If you are new to goal setting it can be daunting. But it need not be. The process when understood is very simple. Once you know this, you are already on your way to success.
Here’s some insight that we want to share with you from more than 12 years in the industry and more importantly having our own success by following the same process.
- Record your goal
This sounds so basic, it’s almost laughable. But the number of people that claim to have goals in their life and only keep them in their head is crazy. They are not goals. They are wishful thinking at best and delusion at worst!
To actually even get started you need to write your goal down. On a piece of paper or in a goal setting app like Lifetick. Writing goals is so beneficial on many levels. It helps you crystallize them, it helps you believe in them, it helps you feel they are real and important to you, it makes you commit because it is like signing a contract, it can even be cathartic: release of pent up tension that is now expressed before your eyes.
Writing down your goals is about getting real. And if you are going to achieve something you need to be real about it. There’s no faking it. - Make sure it is a S.M.A.R.T. goal
This is the real money maker. This really puts you on the express path. Ever wonder why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work? It’s because they are vague and have no plan behind them. However, goals using the S.M.A.R.T. methodology give you everything you need. Let’s look at what S.M.A.R.T. means:
| Specific | Does the Goal clearly state what it will achieve? |
| Measurable | Will you know if you have achieved your Goal? |
| Achievable | Is this a Goal which can actually be achieved? |
| Relevant | Does this goal reflect your values in life? |
| Time Specific | When do you want to achieve this goal by? |
So let’s take an example. You could take a New Year’s Resolution of “Losing weight” and turn it into a S.M.A.R.T. goal by saying “Lose 10 pounds by June”. This is very specific, you can measure whether you’ve succeeded and you’ve set a deadline. The deadline is the most critical. This is your North Star. This is what you strive for! This is what you work backwards from in order to fit in the work required. Don’t compromise on S.MA.R.T. or you simply won’t achieve it. Even the “R” in S.M.A.R.T. is important. You must make sure your goal aligns with your own values. If not, you will be at eternal war with yourself.
3. Keep revisiting it every day for at least a week.
A goal must have tasks. As many and as granular as possible. And you must keep revisiting and revising. This will help resolve any overly ambitious aspirations! Trust me, we all do it. Most of my own goals, I’ve had to revise tasks and due dates, but you know what? I still achieve my goals! And that’s what counts. What’s the alternative? Giving up?
Make sure you check in on your goals daily. You may want to change when it’s due, word it differently or add more tasks. The more you invest in this step the better off you will be! Why? Because you are crafting something more and more aligned to what it is you want to achieve. You are taking something fuzzy and making it crystal clear in your own mind. Something you can now truly strive toward.
But it doesn’t end here. This is just the beginning. Fortunately, at Lifetick we have the S.M.A.R.T. goals methodology embedded into our software. It makes the process of setting goals easy and fun.
Try it now. It’s free for up to 4 goals and you can have your first goal created in just 5 minutes. Imagine sitting back in a few minutes looking at your first goal on screen. You’ve just made it real. Go ahead. Try it now.
What’s more, if you subscribe to a full Lifetick account at only $5 per month you’ll get our fantastic eBook for free: “100 Proven Tips for Incredible Goal Achieving”! This book has taken all our wisdom from over 12 years in the business and put it into 100 pages of targeted tips that will keep you achieving even when you think you’ve had enough.
We want you to succeed. You now have one less excuse. So go ahead and try Lifetick today. Sign up here.