Mastering Goal Setting for Unleashing Your Potential

Goals are the threads that weave your dreams into reality. The journey from envisioning a future to achieving it is guided by the art of goal setting. Let’s embark on a journey through goal setting and achievement. This journey transforms aspirations into tangible triumphs by breaking down monumental dreams into actionable steps and celebrating every milestone.

The Science of Goal Setting: Setting the Stage for Success

Goal setting is more than wishful thinking. It’s a structured process grounded in psychology and neuroscience. When you define clear goals, your brain activates pathways that drive you towards achieving them. This process provides direction and enhances motivation, focus, and commitment.

The Art of SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound

The SMART framework is a beacon in the sea of aspirations. When you make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, you refine your intentions into actionable blueprints. A specific goal outlines precisely what you want to achieve, while measurability quantifies your progress. Achievability keeps you grounded, relevance ensures alignment with your values, and time-bound aspects provide a sense of urgency and structure.

Breaking Down Giants: The Power of Incremental Steps

Large goals may seem daunting, but breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps can make even the loftiest ambitions achievable. Each step becomes a milestone on the journey, providing a sense of accomplishment that propels you forward. These incremental achievements maintain momentum, prevent overwhelm, and instill confidence in your ability to conquer bigger challenges.

Visualizing Success: The Inner Blueprint

Visualization is a powerful technique that bridges the gap between imagination and reality. Vividly imagining the process of achieving your goal and experiencing the emotions associated with success creates a mental roadmap. This mental rehearsal boosts confidence and motivation and primes your mind for success, making your efforts more purposeful and effective.

Overcoming Obstacles and Staying Resilient

No journey is without its hurdles, and the path to goal achievement is no exception. However, setbacks and challenges aren’t roadblocks. They’re growth opportunities. Embrace them with a resilient spirit, viewing them as lessons rather than failures. Adapting and refining your approach ensures you emerge stronger and more determined to reach your destination.

Celebrate the Victories: Acknowledging Milestones

Don’t wait until the finish line to recognize your achievements. Celebrate each milestone, whether big or small, as it symbolizes progress and effort. These celebrations provide well-deserved moments of joy and reinforce your commitment and dedication to your journey.

Embark on Your Journey of Triumph

Goal setting is a transformative process that turns dreams into triumphs. When you truly harness the power of SMART goals, breaking down monumental aspirations and celebrating every step forward, you infuse your journey with purpose, direction, and fulfillment. As you navigate obstacles, visualize success, and embrace resilience, you become the author of your success story.

Goals Are Dreams With A Deadline

When I first became an educator at the university I was determined to do things differently and this like any other thing came with its own advantages and disadvantages. The good thing about it was that I gave more thought to my methodology with the aim of channeling my impact on the students to the best of my abilities. I didn't like the pressure I saw them under while working on assignments with pressing deadlines so I vowed not to be a source of such unnecessary stress, or was I wrong to call it stress?

Establishing a hustle-free environment in my classes, I gave them the first assignment and to their most pleasant surprise added that there was no submission deadline! They all cheered in jubilation as I beamed in satisfaction wondering why my colleagues had never thought to trust these students to do the right thing without harassing them with pressing time limits or was I wrong? Oh yes, I was to learn soon enough how flawed my method was when the semester almost ended with me having received only one submission from the class workaholic! To get things moving I gave them a week to finish the work and guess what, more than half the class submitted on the very last day.

When a deadline is given, stress levels may rise as one realizes just how much work they need to get done in a limited amount of time but you know what else rises? Adrenaline levels! This hormone is also known as the F hormone (the fight or flight hormone). The majority of people choose to fight and that is where they discover just how strong, clever, or smart they are under its influence. These levels are usually healthy enough to push both effectiveness and creativity. Students working on an assignment due the following day rarely collapse from stress. They may complain that school is like a pressure cooker but you know what, they do get the job done in time to move on the next one. Talk about progress.

Don't just say “I want to learn the piano", add that you want to do that in the next coming six months and you will see a positive difference. Setting deadlines upgrades you from dreamer to active doer. It does something to you on the inside that makes you restless until you start taking action towards that desired goal. After my experience with the students, I call it good stress. Without it, we wouldn't have much of the ground-breaking inventions, large business structures, and other systems worldwide that make our lives meaningful today. In a nutshell, we wouldn't get much done without this beneficial pressure.

