Are you wandering aimlessly with odd and quirky plans of spending your lottery winnings that you have yet to win? Is your mailing address the parents house? Does your mother still do your laundry even though you have graduated college ten years ago?
If you can relate to any of that, then sadly I have little power of intervention to motivate you off momma’s apron strings.
For those who are making a whole-hearted attempt at success, there is a good possibility that goal setting is what’s holding you back. There are five basic rules for setting goals and regardless what you may have tried to carry out, if you don’t have firm goals you have a greater chance at failure. Think of goals more like targets within your sight. Keep your eye on them and remind yourself of why you set them in the first place.
Mind Tools came up with this brilliant strategy to better accomplish such a task, http://www.mindtools.com/.
Rule #1: Set Goals that Motivate You
You need to make certain that the goals you set will hold your interest and are obtainable.
One goal a writer might have is posting on their blog three times a week. The goal itself is obtainable even if the writer is a full-time parent with a full-time job.
It’s important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t set yourself up for failure. Unobtainable goals such as, vowing to lose twenty pounds in a month, is setting yourself up for failure and leaving you with nothing but disappointment. Try to avoid this at all cost.
Rule #2: Set SMART Goals
Reachable goals are:
Specific – I want to lose weight by eating healthier and adapting a better life style.
Measurable – Twenty pounds.
Attainable – Better overall health.
Relevant – I want to feel better about myself and I wish to gain more stamina.
Time Bound – In six months.
This approach has a higher success rate than just going full throttle into a brick wall.
Rule #3: Set Goals in Writing
Write down goals to keep you focused. Visually seeing your goals will inspire you to honor those commitments and priorities in your life. You must have a positive way of thinking and use “I” and “will” statements.
I will learn about computer programming for the success of my business.
Rule #4: Have a Plan of Action
You can’t leap and hope you land right on the mark. You have to plan each step needed to reach your goals. We all want to triumph with little to no effort. Unfortunately this is not the case for the majority of us.
If your goal is to graduate college with a 3.5 or higher, then get some help from the university staff to keep on task. Set yourself up to carry out the objective and do not settle for anything less.
Rule #5: Stick With It
As a wise person once told me, “Always keep the end in mind.”
Visualize the victory and keep that image fresh to help you remember why you set your goals in the first place. Write those reasons down and keep them visual so you never lose focus and get a good support system. Do whatever it takes to succeed.
Goal setting is not rocket science, but it can seem as difficult at times. Try to remember why you set goals to begin with. That way when you have a setback, it will be easier to move forward.
Shell de Toni 