Nine Tips for Setting and Achieving Your Goals
The following guest post is by Scott Quitter of A Couple of Quitters.
Do you set goals or at least a resolution every year, or do you avoid it because you never accomplish anything? Perhaps you’re setting the wrong goals; or maybe you’re taking the wrong approach.
While there isn’t one perfect way to set goals, there are ways to increase your chances of success. These tips come from personal experience-the best teacher.
- Only set a few meaningful goals that you are serious about achieving, goals that will have a big impact on your life if you were to accomplish them.
- Think about where you want to be in the future and set goals that will move you in that direction.
- Once your goals are set, focus on the most important one as your primary goal.
- Write out a broad, step-by-step plan on how you will achieve your primary goal.
- Work on subordinate goals as time, energy, and enthusiasm permits.
- Review all your goals bi-weekly or monthly. Review your primary goal daily or at least weekly.
- Be willing to cross any goal off your list if you change your mind about it.
- Set up a reward or consequence (or both) for keeping you on track and moving closer to achieving your goal (consequences are far more effective than rewards).
- Enlist the help of a spouse, partner, friend, co-worker or relative to establish accountability.
photo credit: James Jordan
There will always be one or two goals that are the most meaningful, like getting a new job or starting a business, or maybe paying down debt, purchasing a new home, or going back to school to get a degree. These are the types of goals that would have a big impact on your life if you accomplished them. Give these goals the most attention, but make sure all of your goals are meaningful to you-the kind of goals you will be motivated to achieve.
In order for you to accomplish your primary goal, what steps do you think you might need to take and by what date do you want to achieve them? You don’t have to know exactly how you’re going to achieve your goal, you only have to define the steps as well as you can.
Start with the end in mind
To do this, make a list starting with your goal-the end result which is the accomplished goal-and work backward, step-by-step. With each step, determine what step would have come just before it and write it down. You’ll end up with a list of action items leading to the achievement of your goal. Here’s a sample list:
Goal: to drink a good cup of coffee
- Drink coffee
- Pour coffee into my mug
- Remove mug from cupboard
- Make a pot of coffee
There are other steps that would possibly be needed, such as buying coffee from the store, grinding the beans, maybe researching coffee makers or getting gas so I can get to the store to purchase what I need. I don’t have to list every little detail, just the overview.
When I have my list, I’ll rewrite it so that my very first action item appears at the top (making a pot of coffee) and the end goal is at the bottom (drinking coffee). So my goal for this week might be to research coffee makers. Next week, I might actually buy a coffee maker which will lead to buying coffee beans, then researching and buying a coffee bean grinder…etc. I’ll begin with the first action item and figure out what I need to do to achieve it. Then, I’ll start working on the second action item…leading, eventually, to drinking a good cup of coffee.
Be flexible
As you go along, adjust your plan and dates, if needed, according to your results. If you realize that a step is missing, add it to your plan. Be flexible and willing to change according to your circumstances or needs. Keep adjusting your plan so that you’re always moving forward. If you’re confused about what steps are needed, then find or read about people who have achieved your goal and learn from them.
Accountability – the key to success
It’s important to be accountable to someone. Most adults cannot hold themselves accountable. So find a partner who you trust and tell him/her what your goal is and check in once a week with a progress report.
Personally, just checking in with someone each week has never been enough to motivate me. It’s hard for a spouse or close friend to hold you accountable. Therefore, establishing a specific reward after a specific goal or milestone has been reached can be effective. However, I suggest that you set up a weekly or bi-weekly task to work toward that will help you achieve your primary goal. If you fail to meet your commitment, there should be a consequence.
Setting a consequence for not achieving a goal or a specific step in the process is very effective because people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. You would think that if the goal is so important, we would be automatically motivated to take consistent action until we achieve it. Sadly, that is usually not the case because people avoid change which is often painful. Be careful when selecting a consequence; you may have to try a few before you hit on the best one. If the consequence is too severe or too weak, it will be ineffective. You’ll know when you’ve found the right one because you’ll get a sinking feeling in your gut when you think of it.
Some examples of effective consequences:
- Missing the Sunday football game
- Missing your favorite weekly TV shows
- No video games for a week
- No online gaming for a week
- No computer for a week
- No non-essential phone use for a week
- No trip to your favorite restaurant
Whatever you select, you must be 100% committed to following through. That means, you have to be completely honest with your partner. If you lie, you’re only cheating yourself. Lying undermines your drive to accomplish a meaningful, life-changing goal-a goal that you set in the first place. Don’t be easy on yourself!
Life is full of distractions and interruptions, but if you try these tips, I think you’ll find yourself on track to have your best year ever. As the saying goes, it’s hard to reach a destination when you don’t know where you’re going. Now go set some goals and get going!