Is your goal measurable?

One professional engineer says, "I want to be the best engineer in the country by the time I turn forty" while yet another one says, “at forty I want to have acquired five patents under my name " Great determination from both ends isn't it? They both put the much-needed deadline to it, but what is the difference between the two? The latter's dream is easily measurable while the former's will most probably give him a headache in his late thirties as he tries to assess whether or not he has surpassed his counterparts in the entire country. As you set your goals, make sure you can easily measure them to celebrate your progress.

Are you being honest with yourself?

Another thing to consider in all this is yourself. I am talking about the truest version of yourself, that inner self that warns you when you try to take in more than you can handle. The often-ignored part of you that tries to caution you into being realistic in as much as you want to be ambitious. Use that as a guide because if you don't believe that you can do it then you won't. That is not to say that you constantly should trim down your dreams but rather that if there is some work to do to get yourself a hundred percent sure that you can achieve your goal in the set time then do it. This may require you to constantly stimulate your senses with an imagination of what it will feel like to get to the finish line. Imagine it, declare it, and speak about it. Repeat this process until your goal becomes a part of you.

Without a dream you cease to live, you begin to just exist. Though at times you may feel discouraged as you watch your ambitions get torn into pieces by the struggles of life, keep going. You will probably realize after you already set out on your journey to the top just how rough the road is but don’t stop moving. Take a rest if need be but don't take your eye off the prize and the ticking clock. You will be there on time if you continue to believe in yourself.

The Power Of Writing Down Your Goals

It’s often said that writing things down helps you to remember them and that writing down your goals helps you to achieve them. This is because writing things down gives you a clearer picture of what you want, what you intend to achieve, and it maps out the direction to take.

Successful people recognize the power of writing down their goals and use it to achieve every goal they set. So, if you want to make sure you attain your goals, make writing them down a priority.

The best way of realizing what you can achieve and how far you can go is by simply being clear about what you want to attain, where you intend to go as well as who you intend to be in a certain number of years. You will only achieve that by writing things down.

Researchers say that people who write down their goals have a higher chance of attaining them compared to those who don’t. So, take advantage of the power of writing down what you are aiming for and be one step closer to fulfilling your aims.

Always write down your ultimate goal, your yearly goals, monthly goals, weekly goals, as well as daily goals. This may sound like too much work but it is worth it because having clearly-stated goals helps you to move in the right direction. It is an excellent way of ensuring you use your time wisely, eliminate distractions, and remain committed to your work or the most important things.

 5 Advantages Of Writing Down Your Goals.

• You get a clearer picture of your goal.
•  Writing down your goals helps you get clear on what you want and being clear about what you want helps you to figure out what steps to take and what to avoid. Being clear about what you intend to accomplish in a day, week or month enables you to accomplish more because it narrows your focus and prevents you from going off course.
• You minimize distractions.
• Distractions always find their way into your work or study and that is why minimizing them is important. How many times have you thought “Let me just respond to that email and get back to work?” Only to start browsing the internet and checking for responses to your recent updates on social media. Probably countless times. Nonetheless, writing down what you intend to accomplish and being specific about it helps you avoid distractions. For example, if your goal is to focus on that work assignment for the next two hours, creating room for anything else would be a distraction that you won’t tolerate.
• You manage your time wisely.
• Writing down your goals is the key to cultivating your time management skills. It keeps you concentrating on what you intend to accomplish or what needs to be done. So, instead of repeatedly saying “I’ve run out of time again” you can say “Another task has been completed on time.”
• Begin writing down your goals so that you can start managing your time wisely and avoid the frustrations that come with poor time management.
• You gain a sense of purpose and direction.
• Success can only be attained by those who have a strong sense of purpose because people who know what they are living for have a greater chance of succeeding in all their endeavors. They always get back up after experiencing failures because they know that they haven’t reached the end yet. Writing down your ultimate goal will constantly remind you of your purpose. It ensures that you never stop working, doing, or improving because you know where you are supposed to be as well as what you are meant to accomplish.
• Writing down your goals is the main thing that guarantees you always stick to working on what you intend to accomplish despite what happens, how you feel, or how many times you fail. It gives you a sense of direction which is the best motivation you need to continuously take the necessary steps and get things done.
• You remain motivated.
• If lack of motivation is the reason why you are finding it difficult to work on your goals, you can get rid of it by writing down what you want to achieve in a day, week, month or a year. Doing so gives you something to look forward to. It gives you a reason to wake up each morning and get to work.
• So, instead of “I don’t feel like doing ABC” or “I’ve lost the drive to continue” you will say “I have to accomplish ABC before the end of the day” “I’m looking forward to doing ABC” and “Doing this will take me yet another step closer to achieving my dream.”

