Goal Setting Strategies for Success

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Goal Setting Strategies for Success

Are goal setting strategies important for achieving your life goals?

You can follow all of the standard steps for setting goals (define the goal, specify a timeline, establish a solution, devise an action plan) and yet, still run into problems with actually achieving them.

What is happening?!

These are some typical reasons that you are not making it and goal setting strategies you can use in order to be successful:

Make Sure It Is What You Really Want

It is very difficult to succeed in attaining a goal if you are not really enthusiastic about it. If it isn’t something that you have a significant desire for, there isn’t a great deal to keep you motivated.

The trick is to always ask yourself:
“Why do I want this?”

This will help you find out if:

• The goal is not in line with your values – if a goal goes against your fundamental beliefs you are unlikely to fulfill it
• The goal isn’t really “yours” - in other words, the outcome is what other people think is good or right
• It does not in fact give you what you are really wanting

Know Your Potential Obstacles

Often we happily set up a goal with a detailed plan and all of the good intentions in the world, but, one thing we miss is to consider the obstacles we may encounter. We need to know what they are, and how we will deal with them.

Say your goal is around studying, but a difficulty you have is that your family interrupts your study times. You may have a detailed schedule drawn up, but if you will still be bothered, you are unlikely to get where you wish. So, you need to have a plan for this potential problem. In this case, you may want to have a serious chat with the family about interrupting you or, perhaps you need to change the place where you study etc.

Have Ways to Keep Motivated

You need to keep motivated as you move towards your goal. Sometimes it can seem very far off or as if you’ll never get there. Before you even begin, find a few ways of keeping yourself going. Examples:

• Rewards at each milestone you reach – do something you enjoy, buy yourself something etc.
• Visualizations – spend some time each day imagining and feeling what it will be like when you have reached your goal
• Keep positive. Go over what you have achieved. Smile about what you are learning. Consider of the benefits to your life. If you like affirmations as a technique, use them.

Be Realistic

This is a very important aspect of achieving your goals. I know this is where I battle. When I have a series of articles to write, I have a tendency to overestimate the number of articles that I can produce in a day.

I’m not always realistic when it comes to my capabilities and other commitments and, as a result, set the target according to what I would like to achieve and, not what is realistic for me.

Take It Easy

Don’t try to tackle too many goals at a time. Rather start with one and once you are on track with that and can see that you are getting it right, start with the next one.

And, keep a balanced life. You need to have breaks and keep in contact with friends and family. If you step away from the intensity of your goal for a while, you will find that you return with fresh ideas and energized for the next step. This is strategy at its best.

Goal Setting Strategies for Success was contributed by Juliet du Preez

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