We all have personal goals, whether you have actually taken the time to go write it down or not. Some people might call it “wishful thinking”, but goal setting is way more powerful than that. It is a mighty process for thinking about your ideal future and serves as the motivation you need to turn your dreams into reality. Setting goals is all about putting a plan into action. It is all in the doing! The process of setting goals will help you determine where exactly you want to go in life, and these goals will help you get there! By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you need to concentrate your efforts. You will also be able to spot the distractions that are keeping you from the future and life that you want & need. So let’s jump right into it! Here are 10 steps to start crushing your personal goals.
01
what eactly do you want to achieve?
You can only achieve your goals if you are totally clear on exactly what it is you want. Questions to ask yourself: Are you clear about what is important for you in your life? Do you make your choices based on this? Is your goal something YOU really want or is it something you think or you’ve been told you should want? Is your goal clearly defined with a specific plan of action? Is it important to you personally? Is it within your power to make happen? Is it something you have a reasonable chance of achieving? Take time to think about this, you have the answers inside you. Trust your gut and inner being to guide you to what you need and want in life.
02
how badly do you really want this?
The greater your desire, the stronger your inner drive to action towards that goal will be.Do your goals inspire and energise you?On a scale of 1 -10, with 1 being very weak and 10 being “I’d do anything to achieve this goal”, how strong is your desire? Only focus on the goals that excite and energise you, leave the rest.
03
write that shit down
Put your goal on paper and make it official! Did you know that only 3 % of people write down their goals, and of those 3%, 80% of them actually achieve their goals? Are you one of the 80%? Writing down your goal is your declaration that you REALLY want it! Be specific. Place it where you will see it several times a day.
04
Visualise yourself arriving at your goal
Can you see & feel yourself having what you want? Define all the ways you will benefit from reaching your goal. Where are you? How is your life different? What are you doing? How do you feel? Be specific. The more benefits you can envision, the more energized and inspired you will feel and the greater the pull that goal will have on you. See & feel yourself already there. Use the power of that vision to fuel your actions.
05
determine your starting point
Where are you now & wat is your starting point? You need to determine where you are starting in order to plan the most advantageous & direct course to your destination. With a clear starting point, you can head in the right direction. Making a plan is a lot like mapping your route for a road trip. If you don’t know where you are, you can’t know how to get where you are going. Seems easy but you need to be honest with yourself about it.
06
decide on a time frame
Have you committed to timelines and deadlines? Are you MAKING the time to MAKE the goal? Have you scheduled time to work on your goal and put that time into your diary? Have you prioritized and eliminated things that are of less, or no, value? By doing this, you commit to clearing the way to taking action towards your goal.
When something is important to you, don’t ‘try to “find” the time, MAKE the time!
07
consider possible obstacles
What possible obstacles will you face? Have you prepared contingency plans to deal with those obstacles? How can you deal with them the most effectively? Forewarned is forearmed. The thing is, life will happen. Things will go wrong. That is okay! You just have to remind yourself that obstacles are part of anything that was ever worth achieving.
08
identify your strengths & resources
Think about your personal strengths & resources that will help you move forward. Who are the people or organisations that will support you and who is on your success team? How can you improve the skills you’ll need and build on the strengths you already have? Have you succeeded or failed at tasks that were similar to this before? What resources did you use that were helpful before? What can you do to maximise your chances of success this time? What can you do differently? What can you do to motivate yourself to reach your goal? Remember, you are your own best resource.
09
make a F*ing Plan
“A Dream is just a Dream. A Goal is a Dream with a Plan and a Deadline”. Break your goal down into small manageable steps that can be done on a daily basis and identify a timeline in which each task needs to be done. Have you discovered your starting point? Decide what do needs to be done first What structures do you have in place to keep track of your progress? Accomplishing a goal requires taking the steps. These steps, in turn, become habits. What daily habits do you need to create? Big successes start with little ones.
10
make a commitment. believe in yourself!
Are you really committed or are you just trying? How many people do you know who have tried to do something and failed?
Say the following sentence to yourself: “I’m going to try to ______________”
Now say “I’m committed to _____________”
Which feels more solid and more likely to happen? To achieve any goal, you need to COMMIT yourself to achieving it. Have you really committed to doing every single thing that’s necessary to achieve that goal? Are you committed to putting in ALL the necessary time, energy and money? Look over your plan and the steps to achieve your goal. Do you believe that you can do it? Do you have any doubts? Are your expectations realistic? Deal with your fears and expectations that you have of yourself.
11
bonus step
CELEBRATE IT BABE! Acknowledge the work that you have done and celebrate the the completion of each of the steps along the way. Use that energy of success to keep you moving forward! Don’t wait until the end to celebrate. Celebrating each small victory acknowledges your successes and keeps you motivated and focused.
