If you plan to excel, you must plan to excel (tweet this)
Conscious goal setting is the foundation of any successful venture.
While I am sure that you can find a few exceptions to the above statement, they prove the rule. You can see evidence of my assertion everywhere you look; from elite athletes to serial entrepreneurs. They all have a plan. They set goals to achieve great things.
You are not the exception that proves the rule. Whilst you may experience some success without much in the way of conscious goal setting, you will never reach your full potential (or anything close to it).
There are an enormous number of goal setting systems out there. I should know, because I have spent most of my adult life studying a huge number of them. And over time, I have developed my own system; a method that works very well for me. Today, I want to share it with you. It is the system I use to set goals for everything I want to achieve in life, and is one of the most important tools I have.
So, if you want to know how to set goals and motivate yourself to actually achieve them, read on!
When You Should Set Goals
Every January, a slew of new goal-setting posts are predictably released across the internet. I say “predictably” because the start of a New Year is a symbolically powerful reminder that you should seek to better yourself.
There’s just one issue: it’s completely arbitrary.
I am willing to bet that goals set on January 1st are statistically more likely to fail than goals set on any other day of the year. That is because those goals are fueled by temporary enthusiasm, rather than a a deep-seated desire.
I recently stumbled across an image shared by a friend on Facebook that perfectly encapsulated this:
There isn’t a single person in the world who hasn’t had a moment similar to the the above at least once in their life. Motivating yourself to achieve tough goals, quite unsurprisingly, is tough. And yet, when it comes to learning how to set goals, the above approach encapsulates everything you shouldn’t do.
My point is this: any goal that is worth setting is worth setting right now. Not next Monday. Not in the New Year. Today. If you find yourself procrastinating, that’s because the goal just isn’t that important to you.
The Logical Thought Process Behind Any Goal
Following directly on from that statement, I should make something absolutely clear: just because you don’t perceive a goal to be important enough at any given moment doesn’t mean that it isn’t a goal worth pursuing.
We should not be defined by our weakest moments; we should look to our moments of greatest strength to define what we do with our life. And in order to figure out whether or not a goal is worth aiming for, we must try to objectively analyse whether it is worth the effort.
Let’s consider two simple examples:
- I can’t speak French. The reason for this is because there is no real benefit to me knowing the language, beyond the pleasure of simply knowing it. Whilst I would like to speak French fluently, the time and effort investment it would cost is simply not worth it to me.
- I can use the WordPress blogging platform. I hadn’t even heard of it 15 months ago, and now I get paid to write for WordPress-related blogs. This blog is built on the WordPress platform. It was definitely worth my time and effort investment to learn to use WordPress.
If I had spent as much time over the past 15 months learning French as I had learning about WordPress, I venture to guess that I would be able to converse capably with native speakers. The reason that I am a proficient WordPress user, but cannot speak more than around 50 words of French, is because learning WordPress offered me more.
This logic applies to anything you want to achieve in your life. The question you must ask yourself is: “Will the necessary effort I have to put in to achieve this goal be matched or exceeded by the beneficial outcome?” If the answer is yes, you’ve just formed the reserve of motivation that you will need to rely upon in order to achieve that goal.
Knowing When a Goal is Worth it
If the above question were easy to answer (and enough to keep us motivated in the long run), we would all be overachievers. But we’re not, so other elements are clearly at play.
That brings me to an email I sent to my subscribers a couple of weeks ago in which I said the following:
Most of the time, our brain does a decent job of performing subconscious mental gymnastics and presenting us with the requisite level of willpower relating to any particular task (which may or may not be the required amount).
I use the words “most of the time” very deliberately, because there is a key factor that can skew our internal willpower calculator (as I have just coined it): ignorance.
I don’t mean ignorance in a negative sense; I simply mean a full lack of understanding of the benefits and/or required investment (whether that be intellectual, physical, emotional, financial, or any combination of the above).
Say for instance my brain doesn’t give me the required willpower to rock six pack abs because it simply doesn’t have faith. My brain doesn’t believe that six pack abs are possible without exerting more effort than the benefits I would gain from strutting my fine self up and down random beaches, and taking my shirt off at entirely inappropriate moments.
But what if a friend of mine, with a similar previous build and diet, showed up one day and boasted about a miraculous ab workout that has done wonders for him? Not only was it far easier than he thought it would be (lesser required investment), but it also gave him far more confidence than he thought possible (greater benefit).
You know what I’d do? I’d take interest. Who wouldn’t? I’d digest his advice, and my brain would suddenly have a whole lot more information with which to make a more informed decision. Perhaps under those newly formed circumstances, the required willpower would be matched by my actual willpower.
