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7 Ways To Accomplish Your Goals

Goals

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Many people do that every year because they have something that they would like to see happen and the fresh start of a brand-new year seems like a perfect starting point. Out with the old and in with the new they might say. A perfect time to commit to a fresh new experience and an improved life.

But studies show that as much as 90 percent of those resolutions are never completed. Many are abandoned and tossed aside before January sees its end. They become just another item on the list of what could have been.

They often fail because they were chosen on a whim, or they were not important to begin with. The important resolutions fail because they had no structure to improve the chances of completion.

That's where goal setting comes in.

Goal setting is the process of both prioritizing those things you want to have to happen (like those resolutions) and laying out a measurable means and plan to accomplish them. Goals are important because they help provide an end to the means. If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. 

Why bother with goal setting?

Proper goal setting sets you on a path of success because it provides a focus for your efforts and the ability to track and record progress, allowing you to reach your desired destination. 

Goals provide clarity and purpose. A clear sense of direction becomes available because you've identified where you want to go and what you need to do to get there once you've properly established your goal.

"Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive."  

-Robert H. Schuller

"All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do."  

-Norman Vincent Peale

It's the difference between a Sunday drive and a trip to Paris. Sunday drives are nice but a trip to Paris is going to take more planning. The reward follows the effort put into planning, saving, and booking, before arriving at the Eiffel Tower. And once you know the destination is Paris, you soon realize that the roadmap you have for the United States won't help get you there.

Knowing where you want to go, what you want to do, or who you want to be, is only the start of getting there. You are going to need the proper roadmap and checklist to arrive at the desired destination.

So many people can quickly rattle off the list of the things they would like to do or see happen, but far too few can rattle off an account of what they've done or seen happen. That's where the effectiveness of solid goal setting is worth the time it takes. It turns that picture of Paris in the magazine into your picture in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

Goals help fill your days with purpose and eventually reward your diligence with a sense of fulfillment once they are completed. They allow you to "keep your eyes on the prize" and motivate you to take action when others give up or attempt to persuade you to.

Even some people who set goals fail to achieve them because the goals are too vague or don't provide enough incentive to press on when obstacles occur.

Having clearly defined and properly executed goals will give you something to strive for and encourage you to be the best you can be.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."  

-Abraham Lincoln

Let's look at techniques that successful people do to achieve consistent results and turn dreams into realities.

7 Ways To Accomplish Your Goals

1. Use SMART goals.

SMART is an acronym laying out an easy-to-remember way of structuring your goals. There are many variations to this list. I will discuss the one that I personally use and teach.

Specific

• Make sure your goal is concise. It doesn't do any good to attempt to follow a vague premise. 
• Your goal must lead you to a definable end
• Goals must be clear and challenging.
• Your goal should be as refined and detailed as possible. 
• Think of the difference between I want to lose weight vs I want to lose 10 pounds. Which is the definable end?

Measurable

• Your goal needs to be quantifiable enough to be able to track progress
• You want to be able to track progress and celebrate wins along the way

Attainable

• Even if it's clear, you won't be motivated if the goal is clearly out of reach
• It's like that goal of losing weight. It becomes unmotivating if you choose to set a goal of losing 20 pounds by this weekend.

Relevant

• Your goal should align with your life's purpose (or company mission if it's a work goal). Read 4 Tips For Finding Your Purpose.
• A goal must stay in keeping with your faith or core beliefs
• Attach a "WHY" to every goal you pursue.

Time-bound

• It does no good at all to set a goal without a deadline. This is the second biggest reason people don't achieve their goals (after not choosing a specific one).
• Deadline must be realistic to be motivating. Don't set a time too far in the future for a simple goal, or time too soon for a more complex result.

2. Write down your goals

Goals need to be written down. The things you want to do that remain only in your head are merely hopes and daydreams. They can't take on life and structure until you write them down.

"...Write the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that readeth it."  

-Habakkuk 2:2 KJV

Putting your goals in writing makes them tangible and real. It gives texture and substance to what once was just a thought.

It is important to write your goals down clearly. You can use the SMART outline that I explained earlier. It should make sure to have a specific outcome, along with any skills, materials, or deadlines that should be included.

3. Prioritize and Focus

There is nothing wrong with having more than one goal that you want to accomplish. But respect limitations. You cannot do everything at once. Determine the "Why" for each goal and use that to put them in order from most important to least important according to your life's purpose.

Throwing your energy and determination at your number one goal will allow you to reach the desired result sooner. This will encourage you and give you the needed momentum to attack the goals that follow. 

"There's nothing better than achieving your goals, whatever they might be."  

-Paloma Faith

4. Keep your goals in sight

To prioritize and focus on your goals as I outlined above, you'll need to place them where you can see them. You want to be frequently reminded of what's important and see how your journey is going.

My goals are in my office, on my laptop, and on my phone so that they are never far from me. They give me a subtle but firm nudge in the right direction when I lose sight of what I've determined to be important for me to get done.

5. Read, Review and Re-calibrate

Goals without actions are dead upon arrival. Having your goals written down and posted on the fridge door or bathroom mirror is useless if treated like a long-forgotten art piece.

Read them daily and multiple times a day when able. Make them a secure resident of your mind's picture. Reading them daily along with your affirmations keeps them front and center.

Review your progress on the goals you are currently attacking. Are the goals you chose to focus on still deserve your attention? Do your present actions and energy keep you on track to achieve the desired outcome?

Re-calibrate and change your approach if there are obstacles that are interfering with your success. Take a moment and identify those obstacles rather than ignore them. Roadblocks are not failures. Quitting is the only failure. You may have to change a deadline, gather more materials, or learn a new skill. Don't get discouraged. This happens especially if your goal is challenging and worthwhile. Adjust your plan, NOT YOUR GOAL.

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."  

-Confucius

Be patient and forgiving. If your 6 months goal gets done in 7 months, you still WIN!

You must be accountable for your actions, but it often helps to share your goals as you read, review and re-calibrate. Having someone you trust to know the road you're on can minimize the loneliness and sense of being overwhelmed. 

6. Celebrate Milestones

Break down your goals into bite-size manageable pieces. When I determined to read the entire Bible at the beginning of this year, the task seemed daunting at first. I broke that down and committed to reading 5 chapters a day. It was an action I was able to stick with even on the busiest of days as well as when Barb and I went on vacation. That at once overwhelming task was completed in the first week of June.

Remember to make sure your goals are measurable and break down the bigger goals into more frequent victories. Losing 60 pounds in a year almost stops you from beginning but pushing yourself to lose 5 pounds a month not only sounds easier but allows you to celebrate monthly wins along the way maintaining your momentum to the finish line.

7. Keep it up

Achieving a goal is not the end. It is the beginning. Celebrate that victory then move on to the next goal. Goals provide inspiration, motivation, and discipline in your life. Add new goals as old ones are achieved. 

Commit to being the absolute best version of yourself. Start small but start now. As you complete your goals, they should be replaced by new ones that are more challenging and meaningful. You will not only live a life of purpose but inspire others to live theirs.

Now that we've discussed how important goals are and ways to accomplish them, what are you waiting for?

Take the next step now and set some goals. The process itself can make a deep change in your life and help you prioritize your time and fulfill your purpose.

Even if you don't reach all of your goals, you can be happy with the ones you achieve and find satisfaction in the distance you covered on the ones that fell short.

You CAN do this.

READY. SET. GOAL!

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."  

-1 Corinthian 9:24 KJV