How to set goals that you will actually achieve
Setting goals is easy. Right?
The journey to achieving is the challenge. Have you ever heard of the S.M.A.R.T goal system?
Your goal must be:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Bound
But what if you've tried this and it didn't work? Then what?
The Problem
Often goals are set to meet something you want to have or want to change, but the plan does fit your values.
You understand what you want to do, have a measure that defines success, is within your realm of achievability, is relevant to a bigger picture, and have a deadline. Still, none of that matters because the goal you're trying to accomplish doesn't fit what makes you happy or offers the feeling of fulfillment.
So many goals are set to check the box, get it done, and move on.
Examples:
1) The college experience. Sign up for classes, do enough work to pass, get the degree and move on.
In reality, most people that attend college do so out of obligation to fulfill some society-driven standard that only ends up putting people in a worse position than when they started.
2) Losing weight. This goal typically means you have to give up a ton of things you enjoy or put in the effort you don't feel you have to give. Every option is an uphill battle that you're unprepared to climb.
The S.M.A.R.T goal system needs to help you plan. At best, it clarifies your ability to identify your goals, why you want them, and if they can achieve so, you don't feel discouraged before you start.
What To Do Instead
Using the S.M.A.R.T model is fine, but if it's the only strategy you use, you might become frustrated and ready to quit.
The first thing I like to tell people to do is first understand what you are currently prioritizing. What are you currently spending your time on?
Any new goal will take time, energy, effort, and commitment, and if you aren't clear about where you can spend the time first, then it's going to be hard for you to separate your current activities from your new ambitions.
How do you know what you're prioritizing right now, you ask?
Reflect or track!
Reflect on the things you do most often.
OR
Track what you're spending your time on for a week.
Example
Day 1
7 am breakfast
730 am prepare to leave
8 am Check emails
830 am Scroll on social media
9 am take an unnecessary phone call
etc. etc.
Then highlight the things that aren't serving your ambitions. The amount of time you spend on these activities is the time you can spend on a new goal!
Now that you have the space to work on a new goal, you must create a plan.
How to Create a Goal Plan
Let me clear something up...
A goal plan is not a plan to achieve a goal.
Achieving a goal is simply the outcome of executing the plan.
The goal plan is a plan to eliminate obstacles and excuses and is meant to allow you to take personal responsibility for your aspirations.
With the first step being completed, you only need to decide what you want to do specifically and when you have time to do it. Since you've identified time-wasting events in the first step, both tasks should be easy.
Let's say, for example, that you wanted to write an article similar to this one.
You plan to write this article at 9 am instead of wasting time catching up on social.
Make a list of all the struggles that might stop you from starting this task at 9 am.
Some examples might be:
The topic of the article.
The place where you will post the article.
The fear of what people will think about the article.
The potential environmental distractions might force you to procrastinate on the article.
The location you can share your article.
If I wanted to spend more time here, I could come up with 50 more obstacles or excuses that would prevent me from completing this task, but for brevity, I'll continue.
Now work against every single bullet on your list. Work to solve each one.
- The topic of the article,
Give yourself a few topic ideas that are important to you.
- The place where you will post the article.
List some options you're familiar with and plan a
time specifically to set up an account.
- The fear of what people will think about the article.
Change the conversation. All feedback has some benefit, even if
it's critical.
- The potential environmental distractions might force you to
procrastinate on the article.
Change the environment or use tools to barrier distractions.
- Where do you share the article?
Choose a place ahead of time, so you don't have to think about
it.
How Does All of This Help You?
Planning everything first will help eliminate some decision fatigue regarding work.
The point here is that when it comes time to act, the action is the only thing left to do.
No longer will you be burdened with all of these questions, unknowns, or anxiety-driven negative self-talk. It's all been handled ahead of time.
Now you can work freely without accomplishing whatever task you deem important.
With all of my soul, I hope this helps you become a better planner and if it did, send this article to a friend or colleague that you believe will also help.
If you would like a more hands-on approach to your goals, struggles, fears, or success, you can schedule a meeting to work with me here.
If you like this content and want to go deeper into goal setting, mindset, time management, or prioritization, then check out one of these articles.
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