My point is this – don’t let your brain rule the big decisions in your life without consciously questioning your existing understanding of the matter at hand, and asking yourself if you have equipped your mind appropriately.
The biggest step to achieving a goal is in understanding the necessary undertaking, and appreciating the potential outcome. These are not absolute terms; unless your goal is very simple, you won’t fully appreciate those two factors. However, the closer you are to understanding the necessary undertaking and potential outcome, the better you will be able to motivate yourself.
So when it comes to setting goals, you need to be as educated as possible on what you set out to achieve. Seek to empower yourself with knowledge. As I said in the email to my subscribers:
Challenge your brain’s logic. Poke holes in it. Play devil’s advocate. Educate yourself better. Take advice from those who have already achieved what you wish for.
The more you know about what you want to achieve, the better equipped you will be to achieve it.
How to Set Goals: The Big Picture
In my opinion, there should be no delineation between “personal” and “business” goals. I don’t even like using those words in such a context, because it goes completely against the Leaving Work Behind philosophy.
Ultimately, you want to better yourself. Whether that is in becoming better at baseball or earning a six figure income, all of your goals should stand under the same umbrella. Your life goals shouldn’t be segmented.
That is why I refer to “the big picture” very deliberately. The first step you must take in setting goals is to take a top down view of what you want, based upon what I consider to be the main categories that define us as humans:
- Happiness
- Health
- Success
- Wealth
- Giving
- Growth
I believe that everything we want to achieve in life comes under one or more of the above categories. Here are a few examples of goals that might come under each category:
- Happiness: get a girlfriend, join a hobby group
- Health: run a marathon, cut out complex carbs
- Success: be interviewed on national television, sell a business for six figures
- Wealth: have $1m in the bank, own a custom tailored suit
- Giving: mentor someone, join a foreign aid program
- Growth: live in a foreign country, have lunch with a nobel prize winner
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you already know what you want. Take some time to consider each of the above six categories, and make a list of everything that you want to achieve. List liberally, indiscriminately, and selfishly. Take your time.
This is your bucket list, and you will want to keep it close, as it should continue to grow for the rest of your life.
Here are a few items from my (rather long) bucket list:
- Do a solo sky dive
- Visit Yosemite National Park
- Write a published book
- Shake hands with a President
- Drive across the USA
- Help a good cause with more than just money
I know that I won’t achieve everything on my list. But I know that I will achieve a damn sight more by virtue of the fact that I am consciously aware of them. There is a great power in having something written down.
Keep Goal Setting Simple
If you have followed my instructions, you will probably now have an impossibly overwhelming list of potential achievements. Whilst it is important to have this list, it is also an important reminder of how easy it is to get overwhelmed when setting goals. What you absolutely must not do is try to bite off more than you can chew.
With that in mind, I want you to pick out the one item on that list that you think will have the greatest beneficial impact on your life. That’s right — just one item. Now I want you to take as much time as is necessary to ascertain whether or not that goal is worth reaching. Ask yourself the all-important question:
“Will the necessary effort I have to put in to achieve this goal be matched or exceeded by the beneficial outcome?”
Then ask yourself the following questions:
- Does the goal excite me?
- Does the goal feel potentially life-changing?
The answer to both questions should be an emphatic “Yes!”
What you have come up with is what I like to call your “One Big Goal”. It represents the single biggest difference you can make to your life. If it doesn’t, you should go back to your list and think harder about what you truly want from life.
An obvious example of such a goal would be, “Quit my job”. That was my One Big Goal last year; the focus of all my efforts. It felt big. It excited me, and I felt that it would be life-changing (and it was).
By now you should have your One Big Goal.
Break Your Goals Down
When it comes to achieving goals, the key is to break them down to small, manageable, and actionable tasks. Your One Big Goal is likely to look large and intimidating at face value, but like anything else you do in life, its apparent scale can be cut down to size.
Let’s further explore my “Quit my job” goal from last year, and take a look at how I could better define how the goal was achieved:
Establish Freelance Writing Career > Quit My Job
Now let’s better define how I established my freelance writing career:
Submit Job Applications > Win Clients > Establish Freelance Writing Career
Achieving the apparent impossible is done by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts that don’t feel overwhelming. After all, what sounds more difficult: quitting your job or submitting a few job applications? One ultimately leads to the other.
So at this stage, I want to take your One Big Goal and start to break it down into smaller steps, just as I did with mine. These steps should be of a manageable size, and you must be able to complete them on a consistent basis. They form the practical basis for the achievement of your One Big Goal.
