Twelve Tips for Success with Setting Goals

Here are some of the basic steps for setting goals and reaching them. This is only a taste of the much more in-depth information you will find on other sections of the site.

1) Use a journal to keep track of your goal setting journey where you may keep daily or weekly records of your progress including affirmations, successes, appreciations for your hard work, rewards, resistances, obstacles, etc. Use your goals journal to write goals initially and to rewrite them over time. Use it to break your goals into steps. Review your progress regularly and jot a few notes.

2) Get yourself into a positive mental state. Some ideas for getting yourself into a positive state include: Meditation, listening to inspiring music, reading something fun or funny.

3) Brainstorm a goals list. Think about anything and everything you’ve ever wanted and write it down (some areas to consider include; personal, health, business, professional, spiritual).

4) Prioritize your goals list, putting the goals you have the most passion for first.

5) Align your goals with your values. With the top ten goals, think about why you want them and whether this makes sense in terms of your values. It is important to develop congruity between what you believe and value and your goals and actions. Create a list of your most cherished values, prioritize them and do the best you can to align these values with your most important goals. In addition, make sure when setting them, that the goals don’t conflict with each other.

6) Rewrite your top 3 to 5 goals in language that really gets you passionate and enthusiastic. Without enthusiasm, it is difficult to reach a goal.

7) Create sub-goals: Take your top goals and create sub-goals to be reached in shorter periods of time. Below the sub-goals you create detailed steps for reaching the sub-goal. Take this process to the level of your “to do” list for daily action.

8) Make a poster or other visual image with your goals on it. You can also make an audio tape with affirmations. Start using imagery and visualization. Create an image in your mind of you already celebrating your success with friends.

9) Get help if you need it. Consider various strategies for getting to your goals. To get help, use the experience of experts in the field and people who have done what you want to do.

10) Commit and persist: Decide that you are willing to pay the price required for reaching your goals. Success sometimes requires that you commit and persist even when things get difficult.

11) Develop a support network.

12) Take action: As you take actions toward your goals, notice if you face obstacles and use some of the techniques found in the article on this site about Releasing Attachment. Don’t worry about outcomes you have no control over, just take actions and release attachment as you go along.