Home Based Business on February 23rd, 2009 8:53 pm
Great article. I remember hearing a guy say we don’t get everything we want, we get everything we REALLY want, think about it, it holds pretty true.
cassy on February 23rd, 2009 11:21 pm
this is a great post and a very interesting to read,for me in achieving our goal is not that eassy coz we need to work hard and fucos on what goal we want to achiev,
Rhonda on February 24th, 2009 4:29 am
I love how you did the coffee example. Great way to think about goals. Thanks! I am off to write a few of my goals now! Awesome article!
Jaclyn on February 24th, 2009 8:18 am
Those really were awesome tips for goal setting. it is all too true for most people that even though they take the time to think up some goals, set the goal’s, tell their friends and family about them…it usually never get’s accomplished or maybe only a few of them on their list get completed. that is because i think a lot of people either set too many goal’s, or they set one’s that their time and energy will not permit at the moment or they just loose site of them after a few busy work week’s.
Manik Singhal on February 24th, 2009 9:44 am
Really a good one……..
Have wasted lots of ink & paper in writing goals, resolution again & again, but never thought of adding a consequence for not doing it.
Really an innovative way to achieve goal.
Thanks for adding a new dimension to dimension less way of goals.
Cheers.
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 2:40 pm
All,
Thanks to you all for the great feedback!
The true test of the value of these tips will be determined by each one of you in the outcome of the goals you set. If you are a success at even just one meaningful goal, then that will improve not only your life, but the lives of those you encounter.
The best way to help people who are important to you is to be more, do more and make your own life the best it can be. Then you’ll be in a great position to reach out and help even more people, if that is your desire.
If you like this article, I hope you’ll take a minute and Digg it, Stumble it, and otherwise share it. By passing it around, you’ll potentially help other people and promote Dane’s excellent site. :-)
Cheers,
Scott
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 7:22 pm
HBB,
That’s a great saying. I think it simply states the kind of emotion and conviction needed to reach our most meaningful goals. If it were simple, everybody would be doing it.
SQ
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 7:27 pm
Cassy,
Right! I think a lot of people underestimate how much work may be involved when setting goals. They think it’s enough just to state their goal and maybe even repeat it often.
Heck, I say all the time that I want to win the lottery for millions of dollars….that’s my goal! But it takes more than just dreaming. For starters, I would at least have to buy tickets. Often people set goals (daydreaming, really) and they don’t even bother taking another step.
When I hear this, I think, “does your dream goal mean so little to you that you don’t even try to take the first simple step?”
:-) SQ
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 7:29 pm
Rhonda,
The coffee example is something that I figured a lot of people could relate to. That, and I’m a really big fan of coffee. ;-)
I’m glad you liked the article.
SQ
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 7:41 pm
Jaclyn,
I’m glad you liked my tips. Trust me, they were hard lessons learned, and I’m still refining them. Although, they work much better now than 10 or 20 years ago. I used to tell family members about my goals and they would roll their eyes and say, “yeah, yeah…why do you bother? You never follow through.” OUCH! But it was true.
Like you said, goals get lost after a couple busy weeks and we lose our focus.
When you set a goal, it’s got to be burning inside you like a fire you’re rushing to put out. It needs to be your single most important motivation. Most people don’t set goals like that…not even close! Most people, instead, set wishes without the conviction that they will unquestionably persevere.
Isn’t any dream, goal or wish that will ultimately bring you the life you desire worth that kind of commitment? Set goals like you mean it! ;-)
Best Wishes,
Scott
Scott Quitter on February 24th, 2009 7:50 pm
Manik,
I hear ya! I’ve also wasted a lot of ink and paper…and hours of time writing goals and never looking at them again.
I used to beat myself up for not taking any action on some really awesome goals. “If they were so great,” I used to ask myself, “than why couldn’t I get myself to follow through on them?” The reasons, I concluded, were endless.
My wife simplified my never-ending supply of reasons and logic by saying, “oh…so you mean, people are just lazy!” Doh! That wasn’t exactly how I saw it but she made her point and I was in no position to argue with it.
Anyway, the consequence idea is really like a secret key. I cannot stress its importance enough. I think if you work with it, you’ll see what I mean. It works!
Cheers,
Scott
Garry - thisimprovedlife on February 25th, 2009 2:49 am
Great tips. I think I will have to look at my goals and not just reasses them, but maybe give myself a prize or a punishment when they are achieved or not. Perhaps one of the issues today, and I know I suffer from this, is setting too many goals. Life is short and there are so many things we want to do. Limiting a goal list to the most important stuff can be realy difficult.
Fresh Business on February 25th, 2009 2:28 pm
I think this article is very helpful and informative. I always have trouble settling down and doing what needs to get done because my mind is wandering in a million different places. It is definitely important to clearly define your goals and set realistic deadlines and consequences. Instead of researching for hours ways to solve a problem, find a good solid solution and solve that baby! Great insight here!
