Goals give you long-term vision and short-term motivation

From an early age, I have always enjoyed setting goals, not just career goals but personal goals too.

Goals are valuable because they can help focus your mind on what you would like to achieve in life, they inspire you daily by giving you an end point to work towards.

Setting a goal is much more than just stating that you want something to happen.

Often people will say “I want a new car’’ or “I wish I had a new job’’ or “I want to go on holiday’’ and they expect it to just happen. We’ve all come across those conversations, haven’t we?

Unless you clearly define exactly what you want to achieve and understand why you want it in the first place, the odds of your goals succeeding will be reduced.

That’s why goal setting is important. Goal setting is a process which starts by considering what you want to achieve, preparation and working hard work to achieve it.

Here’s some useful tips which may help you to set goals confidently and encourage you to accomplish what you want to achieve.

1. Set goals that motivate you

There’s no point in having a goal if it doesn’t spark excitement and a burning desire to want to achieve it. Make that goal something which makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning!

2. Write your goals down

This is essential, I have used this method for many years and it works!

Writing down your goals clarifies what you are setting out to achieve. Have a go at reading the goals which you have written down, out loud on a daily basis.

To give you an example, at the beginning of this year, my goal was to move house. With this in mind, I wrote down:

• The house description
• The location of the house
• The date I wanted to be moved in by
• How the new house made me feel

I read my list every day and with much effort and enthusiasm. I focussed on achieving this ultimate goal daily and six months on, I’m now the proud owner of the house of my dreams.

3. Set SMART Goals

For goals to be powerful, they need to be SMART.

• Specific – Your goal needs to be well defined and clear. It won’t be helpful to you if your goal is vague.
• Measurable – Include dates, amounts. g. I will have a new job by October 2018. This gives you three months to achieve that goal. And if you have a new job by this date, you have been successful in achieving your goal.
• Attainable – Ensure that it’s possible to achieve your goals. People can often get disheartened by setting unrealistic goals.
• Relevant – Make your goals relevant to the direction which you want your career or life to go in. Don’t waste time by setting inconsistent, flaky goals.
• Time Bound – Giving your goal a deadline will help increase your sense of urgency for working towards your goal and help you achieve it much quicker.

1. Make a plan of action

Remember to plan all of the steps which will lead you to achieving your desired goal. You can then tick off these steps as you go along. This will reassure you that you are on track in order to meet your goal deadline.

2. Stick to your goal

Goals don’t happen overnight. Remember achieving a goal – takes time, determination and bags of enthusiasm!

Remind yourself of your goal on a regular basis, check your plan of action and focus on why you set out to achieve your goal in the first place.

Visualise to materialise

Imagine in your mind that you have just achieved your goal. How are you feeling? What does your world look like now? Hold on to those thoughts and feelings and if you ever feel a bit side tracked, remember this vision to help remain focused on achieving your goals.

Vision Boards

A vison board is any sort of board (online or a physical board) which you use to display images which represent whatever you want to do or have in your life. These are great for bringing your goals to life.

I enjoy making vision boards and use mine as a reminder of my goals. Why not have a go at creating one? You can be as creative as you like!

There’s no time like the present

So, let’s recap! Define your goals clearly by writing them down, make a plan of action and ensure that they are SMART goals. Give you goals a deadline and check you’re on track by referring back to your list on a regular basis. Visualise the success of achieving your goals and make it happen!

Tell Me About Your Goals

I would love to hear about the goals which you have achieved or the goals which you have set yourself to achieve. Please feel free to share your comments on this blog.