Given that your goal is likely to be rather big (by definition), you may find yourself listing a number of different tasks. If that is the case, it may help you to produce a mind map of the various elements that come under the umbrella of your One Big Goal. Revise and refine your mind map until you have drilled down to key actionable tasks, then prioritize them as you did with your bucket list goals.
Goal Setting: Combating the Unknown
There is every chance that you may not immediately know how to achieve your goal. I get plenty of emails from Leaving Work Behind readers who say that they have all of the willpower and motivation in the world, but don’t know what they need to do to achieve their goals.
This is an understandable concern, but ultimately a cop-out. Not knowing how to achieve something is no excuse not to achieve it. You were once ignorant of everything you have achieved in life, and yet here you are.
When I launched this blog, it was nothing more than an accountability journal for my own efforts in quitting my job. It has since become the focal point for everything that I do. It refers me more prospective clients than I could wish for — even though I never intended for it to do so.
My point is this: do something. Set tasks that you believe will further your chances of achieving your One Big Goal. You will make mistakes and you will waste time. You will also learn a huge amount and bring yourself closer to where you want to be. And in time, the path you need to take will likely make itself known.
The alternative is to simply conclude that the world is against you, that you face an impossible task, and give up. Your choice.
Goal Setting: How to Execute Your Next Steps
By this stage, you should have defined your One Big Goal and broken it down into manageable steps. None of which is of any use unless you start executing.
To be perfectly honest, assuming you have the required motivation, executing is often the easiest part of the process. Once you know what you want, and you know how to get it, all you need to do is afford yourself the time to carry out the requisite tasks. It may sound like I am oversimplifying the process, but on a basic level, that’s all there is to it.
Your One Big Goal should be a central feature in your life, so you should have little trouble in finding some time every day to work towards it. I believe that is the case for everyone. Sure — some people will have more time than others, but for the people who are about to tell themselves that they simply don’t have time, with the greatest of respect, I call bullshit.
No matter how busy your life is, there are a million other people out there still doing more. That shouldn’t discourage you, or make you feel like you are in some way inadequate. On the contrary, it should push you to match their achievements.
If you’re looking for some tips for making time to achieve your goals, check this out. And whenever you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have on, take a moment to step back and observe what you are actually doing. You are likely to notice that a proportion of the “work” you are doing is not actually contributing (or only contributing on a modest level) to the advancement of your goals. This thought process should be made part of your periodical review process, discussed shortly.
Taking Goal Setting One Step at a Time
You are probably aware that I have written all of the above with a specific focus on your One Big Goal. A reasonable question at this stage would be: “What about everything else?”
Everything else comes after. Not after you have achieved your One Big Goal, but after you have settled into your new routine. Please do not set out to achieve a hundred things at once. I want you to establish long-term habits, not burn out after a few days or weeks.
That in itself is the key — set one goal at at time, and carry out associated tasks until they become a habit. Once you have established something as a habit, go back to your bucket list and pick the next most important goal.
Don’t set yourself any arbitrary goals, like setting out to achieve something new every month: it’s meaningless. Go at your own pace.
The beauty of this process is that when followed correctly, you will take stock a few months down the line and realize that you are achieving a breathtaking amount; doing the kind of things that would have completely overwhelmed you in the past. But because you had a clear direction, and took on each new goal only when you were ready for it, you are able to handle it.
The Importance of Regular Goal Setting Reviews
In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with achieving goals is keeping your eyes on the prize. You may well have faithfully followed each of my steps so far, but it will all be for nought if you don’t regularly review what you are trying to achieve, why, and how.
When I say regularly, I mean weekly. Monday morning is an extremely important time of the week for me. It is a time where I take an hour or so to remind myself of what I am trying to achieve, why I am trying to achieve it, what I have achieved so far, and whether or not the work I am doing is actually taking me closer to that goal. I repeat this process for each of the main goals I am trying to achieve (such as “quit my job”, or “run a marathon”).
The review process should involve the above four questions, and should be done in writing. So going back to my 2011 “quit my job” goal again, my Monday morning would’ve looked a little like this:
- What am I trying to achieve? I am trying to get into a position where I can quit my job.
- Why am I trying to achieve it? Because I want control over my income and the freedom to work on my own terms.
- What have I achieved so far? I have launched my blog and made some job applications.
- How am I working towards my goal? Is it taking me closer to my goal, and if so, how? I am working on my blog and submitting job applications. It is taking me closer to my goal, because growing the blog will lead to more client referrals, and submitting applications will lead to jobs.
Each question has a clear purpose:
- Remind yourself of what you are trying to achieve.
- Remind yourself of your basis for motivation.
