There are a thousand ways to set goals. Whether you jot down a couple lines on a paper or use a structured goal setting system like Next Level Goal Setting, the mere act of setting goals is a positive one. However, if you’re looking to improve your goal setting process, I’ve got 4 goal setting tips that will help you supercharge your goals.
Goal Setting Tips – Use The SMART Goals Framework
If you’ve visited the site before, you’ll know I’m a big fan of setting goals using the SMART acronym. This simple 5-step process helps you to evaluate each goal you set for maximum effectiveness. We’ve written an entire article on SMART goal setting, but in a nutshell the letters each represent one component of an effective goal. S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable, R for relevant, and T for timely. Be sure to read our SMART goals article for an explanation of the entire process.
Don’t Overwhelm Yourself
For someone new to setting goals, I’d recommend setting between 3-5 major goals at the start. While my personal list has 7 goal categories, each with 2-4 goals, that’s simply too much for a newbie goal setter. Having a giant list of goals can be overwhelming, leading to frustration and early abandonment of your ambitions. My hope is that your push yourself to accomplish more and more each year, but success comes through baby steps. Once you are comfortable with balancing multiple goals, you can increase the number that you set.
Goal Setting Tips – Review Daily
As a child, our family would set New Year’s resolutions each December 31st. The problem? We would write them down, give them to our mom, and never see them again until next year. This was obviously NOT the way to keep my goals. Now, I take a moment to read through my entire goal list each and every morning. Not monthly, not weekly – daily. This keeps my goals top of mind at all times and allows me to choose one or two goals per day to specifically focus on. It’s a great reminder that keeps me on track.
Don’t Be Afraid to Adjust Your Goals
On the surface, New Year’s resolutions appear to be an event that takes place only once per year. The truth is that goal setting can (and should) occur periodically throughout the year! I often have starry eyes at the beginning of the year and, despite a few hours of planning, set a couple of goals that are simply too much of a reach. By taking some time each month or quarter to sit down and adjust my goal list I can make sure that I’m working towards strenuous but achievable goals. Did I plan to read 10 books this year but I’ve only read 1 by April? I may want to adjust my goal to something more realistic, assess my desire, or change my goal entirely. This is not a sign of failure and is part of a healthy goal-setting routine.
What are some of your favorite goal setting tips? Let me know down in the comments!