Writing down your goals is the only way of achieving them and it is the main thing that separates those who reach every goal they set from those who don’t.  

The Secrets To Successful Goal Setting

Do you always find it hard to follow your dreams and reach your goals? Maybe it is time to revisit your goal-setting process. If it does make you feel better, know that you are not alone in this struggle.

That doesn’t mean you should be comfortable with failing in that area though. Not everyone who sets goals follows them through. Some forget about the goals within a few days after setting them while others go on to try and fail.

The reasons for this are often poor goal setting, lack of commitment, failure to understand goals and what they can help us achieve, and not being ready for the new way of life that comes with pursuing goals.

The value of goal setting accompanied by practical strategies must not be underestimated. Goals help us makes our dreams a reality and give you the power to transform your life.

Without goals, your life lacks direction and your dreams are just fantasies that may never see the light of day. Seth Godin states that “The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.

It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact… those people have goals.” 

From Godin’s point of view, people with goals are the ones who usually live meaningful lives and do great things, while a life without goals can be enjoyed for a limited time.

As mentioned previously, the problem for some people is not that they do not have goals. Rather, they struggle with setting successful goals. Below are some of the secrets to successful goal setting:

• Be specific – you should know the exact dream you want to pursue. If you want to have more money, how exactly do you plan to make it? Are you going to start a business or you want to look for a better paying job and adjust your budget as well?
• Goals must be measurable – you should be able to track progress. Identify pointers that will help you know how far you have gone in as far as reaching your goal is concerned. This motivates you as it allows you to know whether you are being productive in pursuing your goal.
• Purpose – what value do you think you can add to the world around you? What do you think is the purpose of your life? Apart from knowing your purpose, you should know the purpose of your goals. How do they help you live your purpose? What gap do they feel in your life? In other terms, your goal setting should be intentional. That is, the goals should answer your questions and drive you to a better position than your current one.
• Be true to yourself – set goals that will lead you through a path that works best for you. Align your goals with your interests and beliefs. Sometimes people fail because they succumb to societal pressures. They set goals based on what influential people or friends around them approve of or what seems to be the ‘in thing’. It is easier to set goals that you will be able to commit to when your dreams are aligned with who you really are.
• Start small – as you come up with strategies that will help you achieve your dreams, ensure that they include starting with every good opportunity presented to you. Waiting for a bigger start can delay or discourage you. Therefore, start with what you have and where you are, then the bigger things will catch up. The small steps always build up to something big and often lay a stronger foundation.
• Bouncing back – your strategies should include a bounce-back plan. Expect challenges and plan for them to be able to keep moving towards reaching your goals. Expecting things to run smoothly will make it almost impossible to stick to your goals when you face challenges.
• Dreaming way too big – dreaming big is okay, but dreaming way too big is as bad as not having a dream at all. Your dreams must be attainable. Don’t set dreams based on what you think can happen if you get lucky. You need to be realistic! For example, instead of counting your chances of winning the lottery as a way of raising a million dollars that you need to change your life, think of how you can make that money by you applied for a better paying job, started a side hustle, and saved a certain amount over some time.
• Research – you should know how much it takes to reach the goal to avoid getting stuck along the way. Also, ensure that everything that is required and everything the goal entails aligns with your beliefs.
• Be flexible – be willing to make some changes to your strategies along the way in case you get better ideas and come across more opportunities. Sticking to a good idea while ignoring a greater one is definitely not a smart idea. You should also be willing to listen to advice from others although you should be extra careful when choosing what to adopt.

