Take These Steps To Focus On Your Success
To help you on your personal growth journey, I will share 5 easy steps to achieve your goals.
Why? Because setting and achieving goals is the foundation for success, no matter what you want out of life.
Let’s get moving so you can start improving!
How To Achieve Your Goals
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
1. Create A Vision Of Your Future Self
A destination is essential when you take a trip or start a journey. For example, you wouldn’t just jump in your car and start driving without a clear idea of where you are going.
The same point applies to your goals. Do not waste time setting goals without a good idea of your destination. Your vision of your future self is your destination.
Develop your vision by asking yourself questions like…
- What is important to me?
- What is my highest level of education?
- What kind of job will I have?
- Where will I live?
- With whom will I spend my time?
- Will I have a family?
- How much money do I need and want?
- What kind of house will I live in?
- What is my physical fitness level?
- How long do I want to work?
- What relationships are meaningful to me?
When creating your vision, think and dream big. Do not have limiting thoughts that restrict your vision of your best self.
Finally, make sure your vision is yours and no one else’s. It is okay to listen and learn from others. However, determine and cut your unique path to success.
Dig Deeper – Exploring Life’s Essential Questions
2. Assess Your Current State
Every journey has a destination AND a starting point. So, I suggest you take stock of your current situation.
Perform a SWOT analysis to identify your:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
Using what you have learned from the SWOT exercise, determine where you stand today compared to your vision.
Are you starting to see what I’m getting at? Creating goals and achieving those goals begins with two things.
First, where am I at? And second, where am I going?
Then, with that knowledge of your current and future states, you are ready for step 3.
More reading – How To Do a Hard Life Reset
3. Select From The Different Types Of Goals That Fit With Your Vision
Your possible goals can be grouped into major categories as follows:
- Educational goals
- Personal goals
- Career goals
- Business goals
- Financial goals
- Relationship goals
- Spiritual goals
Within these goal categories are dozens of potential short and long-term goal opportunities.
I won’t discuss all the possibilities here. However, if you need goal ideas, check out this article:
7 Types of Goals to Set Now (With 100+ Examples)
So, the question is, how do you decide which goals to select for yourself? Let’s discuss this topic next.
But before we do so, please:
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4. Prioritize Your Goals To Align With Your Vision
To choose your goals, consider your assessment of your current state, point A.
Next, think about the vision for your future self. I will call it point B.
Now, determine what goals will help you move from point A to point B.
Selecting goals is easy after determining where you are (current state) and where you want to go (future vision).
Okay. You have selected your goals. Next, it’s time for you to dive into goal setting.
Helpful Tips – How To Stay Focused and Consistent in Life
5. Use A Proven Goal-Setting System
I recommend using one of two goal-setting systems to set your goals.
Setting SMART Goals
SMART goal-setting is a popular choice. It says each of your goals should have the following five attributes:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Specific
The first step in making a SMART goal is to make it specific.
To do so, address these questions:
- What is to be accomplished?
- Who needs to be involved?
- Why is it essential to achieve the goal?
The more details about the goal that you can document, the better. Be clear on what you want to accomplish and what is required for success.
Measurable
Make your goals in life measurable. Decide what information will you use to measure your progress.
Measuring some goals is simple. For example, financial goals tend to be easily measured. Measurement of other types of goals is more subjective.
Achievable
Stretch yourself and make your goals challenging. Choose goals that will make a big difference when you achieve them.
Conversely, there is no need to set a goal if it can’t be achieved. By being specific, you should now understand whether a goal is achievable.
For example, don’t set a goal to become a doctor if you don’t have the academic credentials to get into medical school. Thus, becoming a doctor is not achievable.
Relevant
Make your goals relevant. A relevant goal makes sense for you and your situation.
Here’s an extreme example. If you want to become a priest, don’t set a goal to get married. Priests aren’t allowed to get married, so the goal is not relevant.
Time-Bound
SMART goals are time-bound. Thus, you must set a date to achieve your goal.
First, having a deadline will increase your sense of urgency. Second, a time constraint will increase your odds of success. Finally, when multiple steps are involved to achieve a goal, an end date allows you to work backward and create interim milestones.
Okay. That wraps up a brief review of setting SMART goals. Next, I have another goal-setting system for your consideration.
Setting HARD Goals
The HARD goal-setting system is not as well known. It says each of your goals should have these four attributes:
- Heartfelt
- Animated
- Required
- Difficult
Let’s discuss each one.
Heartfelt
A heartfelt goal is something you care about deeply. When you care, your chances of success increase significantly.
When you do not sincerely care about a goal, why set it in the first place?
However, don’t be careless. For example, just because you don’t care about having a financial emergency fund doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set a goal to have one.
Animated
Making a goal animated means creating a vision of what achieving the goal looks and feels like.
Just like you created a long-term vision of your future self, create a vision for each one of the goals that you have now selected.
Daydream about your goals. Think about them often. Doing so makes your goals come alive in your mind.
Required
Make your goals required.
When you feel that a goal is necessary for your success and happiness, you are more likely to accomplish it.
Difficult
Finally, your goals should be challenging.
Achieving challenging but achievable goals is where true life transformation takes place.
5 Steps To Setting And Achieving Your Goals: Wrap-Up
Staying focused and motivated to achieve your goals takes serious reflection to decide what you want out of life.
After deciding on your vision, select complementary goals and set them correctly using a proven goal-setting system.
Finally, get busy and create the life you want and deserve.
Good luck, and thanks for reading. Before you go, pin this image to Pinterest:
Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.