- Assess your achievements to date, and give yourself a pat on the back (or a kick up the ass).
- Re-focus on your actions, and whether or not you are on the best path to achieve your goal.
The above is a brief summary of what should be a considered and introspective process, with a strong focus on actionable tasks that you can carry out in that week. It should be repeated for every main goal that you have.
This review process can be a real eye-opener. The work that you do is only as efficient as you plan for it to be. It is all too easy to do “stuff”, and feel like you have worked hard, without having actually achieved a great deal. I don’t want you to be in that soul-destroying place where you realize that all of your hard work has led you nowhere.
Always remain focused on your One Big Goal. Review what you have done, then focus on what you plan to do. This review process is one of the most important factors in ensuring that you reach your goals, so do not neglect it.
Goal Setting Accountability
A lot is said about accountability, and quite rightly so. Holding yourself accountable when it comes to goal setting is an extremely powerful tool. Avoid accountability at your peril, because it is one of most powerful forms of motivation you can grant yourself.
The key to holding yourself accountable to your goals is to invest emotionally in what you are doing. Put yourself in a position where it will hurt to fail. Where it will be disappointing and embarrassing.
Accountability Partners
The best form of accountability is to partner with someone. But not just anyone. Don’t go casually tell a random friend what you plan on achieving, because they probably won’t care. You need to find someone who will be genuinely invested in your success. This can come either from someone who you are very close to (and who will push you), or someone who is on the same path as you, and can work with you as an accountability partner.
A great example of accountability in action is the running regime I currently have going on with my dad. Every Monday and Thursday we meet at the village square in Dunchurch and set out on a 7 mile run around Draycote Water. I know that I probably would have bailed on at least one of these runs had my dad not been waiting for me. I also known that I wouldn’t have pushed myself as far on those runs if it weren’t for his semi-suicidal competitive streak.
Mastermind Groups
Mastermind groups are a great source of accountability, but must be carefully organized to be of real use. I have personally been part of two mastermind groups that just haven’t panned out — not for a lack of desire (amongst some participants at least), but simply because of poor planning and organization.
Fortunately, my third attempt at a mastermind group has been highly successful and I revealed our winning approach in this post.
Summary
Setting goals is extremely easy. Setting effective goals that give you a good chance of success isn’t too difficult either. But generating the kind of motivation that gives you the fuel you need to reach your goals can be seriously tough.
And that is why motivation has been a central theme running through this entire goal setting guide. It is the key to success, as much as anything is.
With that in mind, let’s run through the process you should follow in order to set and achieve goals. You must:
- Understand the necessary effort and the potential beneficial outcome of your goals
- Be able to break your goals down into manageable tasks which you can complete one step at a time.
- Review your goals regularly, and remind yourself why you are doing what you’re doing.
- Hold yourself accountable.
Those are the four crucial steps that you must follow in order to successfully achieve your goals. Do not neglect any of them.
No Goal Setting Worksheets?
Goal setting guides are often accompanied by a selection of worksheet templates that guide you down a very specific path, but I have very deliberately chosen to avoid anything of that nature. If downloading such worksheets has taught me anything, it is that I always ended up throwing them in the trash and figured out my own way of doing it.
I believe very strongly in the above system — it has helped me enormously and will continue to do so in the future. But I am not you, and you may have a different way of doing things. I want you to follow my advice whilst feeling free to follow your own path. If you have any questions at all or feel that you need further guidance, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Now that you have read the guide, it is time to start setting goals. Then, it is time to start achieving them. I wish you the very best of luck!
Creative Commons images courtesy of Marco Bellucci and Wikipedia
Great post Tom, just last night I was talking with my friend and we laughed how she always set to start diet on Monday. And then after Monday comes and she just set the date for the next Monday lol.
And it’s true, the more we appreciate the potential outcome the more we’ll be able to set and follow our goals. If she don’t realize that her health is on stake, the diet will always start on next Monday.
I wish you good luck too with setting the goals 🙂
Maybe your friend should read this post 😉
Thanks James!
Hello all, Tom! I’ve reviewed your message addressed to the world and you’ve nailed the critique of goal setting! Many today are overwhelmed by their own goals and their planning of success can be somewhat diminished by the obstacles and barriers that present themselves. The following steps you’ve mentioned will be very helpful along my journey:
Each question has a clear purpose:
Remind yourself of what you are trying to achieve.
Remind yourself of your basis for motivation.
Assess your achievements to date, and give yourself a pat on the back (or a kick up the ass).
Re-focus on your actions, and whether or not you are on the best path to achieve your goal.