Your Goals Condition Your Actions

Crystal has a lifelong dream of teaching deaf children in vulnerable communities. She sets goals to make that dream a reality. One of her short-term goals is becoming a certified teacher. Another goal is to learn how to communicate using sign language.

Her first course of action is enrolling with a local college for a diploma. Crystal follows that up with research on additional courses on offer to help her focus on acquiring skills that lean towards special-needs education.

 Besides that, she enlists in a class that teaches sign language. During her weekends, she volunteers at a home for the deaf to familiarize herself with the role of a caregiver. Crystal eventually gets her qualifications and applies for a teaching job at a local school, gaining enough experience to open doors towards her dream.

Many people like Crystal have ambitions to achieve great things. They just do not know how to get there. Some even set goals and develop plans towards their dreams, but few succeed in their endeavors. Others do not set goals at all. It is the few who visualize the dream, set goals, and take actions that live the dream.

Setting goals is like having one foot in the door. Your actions thereafter either take you the rest of the way in or keep success just out of reach.

Your goals remain unattainable if you do not condition your actions to suit them. If you allow fear and worry to be louder than your self-belief, chances are you will procrastinate on taking the actions that help you pursue your dream.

Successful people know that there are no rewards for inaction, so as they visualize the dream daily, they build their actions around it. They think about what they can do to achieve their goals and do it, even when the journey ahead looks daunting. Such people jump in and figure things out as they go, often making mistakes, failing, and rising again. This they do because they understand that there are no rewards for thinking or planning. The rewards come based on what you do.

If your goal is to shed weight, your actions will determine whether that loss will become a reality. You change your eating habits, opting to have healthier meal plans. An action to take is engaging a health expert or dietician who can help plan your meals. You can also join a local gym, enlisting the help of a trainer. You can opt to do your training at home using online workout videos. It is all about what actions you take to achieve your goals.

An athlete with a goal to succeed in their chosen field must stick to actions such as consistent training and healthy eating habits. If they lie down all day and eat unhealthy food that does not condition their body for whatever sport they engage in, chances are their career will be short-lived with no accolades to show for it.

If your goals matter to you and you believe you can attain them, you condition your actions around them.

Developing a plan of action around your goals.

Once you break down the dream into specific goals, you need to determine what actions to engage in to make it come true. This involves breaking the goals into tasks you can do over a certain period- which ranges from daily to monthly and even quarterly. Having a plan helps you channel your attention, energy, and resources on the action you have to take. It gives you the focus you need to ensure success.

• Determine the actions you need to take.

One of the first things you will need to do is brainstorm how to get from visualization of the dream to actualization. This process will be much better with the help of others. These could be members of your team or your close circle who can speak into your plan and help you determine your course of action. Follow it by breaking down the dream into step-by-step actions to get you to your destination. If a task seems too big, break it down further until you can determine that it is achievable.

To get a promotion, for example, you will need to think of actions you can do around the workplace to get attention to your competence. This may involve gaining skills that make you indispensable. You can also volunteer to spearhead projects others are hesitant to jump into.

• Assign tasks.

With a team set-up, once you list a course of action, delegate the tasks to team members based on their strengths. This covers ground as far as actions are concerned and put you ahead to get things done.

If you do not have a team, assign yourself things to do daily.

You can write an action plan to track your goals. This document ensures that you know the actions that you need to do, the people to do them and the time they have to get things done.

• The rule of five: Jack Canfield.

Every day as you pursue the goal, list five actions that move you closer to achieving it. What are five things within your power that you can do to grow your business? What five things can you do to improve your skills? What five things can you commit to increasing your knowledge? What five accomplishments can you ensure every month?

Your commitment to a set goal determines the actions you will take towards attaining it. Do not cut your dream short by watching and waiting while doing nothing. Condition your actions towards achieving success and it will surely come your way!

Achieve Anything You Want By Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals

The main reason why many people are failing to achieve their goals is that they haven’t realized that there is the right way of setting goals and there is also the wrong way.
Those who set their goals right are the ones who always accomplish what they desire and those who don’t are the ones who never seem to reach what they want.

For example, saying “I want to be promoted to a managerial position at my workplace next quarter” and stopping there is an example of a goal that isn’t set right.

