How To Set Goals: 6 Golden Steps to Set Goals

Goal setting in life is a very important step in achieving success. If you are searching for success and do not have proper goals, then you are going to hit rock's bottom sooner or later. There is a very nice quote:

Life Without Goals is Like a Race without Finish Line; You're Just Running to Nowhere.

 Goal Setting can be very tricky and if not set properly you will get caught in a whirlpool of plans with no destination in sight.

6 Golden Rules To Set Goals:

1. Goals Should be according to your Interest:

The-future-belongs-to-those-who-believe-in-the-beauty-of-their-dreams-Eleanor-Roosevelt-Be-An-Inspirer via photopin (license)

Setting goals in your area of interest will give you an edge in being successful. Goals should be set in a way that it motivates you and you should be willing to take risks. It is important to set interesting goals because to achieve the goals you will need to stay motivated. Motivation automatically develops when we do something that we like or that looks interesting.

When you set a goal that is important to you but you are not interested in it, then you have a risk of not achieving your goals. No matter how badly you need success, if it does not interest you then it will be very hard to achieve your goals. You need to sit down and make a list of things you are interested in. Then make a completely separate list on each topic about what can you do. I am sure there will be at least 3 things that you are interested in.

2. Divide and conquer: Breaking down goals:

writersblok planner - 6 via photopin (license)

The destination should be one but the milestones make it achievable without you knowing. Goals should define what you want to achieve in a week, a month, and a year. Then when you sum up all your yearly goals you will be able to see your destination. You need to specify how many years will take you to reach your destination.

You will not get this particular topic in any articles because people never relate goals in the real world. For eg: If you want to conquer Mount Everest, you will have to break it into small easily achievable goals. You need to set goals like entering the training, completing the training, reaching the initial base camp. The smaller the goals the easier it is to focus and achieve that goal.

3. Being SMART is the Real Art:

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In the Era of Smart Phones and Smart TV, people can be smart or not but the goals that you set should be SMART. There can be any expression of goals to be SMART, But the one that I prefer is:

S  - SPECIFIC

M - MEASURABLE

A - ACHIEVABLE

R - RELEVANT

T - TIME-BOUND

I. Specific Goals:-

Goals should be clear and well understood. Indefinite and generalized goals will not provide you enough direction. Goals are the road to your destination if your road is not clear in your mind how will success welcome you. Mark your every milestone and the road will automatically appear in front of you.

II. Measurable Goals:-

Add quantity to your goals. Quantity let you measure goals and when you can measure your goals you get the motivation to complete it, For eg: If you set your goal as "reduce weight". You have no idea how much weight you need to lose and in how much time. If your goals are not measurable soon you will lose interest and abandon your goals.

III. Achievable Goals:-

Make sure the goals that you set is achievable. Do not set goals that are unachievable, or soon you will lose interest in your goal.

Do not set goals that are too easy, so that you do not have to work for it. Your goals should be achievable yet challenging so that it makes the balance between your motivation and demoralization. Challenging goals will motivate you to work hard on that and when you achieve your goals you will be motivated to do more.

IV. Relevant Goals:-

Your each and every milestone needs to be relevant to your destination then only when you achieve it, it will give you the strength to do more. If your goals take you in a different direction every time soon you will be weary and lose interest.

Irrelevant Goals even blurs the big pictures that you have wished for your self. When your destination goes out of sight your life becomes messy because you cannot go back and you will have no reason to go any further.

V. Time-Bound Goals:-

DEADLINE! One of the most feared word in 9 to 5 jobs. It is actually a very helpful thing when you are setting goals. Time-Bound goals give you the sense of time. For eg: You need to lose 20 Kg of weight in 6 months. Now imagine there is no time limit in losing those weight, will you be able to achieve the result. NO!  You will relax as there is no time limit and soon you will get into the comfort zone and your goal goes in the Cold Bag.

4. Writing it down gives you the Edge:

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According to a Harvard Business Study, 3% of their MBA graduates who had their goals written down ended up earning ten times as much as the other 97% combined, that too just ten years after their graduation.

So writing down goals is very important because it provides you daily motivation or you will forget what you want to achieve. It will also let you track your path to success. Writing down goals in a diary that you don't use much will be of no use. Write down your goals on sticky notes and stick it on the shower mirror, study table, refrigerator or your key hanger.

The basic concept of using sticky notes is that you can keep it on your daily use items. When you see the written down goals every day, your brain adapts to doing that thing and you start to progress towards your goals.

5. Planning for winning:

One done via photopin (license)

If you have followed every step till here, you have done a nice job. You are already ahead of the 97% of people who are on the same path. If you think now you are ready then wait for a second. The path that you are following is followed, being followed and conquered by many. Only 1% of people achieve what they have truly wished for. WHY?

We lack proper planning. Now how do we plan? Do one thing make a checklist of each and every step that you defined in Step 2. Cross off every point as you complete each step. This will motivate you to do more and more before the deadline. When you complete your goals before your deadline you will get time to socialize, which is equally important beside achieving your goal.

6. Stick to your Goals:

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The destination will only be reached when we stick to the path. Every plan is worthless untill it is put into action. Motivating yourself daily will let you stick to your goals. Even if you follow all the above 5 steps and fail to stick to it then you will be wasting your precious time and reaching nowhere. The main difference between a successful and an unsuccessful person is this step. Successful people stick to their goals. Even if the plan is changed halfway if you can see your destination you will find another path.

To Sum Up:

Goal Setting is not as easy as it seems to be. You need to very specific and understand what you want. Failing in which will land you to a place from where you cannot go back and you will have no reason to go forward. By following the Six Golden Rules of goal setting you will be able to set goals that give you confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that will come along when you achieve what you have wished for.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

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