Personally, by networking I’ve just enlisted two locations for my detailing business, while also completing a novel of my own. With all I’ve accomplished I am only two classes away from graduating college majoring in business development. The challenges I’ve faced through reaching my goals were extreme. Although, my vision hadn’t minimized throughout the process. Thanks again for your insight and continue to strive at whatever it is you focus your mind on!
Yours truly,
Jonathan A Downing, Jr.
You weren’t kidding when you tweeted that this might be your best post ever!
I finally sat down to create a business plan a couple of weeks ago (after procrastinating for a longer time than I’d like to admit). My main goal is to quit my job by my twenty-fifth birthday (which is next summer). I work part-time at a department store and hate retail (though I can’t complain too much about my job, as it’s a lot better than the retail jobs I worked as a kid). In order to quit my job, I not only need to make my writing profitable, but also enough to replace my current income — essentially doubling what I make now (which isn’t much).
I don’t know if this is overly ambitious or whether my plan itself isn’t good enough, but I’m willing to try, and reading your post has completely refreshed me. I’m ready to tackle this without wanting to crumple my business plan into a ball. 😀
There’s no reason why you can’t quit your job by next summer Elizabeth! Just get your head down and take action 🙂
Thanks Tom! Affirmation is always good. 😀
Great post! Something I needed today especially… Am behind on writing schedules and my manuscript for my current book. I need to get my goals in writing; I do think that will help me stay focused. Thanks!
No problem Joanne 🙂
Hi Tom. This is a really good post. I hope it motivates lots of people to take action and get great results. Every day is precious and important and we need to make the absolute most of it all. Which includes positive rest time as well as all the hard work! I know I am raring to go after I just chilled out for a few hours last night! Best wishes, Clare 🙂
Thanks Clare 🙂
Tom, thank you … a very timely post for me, your email came through as I was printing out a list of immediate goals to help try to manage my health alongside trying to make a living ~ I’m hoping that sensible goals will pave the way to the mid-ground the must exist between the two! Your post provides a useful check list to help me make sure that I’m covering all angles.
Three small pennies-worth, if that’s OK?:
🙂 What’s with all the $ speak? Popularity in the ether-world press shouldn’t have to come at the expense of being British, use those £ signs with pride ~ even if you do end up doing that across the USA thing (shaking hands with presidents as you go)!
🙂 Mentoring someone: you do realise that you are doing this already, don’t you? The very sound advice you offer to those of us who are floundering out here in the ‘leave work behind’ zone is incredibly helpful and much appreciated!
🙂 Lastly, with reference to parlez-vous francais … have you tried Duolingo? An excellent way to perfect your French on an e-platform!
Well written and very relevant post as usual, thank you!
Hey Kat,
Glad you like the post! Pennies are always welcome 🙂 In response:
Cheers,
Tom
I’ve often been guilty of putting off starting a goal until some arbitrary date on the calendar. And I knew while I was doing it that it was irrational to do so. Very strange.
It’s easy to put something off when you can rationalize it in some way (i.e. “I’ll do it, but only on [insert arbitrary date here]”).
Thank you for this important information
I really needed it these days
Goals are hugely important, and it really annoys me when people say that they are “against setting goals.” That’s practically giving up on accomplishing anything in your life…I just don’t get it. I’ve always been a supporter of when it comes to setting goals – don’t have a plan B…it distracts you from plan A.
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
I’ve also never understood why some people consciously choose not to set goals…I can’t get on board with their way of thinking. Each to their own I suppose.
Cheers,
Tom
Hello Tom. I really want someone to be my mentor.
Please, can you be my mentor?
I’m afraid I don’t have the time Hasnain, sorry!
Tom, that was epic. Great post. I use Mindmeister to help organise ideas and goals. Works for me. Also, a technique that I find helps get things moving is to “make it easier until you can do it”.
After quitting your job in Dec, have you been earning money online? Are we going to see a Pat Flynn style income report? 😉
Hey Pierre,
Mindmeister is a great tool – good suggestion! Your “make it easier until you can do it” is essentially what I mean when I say that you should break goals down. Make the individual tasks as small and as manageable as you like.
I would certainly hope that I have been making money, otherwise I would have trouble paying the bills 😉 I used to do income reports, but don’t anymore (I didn’t think they were offering enough in terms of actionable advice for my readers). I’m earning about $4,000 – $4,500 per month at the moment.
Cheers,
Tom
Righty. Whoa, thats a great start! I’ve been out of the 9-to-5 for a good 3 months now, still not near that amount, but I’ve been building niche sites and traffic (too slowly if you ask me!). Is most of your income consultancy (selling your time), or is it more passive? Love to see your business model.