Saying “I want to be financially independent” and failing to go the extra mile in defining what that means, how you intend to accomplish it, etc. isn’t going to get you to your goal. That is why knowing the most effective ways of setting your goals is important.

Have you ever noticed how excited you are about working on your goal in the first two or so months only to lose motivation along the way? That is because your goal isn’t set right.

Knowing the right way of setting goals and setting clear, attainable goals keeps you motivated. It enables you to achieve anything you want.

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. It is a method used by millions of people to achieve their goals and has the power to help you to not only set smart, practical goals but enables you to achieve every goal you set.

How smart goals help you to accomplish anything you set your mind to.

SMART goals help you to achieve anything you want because they are:
•Specific.
SMART goals are specific and specific goals give you a clear picture of what you want. They move you in the right direction. That is why you have to be specific when setting your goal. For instance, if you want to lose weight be as specific as you possibly can. Don’t just write “I want to lose weight” and stop there. Clearly state how much weight you want to lose, why you want to lose weight, and when you are going to start. For example, “I want to lose 10 pounds because if I don’t, the excess weight I’ve gained may become uncontrollable. I am going to begin today and I will do ABC to get there.”

•Measurable.
Measurable goals keep you focused on what you intend to accomplish in a day, week, or month. They focus your attention on what has been accomplished as well as what needs to be accomplished. Tracking progress and knowing how far you have gone helps keep you motivated. You ask questions like “How much progress have I made?” and “What indicates success?”

•Achievable.
Achieve anything you desire by setting practical, realistic, and achievable goals. Break down a big goal into small, realistic, and attainable ones. Ask yourself the following questions; “Is this goal attainable?” if not, “How do I best achieve it?” “Do I have the resources?” and “Has anyone else accomplished what I’m aiming for?”

•Realistic.
Setting realistic goals means considering whether or not attaining ABC is practical given your available time or resources. It also means finding better ways of achieving what you want. Setting realistic goals keeps you motivated to continue working. Instead of focusing on accomplishing one huge goal in a month, for example, you focus on small daily goals that will give you the results you desire. You use the time you have and the resources available to you wisely.

•Timely.
Setting deadlines increases your chances of attaining your goals because goals that have no deadlines take away the sense of urgency that is important to accomplishing anything worthwhile.

So, assign specific time frames to your goal and write down when you intend to reach every goal you set.

Ensure you reach what you are aiming for by getting rid of an “I have enough time” or “I can do this tomorrow” mentality and replacing it with an “I have to get this done today or in 7 days” mentality.

Knowing you are supposed to accomplish such and such within a specific time frame motivates you to work. It helps you to get rid of distractions, enables you to prioritize, and increases your chances of achieving what you want.

SMART goals are the key to your success. Recognizing the important role they play in helping you work smart and effectively will help you accomplish anything you want.

SMART goals help you to manage your time wisely and accomplish more. They keep you in the right direction and ensure you always take the right steps.

Understanding the significance of setting SMART goals in achieving what you want ensures success in all your endeavors. So, choose the right way of working on what you desire to accomplish by setting SMART goals.

5 Benefits Of Having Goals

“The reason why most people never reach their dreams is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”-Denis Watley

The best way of turning your vision into reality is by defining it and coming up with effective methods of bringing it to life. Setting goals is the most effective way of reaching whatever you are aiming for because goals provide direction and keep you on the right path. They prevent you from living aimlessly and motivate you to continuously move forward and aim higher.

One of the great things about having goals is that they come with many benefits that are only enjoyed by those who have them.
There is no limit to how far you can go when you live a meaningful life that is governed by not only having goals but taking the necessary steps in attaining them.

5 benefits of having goals.

1.The ability to make smart decisions.
Having goals helps you to make smart and informed decisions because you know where you are going and what you intend to achieve in the long run. You have clarity when it comes to decision-making because you recognize that every choice you make has a direct impact on your goal.

You ensure every decision you make positively affects your goal and are more capable of avoiding taking steps or making choices that will harm your end goal. You know what to say NO to and what to say YES to.

