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This article was co-written by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a licensed professional counselor in Wisconsin. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.
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A goal is a way to express a specific achievement that you want to achieve with your own efforts. [1] X Source of Research Rouillard, L. (2009). Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Countable Results. Rochester, NY: Axzo Press.[2] X Source of Research An objective can be based on dreams or desires, but differs in that it is quantifiable. With a clearly written goal, you will know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. Writing down your personal goals is both satisfying and beneficial. Research has shown that setting goals makes you feel more confident and hopeful – even if those goals aren’t immediately achievable. [3] X Research Source As Lao Tzu once said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. [4] X Research Resources You can take the first step on your winning journey by setting realistic personal goals.
Steps
Effective goal setting
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Think about the things that mean something to you. Research has shown that when you set a goal based on something that motivates you, you have a better chance of achieving it. [5] X Research Sources Identify areas of your life that you would like to change. At this stage, you can leave the fields relatively wide. [6] X Research Sources Wilson, SB, & Dobson, MS (2008). Goal Setting : How to Make an Action Plan and Achieving Goals. New York: AMACOM
- Common areas of goal setting include self-improvement, improving relationships, or achieving a certain level of success, such as in work or school. [7] X Research Sources Some other areas you can refer to are spirituality, finance, life, and health. [8] X Research Sources Wilson, SB, & Dobson, MS (2008). Setting Goals: How to Create an Action Plan and Achieving Goals. New York: AMACOM
- Consider asking yourself some big questions like “What kind of person do I want to be?” or “What can I do for this world?” Asking yourself questions can help you affirm what is most valuable to you. [9] X Research Source
- For example, maybe you think about meaningful changes you want to make in your health and personal relationships. Write down those two areas along with the changes you want to make.
- At this step, if your changes are quite extensive, that’s fine. For example, about health, you could write “improve your body” or “eat healthy”. For personal relationships, you can write “spend more time with family” or “meet new people”. For self-improvement, you could write something like “learn to cook”.
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Define the “best possible self”. Research suggests that identifying your “best possible self” will help you feel more optimistic and happy with your life. It can also help you think about goals that really mean something to you. [10] X Research Source Finding the “best possible self” involves two steps: imagine your future self, once you’ve achieved your goals, and consider what you need to do to make it happen. can do that. [11] X Research Source
- Imagine a time in the future when you have become the best person you can be. What does that look like? What is most meaningful to you? (It’s extremely important to focus on what’s meaningful to you instead of what other people feel pressured to achieve.)
- Imagine every detail of you in the future. Think positively. You can imagine something like “the life of your dreams”, achieving great achievements or other achievements. For example, if your best possible self is to be a baker with a busy bakery, imagine what that would be like. Where is it? What does it look like? How many employees do you have? What kind of owner are you? What is your workload like?
- Write down the details of this scenario. Imagine what your “best possible self” uses to achieve success. For example, if you’re running your own bakery, you’ll need to know how to bake, manage money, network, problem-solve, be creative, and identify needs. . Write down as many traits and skills as you can.
- Think about the essential skills you have available. Be honest with yourself, don’t judge. Then think about what you can grow.
- Imagine how you would build these skills. For example, if you want to own a bakery but don’t know anything about the business, taking a business or financial management class would be a great way to develop that skill.
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Prioritize these areas. Once you have a list of the areas you want to change, you will need to prioritize them. Trying to focus on improving everything at once will only make you feel overwhelmed, and you won’t be able to pursue your goals if you think you can’t achieve them. [12] X Research Source
- Divide your goal into three parts: an overall goal, a secondary goal, and a tertiary goal. The overall goal is the most important and comes naturally to you. Secondary and tertiary goals are also important but not as important as the aggregate goals, and they tend to be more specific.
- For example, overall you want to “prioritize your health (most important), improve family relationships (most importantly), travel abroad” and your secondary goal is to “become a good friends, keep house clean, conquer Fansipan peak” and the third goal is “learn how to knit, be more productive, exercise every day”.
