How to Set and Achieve Goals

By the time you read this article, the first of the new year is past. You, like most of us, probably made new year’s resolutions. Yes, the same ones you made last year and the year before only to break them three days or three weeks into the New Year. 

One of the biggest challenges with BREAKING new year’s resolutions is we often feel like a failure. When that feeling of failure comes early in the year it can affect how we perform the rest of the year. Instead of making resolutions you can’t keep, why not set goals that you can achieve? After all, goals are dreams with a deadline.

Goals should cover four areas: career, personal development (who you are committed to becoming. emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually), material and financial.

Steps to take when setting goals

1. Take a blank sheet of paper, Write down anything that you would like to do, be or have. What would you like to master? What are your business/career goals? Social goals? Spiritual goals? Get creative. What fears do you want to conquer? What weight or energy level would you like to achieve? What new skills would like to acquire? You may not know how you are going to do it, but that is not important right now.
2. Go through each goal and put a time line on it. Put a one if it’s something you’re committed to accomplishing in the next year. A three if the next three years; a five if next five years; a 10 if next 10 years, etc.
3. Go through the list and select your one-year goals that you are absolutely committed to achieving within the next year. Write a paragraph as to why you are absolutely committed to achieving these goals. The Reasons come first. The answers come second. Your reason should be strong enough to compel you to achieve your goals. If not, you need stronger reasons or better goals.
4. Take your top priority one year goals and your why for achieving them and put them someplace where you can see them every day.
5. Develop an action plan—the steps you need to take—to achieve your goals. Write out your plan in detail, but leave room for flexibility.

“Now, you have a list of goals you are absolutely committed to achieving, the timeline for achieving them. You know why you want them and how you are going to achieving them. You should be thoroughly inspired and motivated to achieve them.” ~ Linda Coleman-Willis