How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

Setting goals is a great way to up-level your life, but only when done correctly.

Inc.com reports only 8% of people achieve their goals.

So, how do you set goals the right way? 

Let’s talk how to set goals and achieve them.

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

Invest in a goal-setting planner.

Just mentally storing your goals in your mind or proclaiming them to your Facebook following on January 1^st isn’t enough. 

Did you know that writing down your goals already increases your likelihood of achieving them by 42%?  There is power in writing down your goals and taking the time to think and map out what you see in your future.

Invest in a quality goal-setting planner and get started filling it out. 

Deadlines create a sense of urgency and determination. 

Create deadlines accordingly.  What your deadline will be to lose 20 pounds will not be your deadline for saving $20,000. 

You don’t want to make them too drastic or unrealistic, but challenging.

Get a little uncomfortable with the deadlines you set.  

If your goals don’t make you at least a little uncomfortable, you’re not stretching yourself enough. 

You’re probably wondering what happens if you reach the deadline without reaching the goal. 

Just set a new deadline and keep going. 

Related:

• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth 
• How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset 
• 12 Habits of Successful People
• 5 Self-Discipline Tips for Success

Visualize.

Grab some magazines and postcards or go online and print off images that reflect your goals, then paste them in your dreams and goals planner. 

Visualizing success-studying those images you’ve aligned with your goals-will be a tool to inspire you to achieve those goals. 

Maybe you want to be a specific weight you were at one point in your life, so you print off and paste a picture of yourself from that time as motivation. 

Perhaps you’re believing in saving $10,000 next year-take a check, write in the amount, address it to yourself, and paste it in. 

This is why some people swear by vision boards.  When you are continuously staring at images that reflect the goals you want to manifest in your life, you believe that much more that they’re possible. 

There is a space in my goals planner to paste in images and I do this with each goal I set. 

Related:

• Dream It, Pin It, Live It: Make Vision Boards Work for You
• How to Set Goals the Right Way
• 4 Keys to Cultivate Abundance Thinking
• 9 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Your Purpose
• How to Live an Intentional Life

Renew your mindset.

I have really bad news-you can do everything I listed above, and still not reach your goals.

Why is that?

Your mindset has to be aligned with the person you need to be to see these goals achieved.

Action alone won’t get you there.

Your thoughts and feelings have to align with the action  you’re taking.

If you need help with this, I have some great resources for you.

Related:

• 3 Mindset Makeovers to Make Today
• Ways You’re Self-Sabotaging Your Dreams
• How to Change Self-Defeating Thought Patterns
• Goal-Setting Planner
• Overcoming Self-Doubt

Bonus: Check off and date when the goal is reached!

This one’s my favorite!

Whether your goal is to get every room in your house cleaned up in 30 days, save $5000 in 6 months, or buy your dream home in 5 years, there’s nothing more satisfying than checking that goal off your list once you’ve reached it.

You can review old, previously achieved goals and get inspired to pursue your new goals by seeing how far you’ve come with what you’ve already accomplished.

I love doing this, especially when I’m feeling discouraged.  It’s motivating to look back and see what you’ve already achieved, and knowing you can do it again. 

Related:

• Habit Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Your Daily Routine
• Goals: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life
• The Best Personal Development Books for 2021
• Sunday Routines for A Productive Week
• Goals: How to Get Everything You Want

Before You Go

Goal-setting is a great way to up-level your life-but only if you do it correctly.

And even the correct actions aren’t enough to achieve your goals if your mindset isn’t aligned with them. 

What one thing do you need to do today to inch yourself closer to your goals achieved?

Let me know in the comments below. 

Related:

• Imagine Big : Unlock the Secret to Living Out Your Dreams
• How to Be Persistent in Achieving Your Goals
• The 5-Step Mid-Year Plan to Achieve Your Goals
• The High Performance Planner
• Dream Year Planner

Review your goals daily.

Writing down your goals won’t do much good if you’re letting them get lost on your desk in a heaping pile or stuck in the back of a filing cabinet. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

You have to keep them in front of your eyes and be intentional about reviewing them-daily. 

For example, the first thing I do when I wake up every morning (after making my coffee-black, no cream or sugar) is sit at my desk in my home office and review my goals planner. 

I keep this planner with my daily planner, so it’s always in the same place and never out of my sight. 

The best time to review your goals is first thing in the morning. 

When your mind is rested and at its peak potential, reviewing your goals will motivate you and keep you focused throughout your day.