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Start narrowing. Once you know the areas you want to change and the changes you want to make, you can begin to separate what you want to achieve. These will be the starting point for your goal. Ask yourself a few questions regarding your accomplishments in terms of subject, subject, time, place, how, and why.
- Research has shown that setting specific goals not only makes you more likely to achieve them, but also makes you happier. [13] X Research Source
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Identify the subject Who . When setting goals, it is important to know who is responsible for accomplishing each stage of the goal. Since this is a personal goal, you are almost solely responsible. However, some goals – like “spending more time with family” – require the cooperation of others, so it’s a good idea to identify who will be responsible for which part.
- For example, “learning to cook” would be a goal that concerns only you. However, if your goal is “to throw a dinner party” then it will require the responsibility of others as well.
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Define the topic What . This question helps define the goals, details, and results you want to get. For example, “learning to cook” is too general to be practical; it lacks focus. Think about the details that you really want to achieve. “Learn to cook Italian dinner for friends” would be more specific.
- The more detailed you are, the clearer the steps you need to take will be.
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Determine the time When . The key to setting those goals is to break them down into phases. Knowing when a specific part of your plan must be completed will help you stay on track and stay on track. [14] X Research Source
- Keep your stages realistic. “Losing 4.5kg” is not usually possible within a few weeks. Think about the actual amount of time you need to complete each step of your plan.
- For example, “learn to cook spicy chicken for your friends by tomorrow” would be quite unrealistic. This goal can be overwhelming because you’re trying to achieve something without giving yourself enough time to learn (and making inevitable mistakes).
- “Learn to cook spicy chicken with cheese for your friends before the end of the month” will allow you enough time to study and practice. However, you still need to break it down into smaller steps to increase your chances of success.
- For example, this goal could be broken down into more manageable phases: “Learn to cook spicy chicken for your friend by the end of the month. Find a recipe by the end of the week. Practice at least three how to cook each time. When I find a recipe that I like, I will practice it again before inviting my friends over.”
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Locate Where . It can be helpful to identify the specific place where you will work to achieve your goal. For example, if your goal is to exercise three times per week, you can determine whether you’re going to the gym, work out at home, or go for a run in the park.
- As in the example given above, you might decide to start taking a cooking class, or get everything done in your kitchen.
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Determine How How . This step encourages you to visualize how you will achieve each stage of your goal. This helps you define the framework of your goals and understand what actions you need to take at each stage.
- For the cheese spicy chicken example, you’ll need to find the recipe, gather the ingredients, buy the necessary gear, and take the time to practice.
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Determine Why . As mentioned above, you’re usually more likely to accomplish your goals if you find it meaningful and you’re motivated to try. This question will help you clarify your motivation to achieve your goal. What will achieving your goals bring you?
- As the example shown, maybe you want to learn how to cook spicy chicken with cheese for your friends so you can invite them over to your house and have dinner with you. This will strengthen your friendship and show the person that you care about them.
- It’s important to remember the “why” as you work towards your goals. Setting specific and detailed goals is extremely helpful, but you also need to keep your “big goals” in mind. [15] X Research Source
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Write down your goals in positive words. Research shows that you are more likely to achieve your goals if they are formulated in a positive way. In other words, build your goal as something you strive towards , not something you want to avoid . [16] X Research Source
- For example, if one of your goals is to eat healthy, you shouldn’t write “Stop eating junk food.” This way of writing makes you feel like you are being stripped of something and no one likes this feeling.
- Instead, try writing the goal as something you will achieve or learn: “Eat at least 3 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.”
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Make sure your goals are based on your abilities. Achieving a goal requires hard work and dedication, but you also need to make sure that the goal you set is within your reach. You can only control your own actions, not their results (or the actions of others). [17] X Research Source
- Keeping your goals focused on actions you can take, rather than on specific results, will also help you in the event that you stumble. By viewing success as a process of effort, you will feel like you’ve accomplished your goal even if you don’t get the results you wanted.