Oh no, it’s almost all as a result of my freelance blogging work, which takes up about 3.5 hours per weekday. My work outside of that is on this blog and an upcoming semi-passive project. I gave up on niche sites in pursuit of longer term, less volatile projects.
Awesome. Keep us informed!
Nice one Tom, excellent post. I’ve been meaning to get myself using Evernote to store my ideas and such, but I’ve (ironically) been procrastinating.
*Opens iPhone App store*…
Take action now Kaya! 🙂
I’m a big goal oriented person and I feel like I do accomplish a lot of my goals. Whether they’re financial, physical or relational. But your words here have really made me think that I can take it to another level. I especially like your advice about the importance of regular reviews. I take regular inventory of my life and goals, but I don’t do it nearly often enough. I could probably be accomplishing and doing so much more if I did.
So many of your phrases here really resonate with me. And while your method may not work for my needs, there are things I’m taking a way to implement to my lifestyle. Nothing like a kick in the butt like your statement “No matter how busy your life is, there are a million other people out there still doing more.” Awesome stuff Tom!
Hey Carrie,
Regular reviews are so important. Every moment you have a loss of motivation or a slip of discipline, a review needs to have been close enough so you can easily remember why you’re doing what you’re doing!
Taking the bits away that work for you is exactly how I wanted people to use this guide 🙂
Cheers,
Tom
Damn. Thorough post, dude. Small-chunking is def the key to doing anything that seems too big or too scary. Like writing this loooong, but worthwhile post I’m sure 😉 Which is I guess why you needed the extra time!
Yep – I could have published it last week, but I wanted to give it room to breathe and come back to it for any final edits and additions. I’m happy I did 🙂
Very nicely laid out. Adheres to the S.M.A.R.T. principles. I particularly like your unique analysis of will-power and our brain’s semi-conscious sabotaging of it. Excellent post, Tom.
Thanks Jane! 🙂
I do like to setup small goals for myself. I tend to work harder when I know I have to achieve something.
wow, thanks! this is certainly a big post. while i find myself slacking off or failing goals i like to remind myself that you only ever fail if you give up.. then i get back up and try again.also another good motivator is feelings.. how does it feel to succeed, how did it feel to meet that goal? and think of that feeling when you are running short on motivation for your next goal.
Good stuff Bryan, thanks for contributing!
Excellent post Tom – well worthy of your “best of” section.
I’m a great believer in breaking it down and forming a habit but have made the mistakes of trying multiple goals at once then accomplishing none:) You say to focus on one goal which I think is the proper way – and your “accountability hour” is a brilliant way of tracking progress to entrench and cultivate the habit.
I was going to say good luck with the blog – but we both know that we create our own luck don’t we:)
Quite right Jamie – thanks! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this. I have my blog setup and posting to it, and working on it daily, with the dream that it will set me free one day from this cubicle of 9 to 5 job. Your story inspires me also, and I keep pressing me every single day, just to have something one day. I have set my goal already, but maybe it needs a review. Thanks again.
No problem, it’s my pleasure 🙂
Grate! and a rare post I have come across these days.
Tom, you bring up so many good points in this post it’s hard to know which one to thank you for. But given my own nature, I know the advice I need to thank you for the most: keeping things simple! It reminds me of a study I once read on what societal actions favorably impact criminal behavior: it turns out the immediacy and severity of the punishment is the best at curbing criminal intentions! So it is with goal setting, at least for me. Haha! If I set a goal I can achieve today I generally have a 100% achievement success rate. With each day the goal is removed from when I resolve to do so, however, my achievement rate goes down.
So thanks for the positive reinforcement. 🙂
No problem at all Kathi – glad to be of service!
I enjoy all of your posts, Tom, but this is one of the most helpful. I love what you say about understanding what it takes to achieve a goal. How true! Most personal goals that I’ve failed to meet have been because I didn’t spend enough time thinking about what it would actually take to achieve that goal.
Five years ago I set myself the goal of writing a novel good enough to publish within two years. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the first two novels I wrote would be practice and that a lot of planning and preparation goes into all of the details and nuances of the story. This amounts to lots of planning and rewriting. I understood the potential outcome of my goal, but I was clueless as to the necessary undertaking.
Now, I have “big picture” goals that are actually achievable. Thanks!
No problem Cheryl — glad I can be of assistance! We often set such high (and unrealistic) expectations. The truth is that we can often achieve what we aspire to, but we need to persist, as you have done with your writing.
This is great advice Tom. But I would also go further
Instead of only setting goals based on what you want, think about your values. For example, if you want to set a goal that really motivates you, compels you to do it and feel good about the journey to getting it done, not just the result of getting it done, focus on your values.
