feeling empty and unhappy.
If you set out on a path that’s not the right goal for you, you will have cheated yourself out of your dreams. Sometimes people make goals because they think they’re supposed to – such as leaving high school and setting a goal for college or joining the military – when neither is what you really want to do.
Or you go to the college that doesn’t have what you really want to study because it’s what your parents wanted you to do, but it doesn’t have the degree you hoped to pursue.
Far too many people are living lives that are led by expectations rather than those that were based on personal goals achieved for personal satisfaction. Ask yourself this: if where you’re at in life isn’t where you want to be because you’ve followed the wrong path, what will it take for you to be where you want to be?
That could be in your finances, your relationships or your health. To get where you want to be, it really isn’t that hard. You need a goal that’s right for you – one that you feel in your gut is the right choice – even if everyone around you is against it.
You have one life and you deserve to have one created that’s tailor made for you. Make sure that the goals you set are ones that you want – that you know are going to give you the life you imagined.
That might sound good, but how do you put it into practice? That’s not hard either.
Don’t make a goal that doesn’t feel right for you – those that leave you feeling disappointed.
Many people are setting goals that aren’t right for them because they aren’t taking into consideration who they are as a person. For example, people set goals like, “I will make a six figure income” because they think being financially successful is something everyone should do – but what if they’re not the type of person who focuses on making money?
Maybe they really want to help people – and that might include a career that doesn’t pay well at all. They only chose the money because they’ve been taught that it’s what’s needed in order to make them happy.
Many people have been surrounded by material things with overflowing bank accounts and been horribly dissatisfied with how life turned out. Likewise, money goals often contribute a lot of happiness to people who may have accidentally chosen a career that wasn’t lucrative when they set out on their employment journey.
Don’t let what someone else would like factor into your goals. Those are never the right ones. When setting a goal, create ones that appeal to the purpose or cause that you believe is best for you.
The right kind of goal reflects who you are as a person and what you believe in. These goals are the ones that will give you a full life. To find these goals, you need to understand what you want out of life – what your priorities are.
Begin by asking yourself what it is that you like to do. Where do you invest your money now? Or your time? What moves you to emotion – whether it’s anger or tears? Look at your life now and ask yourself what makes you feel excited at the thought of doing it?
For some people, this is working with the elderly or animals. For others, it’s being outdoors. Some people set goals for their relationships while others are more interested in being single.
Set goals that reflect your desires in life. If you’re not striving toward something that means something for you, it won’t make you happy in the end. This is why you’ll find people who make a lot of money still unhappy.
They thought working hard and achieving wealth was the right goal for them – only to discover that what they truly wanted was a life out of the ordinary, away from the 9 to 5 rat race.
If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels in life where you are right now, or you feel like something’s missing, then you’re not following the right path. Take a look at your life when you’re ready to set goals that are right for you and ask what it is you want to gain and where you want to be in the future.
When setting the right goals for you, make sure you look at both short term and long term. Both need to be the right ones for you. Remember that goals and milestones are part of the overall journey.
If you set a goal and then figure out that you’re not truly happy and it’s not what you want, there’s no rule that says you can’t change your mind and begin again. The life that you want and the one that you’re striving to have should be one that fills you with happiness and contentment. Because only then will you find true satisfaction.