Scott Quitter on February 25th, 2009 2:48 pm
Garry,
Setting a lot of goals works for some people. It didn’t work for me. It took me years to realize that I am better off setting a few goals that would have the greatest impact on my life if I were to achieve them.
Some of the subordinate goals that I would have put on a longer list often end up getting accomplished because of the nature of the more meaningful goals I actually did put on my list.
In the end, you have to do what works for you. If one method doesn’t work, try something else.
Good luck!
Scott
Scott Quitter on February 25th, 2009 2:54 pm
FB,
Deadlines and consequences (or rewards, if that works for you) are very helpful. However, they are less important than setting goals that you are passionate about achieving in the first place.
If you COULD accomplish a deeply meaningful goal in a year, what would that be like? And are you passionate enough about that vision that you are willing to make it your goal? This, above all else, is the most important element of goal setting!
All the best,
Scott
Eecia on April 23rd, 2009 5:23 am
Very interesting article! Setting up your goals is really good. That makes your life meaningful. Coz if you have no goals, i think your life will become miserable and definitely has no direction.. Prioritize your goal because it’s important, it’s your goal after all. Take action. Of course, if you want your dreams to really happen, you should act on making it happen. Thanks for posting this up..:) By the way, check out an inspirational video called “My Wish” by Donna Sirianni on YouTube. It’s all about starting at the very beginning of achieving your dreams in life…and enjoying the journey!! Send this video link to all your friends! They will be inspired by it! See the video here -> http://www.mywishthemovie.com
Scott Quitter on May 1st, 2009 5:52 pm
Eecia,
Thanks. I’m pleased that you found this article meaningful.
Scott
priyanshi on August 17th, 2009 11:28 pm
hiii Scott
thankyou for the article..especially the consequence thing-it really puts you in action!!
can we have two primary goals simultaneously like getting good grades and getting good job?
also can you please giv some idea about how to avoid distraction from the goal and falling prey to some instant jous like reading novel even when you know that your primary goal’s deadline is approaching??
thankyou..
Scott Quitter on August 18th, 2009 5:20 pm
Priyanshi,
You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked it.
Based on the word “primary” (which basically means your single most important goal), I would say you can only have one PRIMARY goal. That said, I don’t think there’s a limit to how many goals you can have overall but I’m sure there is a limit to how many you can effectively pursue at any one time. You have to know your own limits. If trying to accomplish two goals isn’t too much for you, go for it. If you’re not sure, test yourself and see what your limits are, then make adjustments.
As for dealing with distractions, there are many things you can do. But by only picking out one you risk returning to your old behavior. What’s best is when you develop a strategy that uses leverage in more than one area. For example, give someone the keys to your car on Friday and ask them not to give them back until you’ve…[insert measurable target behavior]…such as if you’re trying to write a book, you can’t have your keys back until you’ve written 2,000 words or 4 pages, etc. By doing this, you are using accountability (giving your car keys to someone else to hold until you’ve completed your predetermined task), and consequences (you don’t get your keys back until Sunday night).
You may have to try several different combinations until you find the one that will really motivate you to keep on track. But when you find the right one, you WILL be motivated and you WILL stay on track.
Also, you need to be honest with yourself. Either your goal is worth pursuing, or it’s not. If it is, then make it your passion. Let the vision of you accomplishing your goal crowd out all other distractions and “failure” behaviors. If you say you want to achieve a specific goal but can’t seem to get yourself to act on it, then maybe you need to re-identify or refine what your goal really is or really should be. Anything you truly want to do should be pretty easy to get yourself to do it. So if you’re avoiding it, you need to find your obstacles and design a plan that will accommodate, remove, or go around them.
I’ve written extensively about motivation (which includes far more than I have room to include here) at my blog. For a summary of some of the posts I’ve written on the subject of Motivation, go here: http://acoupleofquitters.com/2009/05/27/motivation-and-you-make-your-life-awesome/
If you read my series from start to conclusion, you should find yourself better equipped to have a major motivation break-through. Please leave a comment if you read anything that really affects you or if you have a break-through.
I’m actually working on a free ebook about motivation that I hope to release in a month or two. Plus I’m working on a motivation workbook/strategy guide (which will be for sale) for anyone wanting to take more measurable steps in harnessing the power of motivation for goal achievement. I hope this helps.
Best of luck!
Scott
priyanshi on August 24th, 2009 10:46 am
hiii Scott
thankyou so much for your reply…it all make perfect sense..thankyou so much..and yes thanku for telling the link to the “motivation” articles..i liked them…
and hats off to you for being such a regular person…you replied within 24 hours…thanku.
Scott Quitter on August 24th, 2009 2:55 pm
Priyanshi,
Your welcome. I’m always happy to talk about motivation. Thanks for reading my other motivation articles. I hope they were helpful and gave you useful information that you can apply right away. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to contact me here or at my blog.
Best Regards,
Scott
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