Goal Setting as a Way to Achieve Success in Life: How to Do It Right

Goal setting is the process of defining what you want your future to look like and how you plan on getting there. If you dream of working in a prestigious field or weighing less than you currently do, setting goals can guide you toward these dreams. Realistic and carefully planned goals can act as both motivation and guidance.

It's perfectly normal to feel intimidated by the idea of goal setting; however, know that the most effective goals are tailored to where you are in your life right now. As we will discuss later on, your goals should be personal and reflect what you want to achieve in life. Knowing this, it can be much easier to start setting goals by looking at the objectives and possible key results you may want.

When you sit down to write down either short-term or long-term goals, you'll often find yourself aiming for a certain outcome. Whether that's losing 20 pounds or landing a new job, your end desired result of your goal is the objective.

Unlike objectives in goal setting, the key results of your goals may not end up being what you initially set out to achieve. For instance, if you're working out in an effort to reach your 20-pound weight loss goal, key results that you may have not expected could include getting stronger, feeling more energetic, and making new friends at the gym.

Goal setting is incredibly important for many reasons, with one of the main ones being the ability to motivate yourself without external help. Setting goals allows you to create your own internal motivation.

Without realistic goals, it can be hard to motivate yourself. With a clear goal, you have something to work toward every day. This in itself works to motivate you toward your dreams, whether that means you'll be a healthier, smarter and more educated, or more compassionate version of yourself.

Goal setting and motivation are closely linked. Because you often need the motivation to complete your goals and your goals themselves require motivation to set, it can often become a cycle that feeds into itself. Reaching a goal in one area of your life may empower you with the motivation you need to finally make a big change in another area.

It can be incredibly tempting to set your goals based on what you read online, see on your social media feeds, or hear from your friends and family. However, the most important person in your life should always be yourself; therefore, you should always make sure that you set goals that coincide with what you want. Goal setting is most effective when you can create goals that align with your own interests, values, and dreams. When your goals reflect who you are and what you want your life to look like, it makes it much easier to wake up every day and work toward them.

Visualization is an effective strategy when it comes to setting goals. If you consistently visualize your dreams and objectives in your mind, it can make it easier to work toward your goals on days where the effort feels like a struggle. Visualization of both the work and the desired outcome of your goals is a great way to remind yourself of what the point of your goals is: to feel good, to make more money, to spend more time with your loved ones, or whatever motivated you to set goals in the first place.

Another great way to visualize is to make mood boards or dream boards. Collect images, either digital or physical, that remind you of your goals. Reflect on your board whenever you feel your internal motivation waning.

A detailed plan will allow you to make faster progress toward your goals. When setting goals, it's more effective to use all of your time via careful planning rather than trying to follow loose plans. By aiming to spend an hour a day practicing the guitar, for example, you'll be able to improve your abilities and reach your goals much faster than merely practicing during times when you "feel like it."

How detailed your plan becomes will depend on your goals, your personal life, how much time you have to work with, and how you plan on reaching your objective. However long your plan ends up being, make sure you take the time to write down your goals and your plan somewhere. Whether you keep a digital or physical record, writing down your intentions goes a long way toward motivating you to do the work.

Without firm deadlines, goals can often feel like suggestions. If you continually put your goals off until tomorrow, one day you'll find that you never took the time to work toward your goals at all. Spend time thinking about how long it will realistically take to reach your goals, and set yourself a deadline that complements that.

However, your deadlines are nothing without a plan to get there. Your detailed plan from above should also include a timeline that helps you get to your goals before your deadline.

The SMART method of setting goals is one of the most effective and reliable. If you make sure to only set goals using this method, you can avoid making goals that are too unrealistic, vague, or difficult to achieve. To set SMART goals means that your goals are:

• Specific
  
• Measurable
  
• Actionable
  
• Relevant
  
• Time-Based

By making sure your goals meet all of these variables, you set yourself up for a higher chance of success. SMART goals allow you to focus on actually doing the work to reach your objectives rather than spending time worrying about if your goal is achievable or not.

One of the best ways to set effective goals is to learn from the past. If you've ever set goals before, take the time to reflect on that experience and whether you reached your goal or not. As with many things related to goal setting, it helps if you write notes as you go.

Even if you didn't quite make it all the way to your objective, it is likely that there are still lessons you can learn about yourself and the way you work toward your goals. Don't let this valuable information go to waste! Use what you've learned to adjust how you set and work toward your current goals.

In order to feel motivated toward something every day, it helps to know what you're working toward. By setting clear and achievable goals, you set yourself up for a cycle of motivation, goal setting, and goal-reaching that feeds into itself. The more often you reach your goals, the more motivation you'll naturally feel to start working on the next challenge.