Podcast Episode 122 — Setting Goals
Follow these steps to be successful.
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Today I want to talk about goals and goal setting.
Setting goals is one of the best ways to accomplish things. Many people say they have goals but have not written them down or created a plan of action to make them happen. Here’s what you can do to help yourself with your goals:
Write them down.
Having a vague goal in your head will get you nowhere. Start by writing down your goals. If that seems too overwhelming, start with one. But make sure to write it down. Something weird happens when you do — it somehow seems more real or concrete, and you’re more likely to start taking steps to achieve it.
Be as specific as possible.
When writing down your goal, you must be as specific as possible. Writing “I want to lose weight” is not a goal — it’s a thought. To change this into a goal, you could write, “I want to lose 20 pounds in the next four months.” That is a specific goal.
Break each goal down into steps.
Let’s use the “lose 20 pounds in 4 months” goal for this example. First, you might join a gym or buy some exercise equipment to use at home and commit to a weekly workout schedule. Then, you might research some healthy recipes and start planning your meals weekly. The point is to think about each step you need to take to achieve your goal, which will create an action plan to follow.
Set deadlines for each goal.
If you don’t have a deadline to accomplish your goal, you won’t have any incentive to do the work. Make sure you’re creating realistic deadlines — you don’t want to sabotage yourself. For example, choosing a goal of losing 20 pounds in 2 weeks is unrealistic. Really think about what you want to do, and give yourself some leeway for the unexpected.
Learn from others.
Find others who have succeeded with a goal that’s either the same or similar to yours and ask them what worked and what didn’t. While what worked for them might not work for you, at least you have a starting point to work from.
Create a support system.
