We often ask ourselves: What is the key to success? What can I do to assure getting to my destination? How can I do what I propose? How do I get myself to the place I want to be in five years? What do I have to do to become the person I want to be in 10 years? And all these questions are important to setting goals properly.
They help you visualize where you are headed. But, how do we put these questions into action? How do we get to the final goal? And even though these are not simple questions there is a way that will most certainly take you to the finish line.
There is something very powerful in details, small things can take you very far. As the saying goes, a drop of water can break a stone, meaning that you don’t need some big force to achieve what you want, you just need to be like a drop of water.
Guide to Setting Goals
Motivation is a strange force that drives us to new beginnings, but more often than we would want it to, it wears off with time. So, we end up with many unfinished projects, or months later and we are still at the same place, even though we have done a lot, we are nowhere near where we want to be. Without motivation, you can feel like you are going in circles and getting stuck.
But why is this important? Where are we going with all of this?
And well, there is a path for you to achieve your long-term goals, it is not an easy path. But it most certainly will help you get there. The answer is simple: setting short-term goals that will get you closer to the bigger goal. Short deadlines give you focus, they keep you moving towards where you have to go.
Every time you achieve something you get a little dopamine rush, and every time you start a new project you get one as well. So, why don’t we break that big project into short-term smart goals?
Setting Goals Effectively
Break it down
Let’s take a minute to visualize where you want to be in the long run. Then, think about all the things you need to get there and start tracing a map.
To become an astronaut in ten years, I need to start studying astrophysics and working out today. There is always something you can do to get closer to the goal, every day, even a small action will make a difference.
So, for example, you want to open your own business in two years. How can you break these two years into small short-term steps? You can start by naming the things you need to reach the goal and how to get them. The business will need a corporate image, a name registered, a place to work, and so on.
Once you have them, prioritize them in a timeline, and give each step a realistic amount of time. In the first three months, you will contact a graphic designer and a publicist to create the brand; the next trimester will be to find a lawyer and arrange the legal details, and so on. Break your steps as much as you need to, set a deadline, and work for it.
Make every step a smart one
S.M.A.R.T. is a technique to help you make your goals achievable. Which may come in handy to avoid the unfinished project cycle. By following these guidelines with your long and short-term goals, you will be ensuring that they meet their potential.
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Meaning that your goals should be delimited to exactly what you want to achieve, ambiguity is not helpful to trace a plan. The: “How much, how many, how do I know I reached the goal” is the measurable part, it needs to be meaningful and something you can distinguish when you have it.
Evaluating all the fronts is important, take into account external factors like the financial or environmental ones, and let’s be realistic to make this achievable. Ask yourself the tough questions: why do I want to accomplish this? Is it worth my time and effort? The relevance and the answer to these questions is what will keep you on track to reaching the goal. And, set a date; a realistic one, having a deadline will help you organize yourself and therefore get to the finish line.
Discipline
As the drop of water, it is nothing but persistence that takes you to the goal. It is easier said than done to ask you to stick to your plan, somedays you might wake up and not feel motivated to do anything.
But here is where your final goal comes to mind; visualizing yourself achieving your goal, journaling your progress and the journey, or just going on automatic mode for a day is necessary when the goal is worth achieving.
Try making the steps a part of your routine, turn working on your future into a habit and it will become easier over time. At the end of the road, you will be thanking yourself for showing up on the days you didn’t feel much like it.
Share your goals
Tell your friends, your partner, your family, or someone you trust that will support you. Involving other people in your goals motivates you to fulfill them. Why? For many reasons. First of all, talking about it will keep you in sync with it; also for some other people, you might need the extra pressure of having to stick to your word because you already told someone you would do it. Sharing your progress will help you acknowledge it and by doing so fill the tank to keep going.
Dreams come true if you work for them. Success, in the long run, starts with today’s efforts. A little strategy, discipline, and a smart perspective will take you where you need to go. So, tell us… What are you waiting for to start working on your tomorrow’s success?
