A Simple But Powerful Goal Setting “How To”

Goal Setting can be frustrating, particularly when you don’t know how to. Before I understood goal setting and how to establish realistic goals, I’d often set lofty aims that did not leverage my strengths and skills, and that did not line up with my values. So as you can imagine, I would give up on them.

Why do we do this?

A common reason we abandon our goals is a lack of commitment. It gets minimized and discounted until it’s insignificant. That’s what happens to a goal if it has no value. And of course, at this point, the temptation to give up outweighs the benefit of succeeding.

However, if you remind yourself of the goal every day, you stand a better chance of accomplishing it. The daily reminder reaffirms the importance behind what you’re trying to achieve.

How to commit to Goal Setting

First, make sure that every goal set is important and leverages your strengths and skills. This can be a tricky step because we so often don’t know our strengths and fool ourselves into believing we want one thing when we want something entirely different.

Take your time with this step. Be clear of what you want. Ask yourself:

• Why do you want it?
• What will it do for you?
• Is it meaningful?
• What positive things will it bring to your life?
• Which strengths will you use to accomplish it?
• How will it help you?
• Is the goal worth the energy and effort?
• How will it make you feel when you succeed?

Write down the answers on a piece of paper and keep it handy with you so you can refer to it as often as necessary if you feel your commitment is beginning to slip.

Next! Think about what would happen if you don’t follow through with accomplishing the goal. If nothing would happen, then you have to raise the bar! You need to hold yourself to a higher standard and make the aim the most important thing in the world. So important you’re afraid of not accomplishing it because of the consequences that could follow.

When my clients make a commitment, and they don’t follow through, they have to pay me one hundred dollars. I do this because I’m teaching them that when you don’t follow through on your goals, you are throwing money out the window.

So make sure you assign a suitable penalty to yourself for not following through and completing the goal.

Finally, renew your commitment for goal setting every single day, regardless of where you are on the path to success.

As part of the commitment, promise yourself that you will give it your absolute best every day and that you won’t give up until you cross the goal line.

When it comes right down to it, goal setting is a critical component of personal development. No one but you can set goals for you, and nobody but you can accomplish those goals.

Still Need Help Goal Setting? A Life Coach can Help!

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