In the past, I’ve struggled to reach goals such as the usual lose weight, get fit etc, etc, because I focused just on losing weight and getting fit.
There was nothing sexy about doing this. Sure, the pictures in my head were sexy, but they just distracted me from actually losing weight and getting fit.
Last year, I realised that by simply adjusting what I am as a person, and understanding what I really wanted in life: recognition; to be in charge of my own day-to-day life, with an income to let me do this, and I got happier and more calm.
Most of all I began to trust myself.
My lifestyle changed because I let me be my guide to how to get what was best for me and I changed in good ways.
Only when I looked at what my values are did I succeed but in a unique way. Yes, the weight went, I got fit but these became by-products.
After several people commented on how fresh, healthy and yes – slimmer – I looked I realise that trusting my core values as being the best guides to what I want is what really makes goals happen.
Good point Tom. Values are powerful because they cannot typically be cheated. If something is meaningful to you, right down to your bones, motivation can be easy to come by.
This is great information, and I like what you say about goals only happening when they have specific purpose: To get us what we want.
Dreams keep us going. They keep our minds colourful. But Goals get us what we want. There’s a limit though. Goals in themselves are not enough.
It’s all about taking action. Easy, if what your goals are focused on a specific purpose. They work because they’re *your* goals. They’re also quick to deliver measurable results.
I’m also getting clued up on WordPress so I can get my blog up and running. For me, this is an end result-focused goal. It’s also easy to measure because I’m progressing towards getting my blog running. Each action I take (even counting the frustrations involved!) is a step towards the end result I want.
Best of all, my results are clearly seen because the more I’m able to do in WordPress is more than I could do before. This gives me clear mile stones that tell me how near I am to my end result – using my blog to promote my business.
It’s like driving along a road and passing regular signs saying [Destination] 100 miles, [Destination] 50 miles, … 10 miles, until you arrive at your [Destination]. When you know
how near you are to arriving, you stay motivated.
I’ve used end result focused goals to go from not having internet connection, or knowing what a blog was even, to being able to create a blog, connect it to social media, and autoresponders to collect email addresses, even being able to customise blogs using basic html and css.
The sense of achievement is priceless. It’s such a buzz. And, it’s taught me that goals *do* work, but only if they have clear purpose, an end result in mind, give clear signs that end result is being achieved, and gives instant and constant results until that end is reached.
Tom
Thank you for the post. I always want to start my goal, but have such a hard time defining the one that I want. God bless. (-:
Thanks for a step by step guide on setting an effective goal and being motivated. Because doing what you love isn’t enough to be motivated to do a great job. For me, most of the time I need to have a push. A reminder that I love what I’m doing and an assurance that I’m good at it. For a remote worker like me, my motivation and what pushes me to work harder and eliminate distractions at work is this time tracking software.
You’ve got very helpful tips! Being over whelmed is one of the reasons why we sometimes stop achieving our goal. Breaking the huge task down into small bits is very effective.
This is such a great post Tom, what I like most about it is that its straight forward, pragmatic and simple. I’ll definitely be applying some of this goodness to my life 🙂
– K
Glad you like it Kally!
Thank you for sharing these great information. I learn how to set goals and how to motivate myself. Other people should read this.
You’re welcome Dana 🙂
Hi Tom, it’s my first time here and I’m already blown away, not only by your expressive writings but also by your amazing design. Thanks for providing value here sir! 🙂
So speaking of goal setting, truth is this subject cannot be overemphasized as it’s the foundation of success. Goal setting and success actually goes hand in glove. I mean they cannot be separated.
I love the way with which you presented this to us and it’s just so different to every other conventional articles I come across the web – that talks almost about the same thing. It shows this is/was a personal share of what you had previously and continue to experience.
I literally I’m taken in with all the five tips and couldn’t just agree more nor less. Just too on point sir!
I sure will be staying around here….:D
Sam
Thanks Sam 🙂
gey
thats super gey. succ
Mind Bowing. You have wonderfully created a master piece ! Bravo !
Have to acknowledge the greatness of this post. it indeed is going to do much much help in achieving my goals.
Thank you very much.
You’re welcome Gabriel 🙂
Hi, I came across your blog post when googling: how to set small goals. I came across a few other websites that said basically that you should set small goals but not really much on how to do that.
I have never been good at setting goals for myself, so I haven’t really achieved much, but I’m at a point where I know that I have the resources to get what I want, but I need to figure out what that is first.
