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Tired of trying to set goals and never feeling like you achieve them? These goal-setting tips, coupled with my year-long trackers, will help you set better goals and work toward reaching them.
There are plenty of tips on this list – some you may not like, and some may be revelations for you. I would try them all, and make note of which ones worked for you. Use the link at the end of the article to get my list for free.
Popular Goal-Setting Tips to Try
Set realistic goals
When you’re setting goals, you have to be honest with yourself. If you’re a writer, for example, work out how many words you can write in a day. That way, you won’t set writing goals that will overwhelm you. There’s no point in setting a goal to write ‘one post a day’ if it usually takes you 2-3 days. You’ll give up very quickly if you overwhelm yourself.
Focus on only 1-3 major goals
Setting fewer goals will stop you from feeling overwhelmed. It will give you 1-3 core reasons to keep believing and doing what you’re doing.
Break down each goal into a series of small tasks
Get specific with your tasks. Make them small and achievable over a short period of time. Once all those tasks are added up, then you’ll achieve greater success. But start small and simple.
Start your day by tackling the most time-consuming task and work down to smaller tasks
Think about what task takes up most of your time and energy. Prioritize this task, and do it first. Even if you don’t finish it in one sitting, it will set up the rest of your day well. You won’t have that looming feeling over your head of doing something you know takes a lot of time and energy.
Adjust the time needed to complete a goal (if needed)
We overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can achieve in a year. Daily and weekly goals and tasks always take longer than we expect. Give yourself leeway to adjust the time needed to complete something as you go.
Track your progress either digitally or by hand
Set numbers and specifics for your tasks. Use apps like Be Focused to time your day. Record all tasks and when you achieve them. Apps like Trello or Monday help you track your goals and to-dos.
Reassess your goals periodically
Revisit your goals every couple of months. For your day-to-day tasks, add more or take away depending on how much you’re getting done.
Visualize achieving your end goal
Keep these visualizations in mind. Use them to motivate you when you’re tired. Use them to drive you to complete your tasks.
Use a goal-setting planner and tracker
Digital apps are great. But for many people, planning is best done physically with a pen and paper. The physical act of writing stimulates the brain more than typing into an app. Feel free to get my year-long trackers below.
More Ideas
Let’s keep going with some more tips. As I said above, it’s so hard to know what will and won’t work for you. So try as many as you can.
Get an accountability partner and check in daily or weekly.
Small rewards for achieving goals.
Try using a SMART table (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) to see if a goal is doable.
Practice assigning importance ratings to goals to help prioritize.
Try a time-blocking app for your phone or computer for a period of time.
If you don’t reach a goal, ask yourself why and try to answer honestly.
Create a vision board and keep it visible in your office or at home.
Define ‘why’ you want to reach each goal in a chart.
Put goals into categories like work, personal, and fitness, and try to do some from each category daily.
Journal about why you’re doing things and how they make you feel.
Block in ‘free time’ to help you reset.
Try ‘one at a time’ instead of multi-tasking with several goals at once.
Set goals for each of the seasons.
Share your goal publicly and update regularly online (on Facebook, in a WhatsApp group, or in a dedicated forum).
Declutter your workspace or optimize your work environment.
Wake up and ‘eat the frog’ – do the thing you hate the most first thing in the morning.
And lastly – Refuse to give up!
Most people fail because they give up too soon. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Every day you get smarter, faster, and better at achieving your goals.You have to commit to your goals and see them through. There will be good days, and there will be bad ones. During the bad days, visualize your ultimate goal and tell yourself to keep going.
Goal-Setting Tips Printable
Ultimately, it is you who decides whether you achieve your goals or not. No one else will do it for you. Stay true to your goals. Understand it will take time. And keep going, no matter what!
I’d love to know in the comments which of these worked for you. Oh, and keep this list on-hand by saving it to one of your productivity boards. Good luck!