- For example, “Become President of the United States” is a goal based on the actions of others (in this case, voters). You cannot control these actions, and so this goal is extremely difficult. However, “Electoral campaigning” is completely achievable, because it depends on your own efforts and efforts. Even if you don’t win the election, you can still see it as a success.
Develop the Plan
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Define your own goals. An effort goal is the action or method you use to achieve the goal you desire. [18] X Research Source Rouillard, L. (2009). Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Countable Results. Rochester, NY: Axzo Press. Breaking down into specific tasks will make it easier to complete and track progress. Use the answers to questions you’ve asked yourself before – what, where, when, etc. – to help you identify goals to strive for.
- For example, consider the following goal: “I want to go to law school so I can help minorities in my community through civil law.” This is a pretty obvious goal, but also a very complex one. You will need to define a lot of specific goals to achieve this.
- Examples of specific goals for this include:
- Achieve excellence in high school
- Join the debate team
- Identify institutions for undergrads
- Apply to work in organizations for undergrads
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Determine the timeframe. Some goals will be achievable faster than others. For example, “walking in the park for 1 hour 3 days a week” is something you can start doing right away. With a few goals. you will have to do the stages over longer period of time. [19] X Research Source
- With the example of the law school passing goal, this goal would take several years to achieve. It requires the implementation of many stages, and each stage can be represented by a specific goal and the tasks within that goal.
- Make sure you consider other deadlines and conditions. For example, the goal of “identifying undergraduate institutions” must be accomplished before you go to college. It takes a while, and many organizations have deadlines for applications. So you need to make sure that you define the timeframe for this goal correctly.
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Break the goal down into several smaller tasks. Once you’ve defined your goals and time frames, break them down into smaller, more specific tasks. These will be the actions you need to take to work towards accomplishing your goal. Set deadlines for each task to make sure you’re on track. [20] X Research Source
- For example, for the first specific goal of your law school desired goal, “Achieving excellence in high school,” you could break it down into more specific and clear goals like “Take classes on politics and history” and “take a group study with your classmates”.
- Some of these quests will have deadlines set by others, like “Take Classes”. For tasks with no deadlines, make sure you set your own deadlines to keep yourself accountable.
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Divide tasks into specific tasks. By now, you’ve probably realized that the tasks you need to do will get smaller and smaller. This is for a reason. Research shows that a specific goal will help you achieve good results more easily, even if that goal is very difficult. That’s because it’s hard to reach your full potential if you’re unsure of what you’re aiming to accomplish.
- For example, you can break down the task “Take a class on politics and history” into small activities. Each of these small activities will have their own deadline. A few examples of activities for this task include “Review the schedule of open classes”, “Plan to meet with the school counselor” and “Make a participation decision by [date]”.
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Make a list of what you’ve been working on. With multiple goals, you’ve probably already done a few activities you need to do to achieve them. For example, if your ultimate goal is to go to law school, learning about law through the wide variety of news is a very useful thing that you will want to maintain. [21] X Research Source
- Make this list very specific. You may even find yourself completing certain tasks in there without even realizing it. This helps you see progress clearly.
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Identify what you need to learn and develop. In some cases, you may not have the skills or habits you need to achieve your goals. Think about the traits, skills, and habits you already have – the “Best Self I Can” exercise will help you with – and tie them to specific goals.
- If you see something that needs to be developed, see it as a new goal and follow the same process.
- For example, if you want to become a lawyer, you will need to feel comfortable speaking in public and interacting with others. If you are a shy person, you will need to develop your communication skills in various ways to boost your abilities and achieve your ultimate goal.
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Plan for today. One of the most common reasons people don’t reach their goals is the thought that you’ll start trying tomorrow. Even if it’s a very small thing, think of something you can do today to start a part of your plan. This gives you a sense of progress because you took action immediately. [22] X Research Source
- The action you take today could be to prepare for other tasks or work. For example, you may need to gather some information before scheduling an appointment with a guidance counselor. Or if your goal is to walk 3 times a week, you’ll probably need to buy a pair of shoes that are comfortable and convenient for walking. Even the smallest achievements can help keep you motivated to keep going.