2.Constant improvement.
Reaching your set goals encourages you to keep working and gives you the motivation to keep improving. Instead of focusing on a hundred reasons why you are not “qualified” to do ABC, you fix your attention on how you can qualify as well as what areas need refining or cultivating. Accomplishing past goals gives you the determination to reach for your dreams and perfect your skills or abilities.

You focus on becoming the best at what you do which enables you to achieve more and become all you’ve ever wanted.

3.Unwavering focus and drive.
Goals aid you in retaining your focus and drive where work is concerned. They keep you focused on putting in the hours daily and taking the required steps toward your ultimate goal. Goals are the reason why you say “I can’t wait to pick up from where I left off yesterday” each morning instead of “I don’t feel like getting out of bed.” You know you have something to look forward to. Something to accomplish before the end of the day and something to be excited about throughout the day. Unwavering focus and relentless drive are two things you need to hold on to if you are to achieve anything in life.

4.The ability to act on what you desire to achieve.
The main reason why some people reach their goals while others don’t is that those who don’t achieve their goals never act on their desires. If they do, somewhere along the line they lose the drive to continue, get stuck, and quit. Realize that the only way of achieving whatever goal you set is by acting on it and moving forward despite what happens.

Having goals is an excellent way of ensuring you act on your vision, move forward, make smart decisions, and enjoy the journey.

5.Better discipline and self-confidence.
Running out of ideas is not the reason why most people fail to succeed in life. They fail because they don’t have enough discipline to act on their ideas and continue to execute despite their external environment. Self-discipline is the key to staying true to your dreams and fulfilling them. Setting personal or professional goals for yourself is the most effective way of cultivating discipline and ensuring you remain focused.

When you feel the urge to procrastinate, your goals remind you of what you are supposed to achieve in 24 hours, one week or one month and so, you continue working. When distractions come, you think of that important assignment you need to submit before the end of the day and get back to work. Goals help you to turn down things that have the power of hindering your progress and give you enough discipline to say “This is more important” and “That can wait.”

Having goals boosts your self-confidence by fixing your attention on your strong points as well as what you have already accomplished. Accomplished goals give you a reason to celebrate and look forward to achieving more as well as doing more.

Recognize the significance of celebrating every win and rewarding yourself for a job well done so that you can remain confident, stay motivated to act on your vision, and met your daily targets.

Live By Your Goals But Learn to Be Flexible

One of the most important and helpful things you can do in order to be more successful is to set goals for yourself. These can be both short term and long term goals. They help provide you with more structure when you’re trying to figure out what you should be doing, because it at least provides you with a destination to reach.

However, one of the largest detriments that you can have with your goals is when you’re not flexible enough with them. Many people get so hard headed when they’re working towards their goals that they actually end up doing more harm than good.

A bit of stubbornness can work in your favor, since it helps you push forward through some difficult times. But sometimes, you get so belligerent with your goals that you end up stuck, unable to move past it, when a little flexibility could have helped move things along.

For example, if you were creating all of your own products and you were adamant that you would never, ever outsource to others, that can work in your favor sometimes. It might help you save money by doing it yourself, and the project might seem more cohesive.

However, if you reach a point such as designing graphics where yours end up looking pretty amateurish, then you should be a bit flexible and bend the rules to make an exception.

If you are so dead set in your ways that you’re not willing to change, some of these barriers that you encounter along the way will either stop you dead in your tracks, or they’ll force you to do something poorly that could negatively affect you later on.

In general, it’s good to be flexible, as long as you can maintain rigidity when you need to. By not being flexible, you’re actively removing options that could help you get closer to your goals.

Sometimes, you may need to take a step back in order to take three steps forward. Not everything is going to work in your favor constantly, and you can’t let that trip you up. When you’re more flexible, and something doesn’t go your way, you’re able to simply make the adjustments that you need to and continue towards your goals.

By being flexible, you’re not giving up on your goals, but rather you’re figuring out a better way of getting there by being able to avoid or overcome obstacles. Sometimes, you start out with a plan and along the way, you find a better way of doing things, so being able to adapt to necessary changes can improve your business as an entrepreneur.

Goal Setting Rules That Work

Poor goal setting can be a roadblock to success. Think of it as a business plan—the plan and path you need to take to be successful. Without a plan or a set of goals designed with steps to follow, you lack direction, and without direction, it is hard to get where you want to go. All humans need guidance and to do the work to reap the rewards.

