In order to achieve your goals, it’s essential to use a goal setting process that will help you clarify your ideal future, and help you establish measurable goals and action steps to achieve those goals.  Establishing a process on how to set goals and how to achieve your goals will help you clarify where you are now what you want to achieve in business and life. 

If you want to create a bigger and better future for yourself, the goal setting process that I’m about to share will show you how to achieve your goals easier and faster. 

Goal setting must include two key elements if you want to achieve your goals.  When setting goals, set a goal you want to achieve in the future that is specific and measurable.  Secondly, set a goal that has a deadline. 

To set goals and achieve your goals, your goal setting process needs to be exciting and scary.  It’s important to understand why your goal is important and what the benefit of achieving your goal will be. 

Your goals must be exciting enough to move you into action and stay in action.  When working towards achieving your goals, the measurements you have in place will help you track your progress towards goal achievement.

In this article, I’ll share how to set goals and give you 8 tips on how to achieve your goals. If you want to go deeper on setting goals, read my article on goal setting. 

Why goal setting is important

The process of goal setting is important because it helps you clearly define the bigger and better future you want to create for yourself.  Goals are what gives you direction in life.  By setting goals for yourself you will have greater clarity about what you want to achieve, greater direction about what’s most important to you and the self-confidence to take action to achieve your goals. 

Goal setting helps align your purpose with your daily actions and gives you the focus to manage your time effectively and be more productive.

Setting goals gives you a long-term vision and short-term focus.  Goal setting gives you a clear path and track to follow every day towards achieving a desired result in the future.  Setting goals is important because you get a clear focus about what’s important to you and where to focus your time and energy each day.

The simple process of setting goals gives you a long-term vision to be excited about and short-term motivation to focus on goal achievement every day.  Goal setting helps to stop distraction and procrastination so you cam maximise your time, energy and productivity.  Read more about the importance of writing down your goals.

How to set goals  

There is simple process to follow when you set your goals if you actually want to achieve them.  Firstly, decide on your goal.  Then write it down.  Ensure  your goal is specific and measurable.  Finally ensure that your goal has a deadline attached to it. 

When setting goals, think about who you want to be, and what you want to achieve in the future.  This way, your goals can help you build momentum towards achieving the bigger result you want for yourself.

When setting goals, ensure that you are emotionally and intellectually engaged with the outcome you want.  Set goals that are specific, measurable and have a deadline.

Your personal goals and business goals must be emotionally compelling enough to really take action on.  Otherwise they will fall by the wayside.

Some people set goals in their mind but they’re not written down or committed to.  If you want to learn how to set goals and achieve your goals you must be emotionally invested in them.

They must have clear, measurable outcomes and a specific deadline to achieve the goals in.  The measurable element must be a number or an event and the deadline is a specific time period you want to achieve your goals in.

How to achieve your goals

Here are 8 goal setting tips to help you achieve your goals.   

1. Make your goals measurable 

In order to achieve your goals, your goal setting must start with seeing something in the future that doesn’t currently exist.  It is a future you that is your ideal, across your business and life.

To get a true perspective of what this future looks like visualise it in as much detail as possible.  Get a sense of what it looks like, what it feels like.

Then be clear with yourself on what needs to happen to make that vision a reality.

Once you create a picture of this ideal future, this is where your mindset kicks in.

The more clarity you have around the specific details of what you want to achieve, the more your mind will take ownership of the result.

2. Understand why the goal is important 

Choose goals that inspire you to take action. If you want to achieve your goals it’s important to understand why achieving that specific goal is important to you.  When you are clear on what achieving the goal will mean for you, and what difference it will make, you are more likely to take action.

Look onto the future and picture yourself having achieved your goal.

Consider what that looks like, what it feels like and what difference achieving that goal will mean in your life.

3. Write your goals down

In order to achieve your goals, write them down.  People who actually write down their goals are more likely to have success getting to where they want to go.

There is a personal commitment at play when we physically write down our goals.

A goal is embedded in your mind and subconsciously your brain is looking for every opportunity to work on achieving the goal.

The written goal also gives you a place to refer back to if you are having a challenging time.  You can then break things down into shorter SMART goals.

This can help you reset, get more focused and motivate you to push on towards achieving the goal.  Read more about writing down your goals. 

4. Set a deadline for your goal

If you want to achieve your goals, your goal must have a deadline attached to it.  When your goal has a deadline you have clear direction and focus.

When setting goals, your mind needs a realistic deadline to take the goal seriously.  Attaching a deadline to the goal harnesses your emotions and ensures you engage with the goal achievement intellectually.

Having a deadline for your goal makes you more accountable to actually achieve the goal you’ve set.  If your goal doesn’t have a deadline, you may feel “you’ll get to it when you can” and you won’t be properly emotionally invested in the outcome or result.

The deadline you set for each goal should be challenging, exciting but also feel achievable.

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5. Make progress on your goals daily 

In order to achieve your goals, it’s essential to break your goals down so you have a clear plan of action to take daily.  Daily progress towards your goal builds momentum and motivation. 

At the start of each day list three things you want to achieve that day that will move you closer to your goals.  At the end of the day take some time to review and celebrate progress.  Then, set your most important tasks for the following day.

6. Set short-term goals 

The simplest way to make progress towards achieving your goals is to set short-term goals.  These goals could be 90 day goals, monthly goals, weekly goals or even daily goals.  The more powerful your goals the more emotionally invested you are in achieving your goals.

Setting short-term goals helps you make quick, measurable progress.  Achieving these short-term goals builds confidence and motivation, and inspires you to set goals that are bigger and better in the future.

7. Be motivated by your goal 

In order to achieve your goals you have to be excited and motivated by the result of achieving the goal.  If your goal is not exciting or motivating you simply won’t take action. 

The key to achieving your goals is to understand your motivation and desire for achieving the goal, and understand the difference it will make when you have achieved the goal.  Questions to consider when goal setting include:

Why is the goal important?

What will it feel like when I achieve my goals?

How will achieving my goals really make a difference in my life?

When you understand the real outcome of achieving your goals you will be more excited and motivated to take action every day. 

Conclusion

Goal setting is about seeing yourself in the future as you really want to be and then setting goals with a clear, measurable plan and path to that will inspire you to achieve your goals.  In order to achieve your goals in business and life the goals must be exciting but also scary.  

Choose goals where you are emotionally and intellectually engaged in a vision of a bigger and better future.  When you set goals in this way you are excited and energised to take the action steps needed to reach your goals.  

Now I’d love to her from you.

What’s your number one goal setting tip for achieving your goals?  Let me know in the comments.

Further goal setting articles

Goal setting: how to set and achieve your goals 

SMART criteria: how to set SMART goals 

The importance of writing down your goals 

The importance of setting measurable goals 

About the Author

Mark Pettit is a small business coach to business owners who want to simplify their time, energy and focus so they can multiply their freedom, impact and results. 

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