It's now February, how are you doing with your intentions from last month? Sometimes it's good to do a check in on a monthly or quarterly basis to look at the goals you set for yourself and see if you need to do any updating.
How many times have you been told that we need to set goals for success? It comes as no surprise that to be successful, one must do more than just set goals. This article explains why many people have difficulty achieving their goals and outlines strategies for success in whatever aspirations you may have.
1. What does it mean to set a goal?
A goal is something you can work towards in achievable, measurable steps. Desire and need may motivate it, but it is something that has its own unique existence.
Desires and wishes are less concrete and often come and go quickly. Who doesn't want to win the lottery? Maybe you want to be famous?
That's not what we mean here. A goal is something you can reach by taking action on your dreams, wishes, and needs. It's more than just wanting something.
2. What is the process of setting a goal?
First of all, achieving a goal begins with identifying a realistic wish or ambition. Focus on these questions:
- What do you really want in life? (it's important here not to focus on what you DON'T WANT)
- Where do you want to be in 5 years and what do you want to be doing? 10 years? With whom?
- WHO do you want to be? Does that require a change in your social or education status, career or maybe qualifications?
Recognize that goals can come from any of your wants, desires or needs, but they are really only achievable through your own actions. Knowing your why is important - who is this goal for? Are you trying to become rich for you or is it because you're competing with your older brother you make more money than you do?
It's important to keep in mind that genuine results take time. Divide your goal into smaller, achievable tasks with timelines. It is essential to set achievable goals, as they must be actionable and measurable. To reach meaningful goals in life, you need to take baby steps and pursue intermediate objectives. Read more about SMART goals here:
Mindtools notes that your goals should be:
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
3. What actions, tasks, and steps are required?
Achieving your goals takes action. In order to accomplish your goal, you must decide on the necessary steps. Writing down your goals should always be the first step. Writing down your goals gives them life when you actually use a pen and paper. If you're like me, you probably prefer typing it up on a screen since it's quicker, but there's plenty of proof that writing things by hand is actually more powerful.
One article in Forbes notes the neurological correlation between writing, intention, and encoding:
"Vividly describing your goals in written form is strongly associated with goal success, and people who very vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals than people who don’t."
Creating a plan is an important step for reaching your goals - without one, you will end up changing your long-term objective to fit the situation. The goal will eventually become a mere wish, and let's face it, a lot of wishes come true only if we're really lucky. Sure, it's possible but we're leaving it up to chance.
4. Keep track of your results, keep adjusting if needed
You then need to analyze, and work out in detail how you are going to accomplish each individual goal. This means writing a detailed plan of what tangible actions are required to achieve each individual goal.
These actions then become smaller shorter term goals leading to major longer term goals.
5. What steps do I need to take today?
Every day ask yourself "What steps do I need to take today?".
By now it should be all planned in advance so check your plan and make sure you take each step every day. If you discover additional steps are needed add them to the plan.
6. Review your achievements every week and month
Take the time each week to review your progress. Examine what tasks have been completed and what you may have overlooked.
Plan ahead and revise if you need to for the upcoming week or month.
Your plan should include short-term, mid-term, and long-term objectives -- what will you do today, this week, next month, in the next 3 months, 6 months...? Keep track of your results by writing them down.
7. What happens if something goes wrong?
Goals should challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and make changes in order to achieve them. In order to reach success, you must confront your fear of failure and take chances. Anticipate bumps in the road, as they are to be expected as part of the process.
When something goes wrong, it is important to take a step back and assess the situation. Ask yourself what went wrong and why. This will help you identify any limiting beliefs that may have caused the setback. Limiting beliefs are thoughts or ideas that hold us back from achieving our goals. They can be based on fear, insecurity, or lack of self-confidence.
8. Taking a look at your limiting beliefs
Sometimes there is a part of us that doesn't actually believe we can achieve our goals. In order to overcome these limiting beliefs, it is important to recognize them and challenge them. Ask yourself why you believe these thoughts and if they are really true. Once you have identified the source of your insecurities, you can start to take steps to overcome them.
By recognizing and challenging your limiting beliefs, you can begin to build self-confidence and create a more empowered, positive mindset that will help you reach your goals.
9. Using EFT tapping for resistance and your beliefs
EFT tapping is a powerful tool for releasing negative emotions and beliefs. It involves tapping on certain points of the body while repeating affirmations. This helps to release any emotional blocks that may be preventing you from achieving your goals.
ABOUT ME:
ANDREA HUNT - Online Transformational Life Coach & EFT Tapping Practitioner based in Munich, Germany
I'm an accredited transformational life coach from Animas Centre for Coaching UK and a member of the International Coaching Federation. I'm also a Level 2 practitioner in EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) and a member of AEFTP (Association of Emotional Freedom Technique Professionals).
If you're not sure where to start transforming your life, you can download my free ebook on How to Start Your Personal Growth Journey.
Are you ready to change your life, let go of old beliefs, empower yourself for a mindset shift to move forward? Mark Batterson says: You're always one decision away from a totally different life.
If you're interested in booking a free 15 minute discovery call for transformational life coaching, EFT Tapping or checking out my services page click here.
header image : Markus Winkler
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