Follow these rules to goal setting that work:

Be Realistic

For example, your goal may be to lose 100 pounds, but don’t expect that to happen in two or even ten months. Give yourself a realistic timeline to reach your goal. Don’t set yourself up to fail before you also get started by being unrealistic.

Baby Steps

Break down your goals into manageable steps or smaller goals that you can change or repeat each day to reach your goal. This way, your bigger goal seems easy to get to, and you won't overwhelm yourself again by doing too much or making it look too hard.

For example, maybe you have a goal to drink less soda. Instead of going cold turkey, you can only have one at each meal, and then as the weeks go by, reduce that to one meal and then finally zero. All you need to feel accomplished is to work toward your goals slowly.

Be Specific

Make sure all the goals that you set for yourself are very clear and specific. Don’t make it broad and all over the place. If you can’t see the finish line, you may not get started. If you don’t know precisely what you want to accomplish in the end, you won’t know how even to get started in the first place, much less the steps that it takes to reach the goal.

Be Relevant

Each goal you work on should be relevant to where you want to see your life going. Do you have big career goals? Then make sure the goals you write down are career related. Don’t make all your goals about your health and hobbies if you ultimately want to be a doctor one day. You will need to put in a lot of work to get there and make it a top priority.

Always Plan

Writing down the goals is only the first step. You must also plan how you want to achieve the goals. Having a clear direction, a beginning, middle, and end will lead to success. For each goal that you make, also write at least three to five things you plan on doing to get there first.

You must want to accomplish the goal and believe in it to succeed. After all, it takes your continued hard work and dedication to make it happen, no one else's.

Goal Setting for The Unorganized

Many creative and successful people also happen to be disorganized. Studies do show that being organized can help you become more successful, but you can still accomplish a lot even though you are disorganized.

This can be a problem sometimes because if you can’t unleash your creativity in a way that helps you achieve your goals, all the creativity in the world won’t help you become successful in life. But, if you can harness goal setting, even though you’re disorganized, you can start getting much more done anyway.

Make a List of Your Ideas

Disorganized people often have many, many ideas. You need to get them all out of your system. Keep an ongoing list of ideas so that if you get one, you can just put it on the list, and let it go until it’s time to deal with it. This will keep you from going from one thing to the next without thought.

Prioritize the List

Put the list in order of priority. You can even separate it into now and later or now and next. The important thing is to put the list in order of importance based on what you need to do first or what you want to see happen in your life.

Set SMART Goals

Learn everything you can about setting SMART goals, from the University of California. This process of setting goals will help you naturally prioritize your lists as well as set up the next steps for your goals so that you really reach them.

Set Up Steps for Success

Using your SMART goals, you’ll want to create steps for each goal that you plan to achieve. The process of goal setting ensures that you have specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely – so that you can set a due date – goals that make sense for you to reach.

Make Another List (or three)

You really need several lists, one for each part of your life. For some of you, you may want to separate these lists up into mind, body, spirit, or you may have home life, business life, personal life, social life, and so forth. What you’re going to do is put three top things you must do each day to achieve your goals in these areas of life, which will translate into 10 to 12 must-do daily tasks that will ensure you reach all the goals you set in every aspect of your life.

Schedule Everything

Don’t just make lists, always put the step-by-step actions you need to take into the calendar on the date and time you want to do them. That way, you only need to look at your calendar and then go do what it says without even having any willpower or organization needed.

Consistency is Key

Remember that no matter what you want to accomplish in life, doing it every day, a little at a time is going to be more successful than any other method you can think of. Doing something small each day toward the goal is the sure-fire method of cusses that you need when you’re not organized.

One Thing at a Time

One reason some people are disorganized is that they are trying to do something no human can do – multitask. Multitasking is a killer of time and organization that you can let go of. Focus on and schedule only one thing at a time so that you really focus on it and do it right.

When you’re really disorganized, it will take practice getting used to setting up your goals this way with steps for success scheduled in your calendar. Essential to this idea is your list of basic things you need to do in each area of your life on a regular basis to be successful. You can do this; you just need to get started.