7 Steps To Goal Setting

Setting goals and achieving goals is something that most of us want. The key is to differentiate between a goal and a mere wish. A wish is something that people dream about. A goal is accompanied with a plan and a time line.

My definition of the word goal is:

G.O.A.L – Getting Over All Limitations.

So, here are my 7 steps to goal setting:
1. Be precise – being precise means knowing what you want, in minute detail. Please avoid using words like “more” or “less” or “better”. Precision means defining things that you want. If your goal is to get a pay rise, don’t just say “I want more income”. Be precise and say (for example) “My goal is to apply for a pay rise that will allow me to earn $10,000 extra per year”. If your goal is to get a new car, be exact! Define what colour the car will be on the outside, what colour the interior will predominantly be, what the wheels will look like, what type of sound system will the car have etc. The power of precision makes achieving goals easier. Also, write down your goals. A study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that if you write down your goals, you are 55% more likely to achieve them, compared to not writing down your goals.
2. Check in with your values – this is where some people go wrong when it comes to goal setting. If your goals are not congruent with your values, you will have a very challenging time in achieving your goals. I love what Dr John Demartini says “You can change your goals to match your values, or you can change your values to match your goals.” If one of your values is “stability”, and your goal is to leave your day job and open up a new business, please bear in mind that a new business may not bring in a stable income initially (like your day job does). Checking in with your values will allow you to be more congruent with yourself, and not set goals which will be very challenging to achieve.
3. Boost your self image – we mostly set goals which seem aligned with our self image. If we see ourselves as not worthy of achieving a goal, we will not set that goal. See yourself as someone who will be able to achieve that goal. Look in the mirror and say “I will achieve this goal”. Listen to yourself saying it. Feel yourself saying it. Don’t ever ask if you are worthy of your goal, always ask if your goal is worthy of you!
4. Have a time line – it is said that a goal without a time line is merely a wish. That statement holds true. If you do not have a time line to achieve your goals, you will most likely not take action to achieve your goals. If your goal is to lose weight (for example), come up with a time line. Give yourself an exact time line to lose weight. You could say something like “By the end of this year (31 December), I will lose 15 kg of body weight”. That way, you also have something to look forward to. Stay away from the ‘Someday syndrome’ ie. saying something like “Someday, I will have this or that”. Have a date for achieving that goal. Please remember, a goal is a dream with a deadline.
5. Have an action plan –have an action plan, and then take action! Action steps in achieving goals are what are referred to as “input goals”. An input goal is what you need to do in order to achieve the output goal (the goal that you initially set). For example, if your output goal is to run a half marathon in six months time, one of your input goals could be to run three times a week. How will you run three times a week? Let your action plan drive you to do that. Without an action plan, motivation will be hard to come by. And, without action, achieving that goal simply won’t happen.
6. Have a support team – who can you count on to support you in achieving your goal? Please think about that for a minute. Are there people in your life who believe in you? Will you ask them to be on your support team? There are certain types of support groups out there that could be appropriate for you. If not, then please look at your circle of family and friends. Ask yourself “Who can I count on for support and encouragement?” Have you ever gone to a gym and seen guys spot each other while doing heavy weight training? As one guy might be struggling to do one more rep, the guy spotting him might say “Come on, this is easy for you, let’s go!” With encouragement, comes more confidence.
7. Constantly evaluate – at regular intervals, look back and see how much progress you have made. Then ask “Am I happy with this progress?” If you are, then just keep going. If you are not, then ask yourself how you can improve your progress. It does pay to congratulate yourself on how far you have come because it is a very empowering exercise. So, please keep in mind the importance of constant evaluation when it comes to setting and achieving goals.
And, please remember to celebrate once you have achieved your goal!

Celebrating your goal achievement provides encouragement for setting more/bigger goals. It also encourages others to set and achieve goals.

Quote: “You don’t set goals for acquisition. You set goals to grow!” Bob Proctor

I hope that I have given you a simple insight into setting and achieving goals.

Inspiring you towards your excellence,

Ron Prasad (Author, Speaker, Life Coach & Executive Coach)

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