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Identify difficulty. No one really enjoys thinking about the obstacles on the road to success, but identifying the difficulties you may face is crucial as you develop your plan. This helps you be prepared when things don’t go according to plan. [23] X Research Source Rouillard, L. (2009). Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Countable Results. Rochester, NY: Axzo Press. Identify possible difficulties and actions you can take to overcome them.
- The difficulty you face may be external factors such as not having enough money or time to complete the goal. For example, if you want to open a bakery, the biggest hurdle will be finding enough finance to register your business, rent a location, purchase equipment, etc.
- Actions you can take to overcome this difficulty include learning how to write a business plan to attract investment, talking to friends and family about raising capital, or starting smaller (like baking cake at your kitchen first).
- The difficulty you face may also be an internal factor. Lack of information is one of the common obstacles. You can encounter this obstacle at any stage of the goal-realization process. For example, with the goal of owning a bakery, you may find that the market asks for a certain cake that you don’t know how to make. [24] X Research Source
- One action you can take to overcome this difficulty is to find someone who knows how to make those cakes, attend a class, or educate yourself.
- Fear is one of the typical difficulties. Fear of not accomplishing a goal can prevent you from taking the activities necessary to achieve it. [25] X Research Resources The section on fighting your own fear below will teach you a few ways to overcome it. [26] X Research Sources
Fight your own fear
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Imagine. Research shows that fantasizing can have a significant effect on improving your work performance. Athletes often cite this method as the reason behind their success. [27] X Sources of Research There are two types of visualization methods: outcome visualization and process visualization , and for the best chance of success, you need to combine the two. [28] X Research Sources
- Visualizing the outcome means that you visualize yourself when you have achieved your goal. As with the “Best Self” exercise, this visualization needs to be as specific and detailed as possible. Use all of your senses to create this image in your mind: imagine the people there with you, what the air around you smells like, the sounds you hear, the clothes you wear. are wearing, where you are standing. Maybe the visualization will help in this process.
- Process visualization means you visualize the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Think about each action you took. For example, if your goal is to become a lawyer, you can use the resulting visualization method to imagine yourself passing the qualification test. Then use the resulting visualization method to imagine all the things you did to achieve this success.
- This process is what psychologists call “future memory”. It can help you see that your goals are completely achievable and make you feel like you’ve achieved some small accomplishment. [29] X Research Sources
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Positive thinking. Research shows that positive thinking helps us learn, adapt, and change more effectively than focusing on our flaws or mistakes. [30] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source Whatever your goals may be; Whether it’s for elite athletes, graduate students, artists, or entrepreneurs, positive thinking is equally effective. [31] X Research Source
- Research demonstrates that positive and negative feedback can affect different brain regions. Positive thinking stimulates areas of the brain associated with vision, imagination, “wholesome” thinking, empathy, and motivation. [32] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source
- For example, remind yourself that your goals are positive growth experiences, not things you give up or leave behind.
- If you find yourself struggling with your goals, reach out to friends or family for encouragement.
- Just thinking positively is not enough. You need to complete a list of specific goals, tasks and responsibilities as well as activities that will help you reach your ultimate goal. Relying on positive thinking alone will not get you there. [33] X Research Sources
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Recognize the “failure expectation syndrome”. This is the term psychologists use to describe the cycle, which may be familiar to you if you’ve ever set New Year’s goals. This cycle consists of three stages: 1) setting goals, 2) being surprised by how hard those goals are to achieve, 3) giving up on goals. [34] X Research Source
- This cycle can happen if you expect immediate results (as is the case with New Year’s spending). Setting goals and defining a timeframe will help you combat these unrealistic expectations.
