Finish Strong Challenge, Week 8 - Goal Setting

Effective Goal-Setting Techniques

Many people falsely believe the goals they set are far out of reach. Other people believe they just aren't good at setting goals and sticking to them, so they don't even bother trying. The real problem, more often than not, is that the goals are unclear or unrealistic. 

No matter where you are in life you can use your current place as a starting point for great success. All you need to do is learn how to set clear, concise, and actionable goals that push you forward and build momentum. 

There are some simple strategies and tools you can implement that will help you set your goals and accomplish more. So let's begin!

Goal Setting Made Easy

You need to remember that you will be constantly setting new goals for yourself throughout your life. Many people become discouraged because they feel that every time they reach one goal, they still have even more work in front of them. Unless you want to reach a goal and stand still for the rest of your life, it is a good thing to always be setting and revising your goals! Doing this means that you will continue to move forward, become a better person, and accomplish greater things. 

When setting goals, you should take a moment to envision where you will be and what you will be doing in a month, six months, a year, five years, and ten years. A problem that many people have is that they set huge goals for five years from now. Although it is great to have lofty goals, if they are too ambitious you may feel easily intimidated or discouraged. For this reason, you need to set small goals all along the way so you can continue to motivate yourself and build momentum.

Short-term goals are just as important as long-term goals, and this is one of the most important things that you should keep in mind when setting goals. Create goals for yourself every few months so that when you reach them, you will feel accomplished and excited to reach the next goal. These shorter-term goals are like stepping stones; they will keep you excited about the future and push you forward in moments of doubt or frustration.

You can also use the power of affirmations to help you create the positive mindset you need to get things done faster. Affirmations will help you keep a positive attitude while you work hard to reach your goals. Affirmations are short, concise, positive statements that you can repeat to yourself as often as needed to help you reprogram your mind, while focusing on the positive in your life.

As you develop your affirmations, you may want to think about where you want your goals to take you. Examples of goal-setting affirmations can be as simple as, "I am focused on my goals and dreams," or, "I have well-structured goals and stick to my deadlines." It seems rather simple – and it is – but this way of thinking will help you set and reach the important milestones in your life, while making you more resilient to any obstacles along way.

Stay Strong.

Ilke