In Part 4 we continue our No-Nonsense Guide to Setting and Achieving Your Goals. This Reverend and Wedding Officiant is hoping you are learning some new ideas here, or perhaps improving on the skills you already have. Regardless of your situation, NOW is the time to follow through on your life goals!!! Part 4 will provide details to how you can successfully set your goals...OK, sit back and enjoy...
Successfully Setting Goals
“A goal without a plan
is just a wish.” ~Larry Elder
As you can see, failing at our goals is often a lot easier
than achieving them. You might be asking yourself why bother setting goals if
you are going to fail. You can successfully achieve your goals if you take a
few steps to set up the right kinds of goals.
Those who succeed at reaching their goals all do certain
things in common.
·
Believe
in your goals. It doesn’t do you any good to create goals that you don’t
believe you can achieve. Make them just out of your current reach.
·
Visualize yourself having achieved the goal. For example, if your
goal is to lose 10 pounds in 2 months, visualize yourself buying a size smaller
outfit.
·
Write
your goals down. This is a powerful step. It’s the number one thing that
helps keep you on track. Begin by writing down the big goal. Then break it down
into smaller steps on how to reach your goal. Henriette Anne Klauser details
this in her captivating book, Write It Down and Make It Happen. Writing down
your goal means you are stating your intention and setting things in motion.
·
Commit to
them. Do something towards achieving your goal every day. It doesn’t have
to be a major step. Just do something. Maybe it’s drinking one more glass of
water or walking an extra block.
·
Stay
focused. Keep the number of goals you set at one time to less than 5. It’s
difficult for anyone to focus on more than 5 items at one time. Don’t include
several goals under each big goal. Instead focus on a few goals that you can
repeat from memory.
·
Create
“SMART” goals. This popular acronym that has been proven to work when
setting your goals. They meet five specific criteria:
§
Specific-
the goal must identify exactly what you want to accomplish in a very specific
way. Instead of a goal of, “write a book”, make it more specific like, “Write a
book proposal for The Family Life Manifesto.”
§
Measurable-
the goal needs to have a measurable end result so you know without a doubt you have
hit your goal. A goal of “earn more than last year” can’t be measured. A goal
of “Earn $10,000 more this year than the last.” can.
§
Actionable-
your goal should start with an action. (run, finish, quit, earn) instead of a
to be verb (be, have, am). Replace “Be more active” with “Run 2 miles every day.”
§
Realistic-
a good goal will stretch you out of your comfort zone but not be so unrealistic
as to not be attainable in a reasonable amount of time. A lofty goal of “Qualify
for the PGA Tour” might be better than “Lower my golf handicap by four strokes.”
§
Time-
the goal needs to have a specific date for completion. It can be a year-end
date or a closer date. “Lose ten pounds" doesn’t have a specific time while
“lose 10 pounds by August 31” does.
·
Plan of
action. Once you’ve committed to a goal, create a plan of action to attain
it. The best way to do this is the break the big goal into smaller steps. Work
backward from the big goal to help you figure out what you need to do.
·
Review
your written goals frequently. Review them on a regular basis to keep on
track and to determine what your next step is. You can review them daily,
weekly or monthly, whatever works best for you. Let your goals inspire you to
fill your daily task list.
Goal-setting is not just helpful, it’s necessary to succeed
in what makes you happy. Those who make consistent progress towards their goals
are often happier and have more satisfied lives than those who drift through
life. Successful goal setting is the guide that gets them to the end of their
goal.
Part 5 will give details of tips from actual experts who utilize upon the concept of setting and achieving goals. OK, stay Blessed, and see you soon...
Kind Regards,
Dr. Anna Mock-Ward, Officiate My Wedding - A Subdivision of Wisdom Heart Ministry