While I was reading this blog post I wrote down big goals that I have, and picked one, like you said, and then copy and pasted the goal review questions and answered them myself. When I got to the last question: How am I working towards my goal? Is it taking me closer to my goal, and if so, how? I answered this honestly and realized that I haven’t been doing much to work towards my goal. I’ve been making excuses and letting small obstacles get in the way.
This article has been really eye-opening, and it’s great to have come across such a realistic and simple way of looking at the goal setting process, so now I have no reason not to start working towards mine.
I recently started a blog to sort of just vent about my efforts in a couple of recent hobbies, and that’s what brought me to your blog. I signed up for your newsletter which is a big compliment because normally I am unsubscribing from useless newsletters! Thank you for writing such an amazing post!
Wow, thanks Cassie! You’re more than welcome 🙂
Hey, am new on ur website n am from Kenya, Africa….. i av got the skills i needed to achieve my goals in this article u wrote, thank u.
i would like to get more of ur articles, how can i subscribe to ur newsletter?? pliz help.
Thank you, once again
There’s a subscribe box at the top of the comments section 🙂
Awesome, I think you share some thing genuinely , Its really needed, How to goal settings.
Glad you like the post Sahil 🙂
I want an actor. but my family opposite in my decision. give me suggestion. please..
Thanks for this brilliant and detailed system Tom.
There are some awesome insights in there and I really enjoyed it!
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I want to sincerely thank you for this post and for showing insightful tips/steps it takes to achieve setting goals at higher successes. One goal at a time to lead to creating the “Bigger Picture.” I have a “Bigger Picture” in mind, infact I’ve had this “Big Picture” in mind for quite some time now that runs deep emotionally and know this idea could really help those in need but have had much difficulty in pursuing this goal due to lack of motivation, lack of education, and disbelief in being able to set out this goal most successfully whilst being 19 years alive and moderately poor for most of my short-LOOONG LIFE I have experienced so far. Lacking so much how could I do something so great. Well then how could I figure to think of doing something so great if I wasn’t meant to do it but the knowledge that comes with life one must know that he who lacks perseverance, ambition, and love for life. Will get no where unless the focus is on the right places at the right time. There’s is no such thing as luck I believe one makes what
happens. To realize being poor holds me back very little considering the certain circumstances, statistics, and categories I’m living in would subject me to never being able to create amount to my life. Thinking chances are one in millions to me being that one who figures everything out and does everything right at the right times that it takes to make that “Big Picture” and sets it out to become one with the most excellence. Or which I hate to use what if’s as one that crosses my mind often… What if someone else is already working on what I plan to set out to do as soon as possible since that of which popped up in my mind after I’ve read your post which made me also think I must just work and waste little time. I know one could not care as much as I do about these situations since I’ve come to learn I’m not the one who gives up but the one that is hard to choose to set a direction to which is why it scares me to set out to do this because I know I will never stop and that I could be able to do so one day without failure. Me to think no one care’s enough to want to help others is ignorance because where I’m from most are ignorant and don’t care for others especially others with problems because everyone has their “own” problems, right, so whats fixing another’s that could be life depending and/or devastating as to the certain problems I seek to change one day. When everyone is so focused on themselves and the now. But the certain problems I seek to change one day will take miracles one after another and for many movements to be set in place. Me thinking I can’t amount do this or thinking I will just fuck it up is just an excuse to set back to old ways in a low-maintenance community as known as poverty. Which would be ways of leading to just running with fear and endless nothingness. I really pray one day I will be able to set out “The Big Picture” in my book and this to be the reasoning of my existence. I apologize for being confusing if so. I’m really at a constant low-point in life and I just want you to know how much motivation this post inspired me with. I hope to achieve all of my goals one day especially the one that I’m referring to as “The Big Picture” and with your advice maybe I will be able to do it. If I do you will know. Thank you so much again and I plan to read more of what you write in the future. Great work.
Hi Tom thanks for sharing your goal setting tips! I write my goals down everyday, twice a day. I’m having a question… What do you think of the idea that says people should set realistic goals to achieve them before setting big goals?
I think it depends on the personality. Some people are driven by huge goals, others are intimidated by them. My main advice would be to follow your intuition, rather than the latest advice!
I think it depends on the personality. Some people are driven by huge goals, others are intimated by them. My main advice would be to follow your intuition, rather than the latest advice!
Thank you for the insightful article. There is a lot of good information in here. What I would say though is that rewards need to be included in any goal setting. You set milestones and receive rewards when you achieve them. This keeps the positivity going during your challenge.
There will be days when working towards a goal, whatever it is, will be tough. There will be bad days. But by getting a reward for achieving a milestone, those dark days will seem worth it.