Setting Goals For Success In Three Steps

We all have dreams, goals, and aspirations. Maybe yours is to run a marathon, retire early, start a business, publish a book, or find true love. But it’s commonly known that without goals, dreams are like clouds; they stay up in the air, pretty, filmy and unreachable. So what is the secret to setting goals, and achieving them? Defining what the goal is, when and how it will be met, and most importantly, how you will know that you have achieved that goal.

1. Define the larger goal, the dream, and what qualifies as meeting that goal. If you want to complete a triathlon, which one, and when? Your goal might be to “Finish the Metropolis City Triathlon in 2018.” Now it’s clear what success means as it pertains to that specific goal. Success means finishing that specific race, at any ranking, one year from now. There’s nothing wrong with being slightly vague when it comes to setting goals, being too specific might leave you feeling like it’s too daunting to even start or that you’re a failure before you’ve even begun.  
2. Break the larger goal down and again, define your criteria for achievement. Break down that big overarching goal into smaller bite-sized chunks. Doing so allows you to visualize progress and calm those butterflies in your stomach. No one jumps in a pool and swims a record race or graduates from college after taking their first class. Success is a feeling that is built upon as you achieve the smaller goals that act as the stepping stones for your larger endeavor. The triathlete wasn’t born a triathlete – they train little by little in each sport until they feel successful enough to put the whole routine together.
3. Plan to reward yourself as you achieve each smaller goal, and decide what that reward will be. One advantage of clearly defined goals is that you can legitimately claim victory and enjoy your reward without guilt. So make part of the goal setting, and it’s definition, the reward. “When I write the first chapter of my book, I will try that new restaurant everyone is talking about.” Rewarding yourself allows you to feel the feels, and the good feelings that are now associated with reaching smaller goals builds so that magic word – motivation – feels more natural. Losing motivation is a sure fire way to lose interest and momentum in attaining your goals. Stick with it, reward yourself, and before you know it you’ll be setting your bars higher.

Whatever your goal is, whether it is related to travel, relationships, business or career, physical skill, or artistic expression, you can achieve it. Define the goal, define your criteria for success, and define how you will celebrate each success along the way. Gain that momentum and nurture it which will allow you to dream bigger dreams because you now have the skills to know what it takes to make them happen.

Do you have other goal setting tips to share or questions? I’d love to hear from you!