Do you set goals for yourself, but then find you get further into a slump when you aren’t achieving them? This could be due to several reasons, from not being ambitious about your goals, not setting realistic and manageable goals, not holding yourself accountable, and not celebrating when you hit milestones all play factors in not accomplishing your goals.
So how do you set goals that you can achieve? First, we need to have ambition. What does ambition mean in relation to achieving goals? Well, it means having a strong desire and determination to accomplish something. Your enthusiasm keeps your focus on the object and targets ahead to achieve your goals.
SMART Goals
Start by setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) goals.
- Specific – is a clear definition of what exactly you want to accomplish with your set goals. This is when you consider your five W’s (who, what, when, where, and why). For example, instead of having a goal to exercise more, a more specific purpose, such as workout for 15 minutes a day, is more effective.
- Measurable – relates to having goals that can easily be measured. When setting your goals, figure out how you can measure the goal to know you have achieved it.
- Achievable – make sure you are setting achievable goals. Be realistic in your goals, and don’t set expectations too high. Start small so that you don’t lose interest in your goals, but still make them challenging, but not unrealistic that you can’t achieve it and lose your motivation.
- Relevant & Timely – these are goals that are relevant to your life and your career. Your goals should be timely, set specific dates that want to achieve your goals by, and make sure the date is realistic as well. Having a timeline helps ensure achievability and motivation to achieve your goals.
Goals Break Down
Once you’ve gone through the SMART goals model, and have set achievable goals, break them down into smaller pieces. This is when you need to dive further into how you will achieve your goal by defining the steps you need to take to reach your goals.
Breaking goals down into small steps helps track your progress and success and also provides you with a sense of satisfaction when you can see the proof you’re getting closer to achieving your original goal.
Monitor Goals
Sometimes once goals are set, we forget about them. Start writing your goals down. When we take time and write the thing out, they become more real. Keep your written goals somewhere that you can see them every day.
Make it a habit to regularly check in with yourself weekly or daily to see how you are progressing towards your goals. Writing down and monitoring your goals keeps you more accountable for achieving them.
Tell Someone Your Goals
Share your goals with someone you are close to. Having someone else know to share updates with regularly helps hold you accountable to achieving your success. It also makes the goal much more real, because someone will be checking in to see your progress, and this can boost your ambition and motivation to succeed.
Final Thoughts
Remember, SMART goals are the key to setting goals and achieving them. Be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely in setting your goals in order to achieve them and keep your ambition and motivation at a positive level. Write them down, check in regularly, weekly, or even daily to see your progression. Start small, break them up into easier achievable targets, and celebrate your success towards your overall goals.
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