Related:

• 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing
• How to Plan Your Week
• High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become that Way
• 5 Things Successful People Do Before 8 AM
• Grow You (virtual life coaching)

Be specific.

Have you heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals?  It stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-based

You must be specific about your goals. Writing down “I will save money next year” won’t cut it. 

Good intentions, but without specifics, you have no plan of action to achieve these goals. 

How much money are you going to save next year, how are you going to save the money and how much are you setting aside each month toward your goal?  

Realistic goals are measurable goals.

I set a goal to become certified in Google Ads, and knew if I didn’t create a plan, I would keep putting it off and not be proactive in completing the training. 

So, I calculated how many hours the course entailed, gave myself a deadline of two months to have it completed by, and committed to spending 1 hour a day, 7 days a week, towards the training.

I was certified in Google Ads in just under two months!

Now, I assist my friend with her digital marketing business.

Vague goals get vague results.

So be specific.

Related:

• Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
• 7 Reasons You’re Not Successful
• How to Be Persistent in Achieving Your Goals
• 5-Day Mindset Reset
• How to Stop Procrastinating

Set a deadline for each goal.

Deadlines create a sense of urgency and determination. 

Create deadlines accordingly.  What your deadline will be to lose 20 pounds will not be your deadline for saving $20,000. 

You don’t want to make them too drastic or unrealistic, but challenging.

Get a little uncomfortable with the deadlines you set.  

If your goals don’t make you at least a little uncomfortable, you’re not stretching yourself enough. 

You’re probably wondering what happens if you reach the deadline without reaching the goal. 

Just set a new deadline and keep going. 

Related:

• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth 
• How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset 
• 12 Habits of Successful People
• 5 Self-Discipline Tips for Success

Visualize.

Grab some magazines and postcards or go online and print off images that reflect your goals, then paste them in your dreams and goals planner. 

Visualizing success-studying those images you’ve aligned with your goals-will be a tool to inspire you to achieve those goals. 

Maybe you want to be a specific weight you were at one point in your life, so you print off and paste a picture of yourself from that time as motivation. 

Perhaps you’re believing in saving $10,000 next year-take a check, write in the amount, address it to yourself, and paste it in. 

This is why some people swear by vision boards.  When you are continuously staring at images that reflect the goals you want to manifest in your life, you believe that much more that they’re possible. 

There is a space in my goals planner to paste in images and I do this with each goal I set. 

Related:

• Dream It, Pin It, Live It: Make Vision Boards Work for You
• How to Set Goals the Right Way
• 4 Keys to Cultivate Abundance Thinking
• 9 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Your Purpose
• How to Live an Intentional Life

Renew your mindset.

I have really bad news-you can do everything I listed above, and still not reach your goals.

Why is that?

Your mindset has to be aligned with the person you need to be to see these goals achieved.

Action alone won’t get you there.

Your thoughts and feelings have to align with the action  you’re taking.

If you need help with this, I have some great resources for you.

Related:

• 3 Mindset Makeovers to Make Today
• Ways You’re Self-Sabotaging Your Dreams
• How to Change Self-Defeating Thought Patterns
• Goal-Setting Planner
• Overcoming Self-Doubt

Bonus: Check off and date when the goal is reached!

This one’s my favorite!

Whether your goal is to get every room in your house cleaned up in 30 days, save $5000 in 6 months, or buy your dream home in 5 years, there’s nothing more satisfying than checking that goal off your list once you’ve reached it.

You can review old, previously achieved goals and get inspired to pursue your new goals by seeing how far you’ve come with what you’ve already accomplished.

I love doing this, especially when I’m feeling discouraged.  It’s motivating to look back and see what you’ve already achieved, and knowing you can do it again. 

Related:

• Habit Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Your Daily Routine
• Goals: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life
• The Best Personal Development Books for 2021
• Sunday Routines for A Productive Week
• Goals: How to Get Everything You Want

Before You Go

Goal-setting is a great way to up-level your life-but only if you do it correctly.

And even the correct actions aren’t enough to achieve your goals if your mindset isn’t aligned with them. 

What one thing do you need to do today to inch yourself closer to your goals achieved?

Let me know in the comments below. 

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Lisa

Hi! I'm Lisa. I help women live purposeful, fulfilling and joyful lives. I'm happily married and a fur mom to two boxers and two rabbits. I love Jesus, freelance writing, fitness, personal development, reading books, football, cross-stitching, and video games.

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