How to Set Goals That Actually Get Results

Did you know that people who set goals are 10 times more successful than people who don’t?

Let that sink in for a moment.

People who set goals are often times more persistent, more motivated, and have an overall more positive outlook on life. That’s why goal setting is so powerful. It’s a tool that helps us get clear on our intentions and forces us to get focused and reevaluate what’s important to us.

The alternative is just drifting by aimlessly hoping we come out ok on the other end. But when we create the vision and the plan, we already know which direction we’re headed in.

To put it simply, goals give us purpose.

My Story

Here is a little backstory on what led me to start getting serious about my goals in the first place. Nearing the end of 2019 I began realizing I wasn’t moving in the right direction. In fact I really wasn’t moving at all. I was stuck!

Working at a corporate retail job I didn’t like and at times putting in 11 to 12 hour days didn’t help much.

I was constantly stressed.

I had little time to eat lunch and after fighting over 40 minutes in rush hour traffic would come home exhausted and crash on the couch. Then I would force myself up to make a quick dinner, more often than not choosing convivence over health.

After that it was time to head to bed only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again.

Rinse, wash, repeat. That was my life.

Then one day while I was preparing for a job interview, I came across this question:

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

I tried to come up with an answer, but after several minutes of writing and erasing and writing and erasing I put down the pencil. I didn’t have an answer. The truth was I had no clue where I saw my life going. I knew I wasn’t happy where I was, but where the heck did I want to go?

And that’s how it all started. I stopped with the interview prep and began to think about my future and my goals. What did I really want in life? How did I want my life to look 5 years from now? It honestly felt pretty overwhelming at first and I had no idea where to begin. But at least I knew what it was that I didn’t want.

And that seemed like a good place to start.

And here I am almost two years later. I have a job I love, making more money than I ever have before. And living in a beautiful apartment that I once only dreamed about.

I owe it all to getting serious about setting goals. Without them I wouldn’t have gotten laser focused on what I wanted. I would have just kept drifting, hoping something would change.

But we can’t keep waiting for change to just happen for us. We need to get up and make those changes in order to see real results.

And that’s where goals come in.

What Can Setting Goals Do For Us?

Goals Push Us Forward

One of the most rewarding outcomes of accomplishing a goal, no matter how big or how small, is that feeling that comes shortly afterwards. We find ourselves wanting more!

We become addicted to that feeling and crave that sense of accomplishment.

You realize you were completely capable of conquering whatever it was you were aiming for. You find yourself saying what’s next? What is that next big thing I can shoot for? Because now you’re armed with the knowledge of knowing it’s possible.

Goals Help Keep Us Focused

Creating a clear path is so important for a fulfilling life. When you have an idea of what you want, you’re creating a vision of how to get there, whether you realize it or not.

Goals help keep us in alignment with the bigger picture and allow us to change existing behaviors into new ones that better serve us and our greater purpose.

Goals Create An Actionable Plan

One of my favorite things about goal setting is how they allow us to take a huge and often times what might feel like, overwhelming idea and help us break that down into more manageable, bite size pieces that we can more easily action to.

As we move through each phase we become more excited and even more motivated to keep reaching for what’s next.

How To Set Goals That Get Results

Now that we’ve talked a little bit about why goals are so important, let’s jump into how to get started so you can begin seeing the results you want.

Step 1. Where Do You See Yourself Going?

Before you get started you need to have a better understanding of what it is you really want.

Identify what areas in your life you want to improve. This could be anything from relationships to financial/business shifts to health or personal development/growth. Or maybe it doesn’t even fall into any of these categories. Whatever it is it just needs to be important to YOU.

Also keep in mind you don’t have to just pick one area. You can create several goals in multiple areas of your life. Just make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself with too many hefty goals at once.

Step 2. Write it Down

Once you’ve identified what it is you want, write it down. Get yourself a notebook or just a piece of paper and physically write down your goals. This step may seem unnecessary, but actually writing it down vs typing it or even just thinking it allows your brain to create a deeper connection with the idea. This in turn will help these goals remain top of mind.

Step 3. Identify What Might Get In Your Way

No goal worth accomplishing would be complete without a few obstacles here and there. The best way to prevent getting discouraged when the unexpected pops up is to plan for it from the beginning.

Of course you can’t plan for everything. Life can be funny like that. But knowing ahead of time that there will be struggles just make it that much easier to overcome them.

Step 4. Create An Action Plan

Now that you have an idea in mind of what it is you want to focus on, start creating an action plan. What steps can you begin to take in order to turn this idea into a reality?

Take that large idea and begin breaking it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Think of each chunk like steps on a staircase. Moving you closer and closer to your destination.

Step 5. Create A Timeline

Now that you have your action plan in place the only thing missing is to set a timeline. We need to hold ourselves accountable and having a timeline helps us do just that. This way we are able to track and manage our progress as we go through each phase. Being able to quickly see if we are sticking to the plan will allow us to make any necessary shifts to help get us back on track if we start to veer off course.

If You’re Still Struggling, These 6 Questions Can Help:

If you’re struggling with where to start on your goal setting journey, the below questions really helped guide me in the right direction.

1. If I could change my entire life tomorrow what would it look like?

2. What is one small thing I can do this week that would help get me one step closer to my answer above?

3. What’s something I can do everyday to better my health?

4. What do I really dislike doing?

5. What do I really want my life to look like in 5 years?

6. List out 10-15 things that are most important to me.

[*NOTE: Try to list out a mix of personal and professional ideas here. If you are stuck, you want to gain a clear understanding of what it is that you’re looking for. Don’t limit yourself by putting yourself in a box. It’s that thought that one idea can build on another and lead you somewhere totally different.]

It’s important to remember not to get discouraged. You set out on this journey for a reason. It’s a goal of yours for a reason. No matter what unexpected obstacles life may bring to you, don’t let it stop you from moving forward. Your action plan might change, your timeline might change, heck even your initial goal might change. But never give up on the big picture.

You are meant to do great things. Don’t let yourself be the reason you don’t achieve them. It all starts with you. Make that decision today to reach higher than you ever thought was possible.

Here’s to setting new goals 🥂