- It can also happen when the excitement of setting goals fades and there’s only real work left to do. Setting goals and breaking them down into small tasks can help you stay motivated. Every time you achieve something, no matter how small, congratulate yourself on your success.
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Use failure as a learning experience. Research shows that people who can learn from failure tend to have a more positive view of their ability to achieve their goals. Hope is essential to success and hope for the future, not the past. [35] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source
- Research has also proven that the failure experienced by successful people is no more or less than that of those who give up. The difference is in how people view that failure. [36] X Research Source
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Challenging perfectionist tendencies. Perfectionism often stems from a fear of flaws; maybe we crave “perfection” so we don’t have to experience loss, fear, or “failure”. However, perfectionism can’t help you avoid that either. It will only lead you and others towards unattainable standards. [37] X Research Sources Many studies have demonstrated a strong link between perfectionism and feelings of unhappiness. [38] X Research Source
- “Perfectionism” is often confused with “trying to succeed”. However, many studies have shown that perfectionists are often less successful than those who don’t strive to meet this unrealistic standard. [39] X Research Resources Perfectionism can make you anxious, fearful, and procrastinating. [40] X Research Source
- Instead of striving for the perfect wish that can’t be fulfilled, be grateful for the difficulty you face in your journey to success. For example, inventor Myshkin Ingawale wanted to create technology that could test for anemia in pregnant women to reduce maternal mortality in India. He often tells the story of 32 times he first tried to implement that technology but failed. But because he did not allow perfectionism to rule him, he continued to experiment with new methods and he succeeded on the 33rd . [41] X Research Source
- Developing self-love can help combat perfectionism. Remind yourself that you are only human and everyone will go through hardships and setbacks. Be kind to yourself as you face these difficulties. [42] X Research Source
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Practice gratitude. Research shows a strong link between practicing gratitude and achieving your goals. [43] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source Writing a gratitude journal is one of the easiest and most effective ways to show gratitude in your daily life. [44] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source[45] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source
- Your gratitude journal doesn’t have to be like a novel. Even writing a prayer or two about an experience or person you are extremely grateful for can have the intended effect.
- Believe it will work. Although it may sound cheesy, keeping a gratitude journal will be more effective if you tell yourself it will help you become happier and more relaxed. [46] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source Without mentioning skepticism.
- Capture special moments, no matter how small. Do not rush. Instead, take some time and really think about experiences or moments that were meaningful to you and why you are grateful for them.
- Write once or twice per week. Research shows that daily journaling is actually less effective than writing several times a week. This may be because we often quickly become sensitive to optimism. [47] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source
Advice
- You can lengthen or shorten the deadline for completing your goal if you feel you may not be able to achieve it. However, if it’s taking you too long or not enough time to complete a goal, consider re-evaluating the goal you’ve set; maybe it’s too hard to achieve or too easy.
- Writing down personal goals can be a rewarding experience, and so can achieving them. When you accomplish a goal, reward yourself! No one can give you more motivation to hit the next goal on your list but you.
Warning
- It’s incredibly easy to write down personal goals and never execute them (like New Year’s resolutions). You must always motivate yourself and focus on the end results in order to truly achieve them.
- Avoid setting too many goals because it can make you feel overwhelmed and end up not accomplishing any of them.
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This article was co-written by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a licensed professional counselor in Wisconsin. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.
There are 37 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 62,309 times.
A goal is a way to express a specific achievement that you want to achieve with your own efforts. [1] X Source of Research Rouillard, L. (2009). Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Countable Results. Rochester, NY: Axzo Press.[2] X Source of Research An objective can be based on dreams or desires, but differs in that it is quantifiable. With a clearly written goal, you will know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. Writing down your personal goals is both satisfying and beneficial. Research has shown that setting goals makes you feel more confident and hopeful – even if those goals aren’t immediately achievable. [3] X Research Source As Lao Tzu once said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. [4] X Research Resources You can take the first step on your winning journey by setting realistic personal goals.
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