5 Ways to Set and Achieve Your Goals

We all have things we would like to accomplish in our lifetime. Often, these aspirations are dismissed as unrealistic or outside the realm of possibility. But you can do and accomplish anything you believe in. With the right attitude, you can make your dreams come true and experience the fulfilling life you were born to live.

We all know that goal setting is important, yet Harvard Business studies have shown that 83% of people don’t have goals, 14% had plans but not in writing and only 3% (YEP, ONLY 3%!!) had written goals.

Use these five strategies to set yourself on the path that leads to your success:

1 – Write it down.

Not sure where to start setting goals? Congrats – you are not alone! You can achieve great things if you put your mind to it. But unless you write it down, your goal will remain wishful thinking. Research shows that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written down, so what are you waiting for?

Writing down your goals helps you crystalise your thinking. Instead of vague generalisations, you’ll set your goals with clear objectives and an understanding of the direction you must focus on in order to realise those goals.

2 – Focus on actions, instead of results

Once you have discovered your goals, you want to get into the mindset of ‘How do I accomplish these goals’ You can control the actions you take on the path to your goals. Focus on your actions, and the results will take care of themselves. When you do, you’ll feel less pressured along the way because your focus will be on things you can control.

Break the goal and actions down into small steps. The series of steps or actions will serve as your roadmap to reach your goals. Having actions and taking one step at a time allows you to notice what IS working and what isn’t. If you continue moving forward and refuse to give up, you will get closer to reaching the finish line.

3 – Be consistent

Once you have a roadmap in place, consistently take action in the direction of your dreams. Things likely won’t go exactly as you’ve planned, but you can adjust your plan as you take action and receive feedback on your progress.

Whenever you set a goal, taking small steps will help you climb the mountain. That way, when you leave a goal-setting session, you’ve already made some progress. This will provide great encouragement for you to continue.

If you’re unsure how to proceed toward the result you’re after, get started on the path to that goal anyway. Determine the first step you need to take, and then take it. Once that’s done ask yourself what the next step should be, and then do it! Keep it simple and keep taking one step at a time until your goal is achieved.

4 – Learn from your setbacks

When you pursue anything that’s worthwhile, you will likely experience setbacks. It’s how you treat the setbacks that will determine whether you succeed or fail. Learn from these experiences and welcome them as course corrections toward your inevitable success.

Holding yourself accountable with SPECIFIC deadlines can also prevent potential setbacks. Sticking to deadlines can help you stay in line and give you the boost you need to accomplish your big goals – or as we like to call them, BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS or BHAG’s! You will also feel much more motivated to keep pushing when you stick to a deadline and achieve it! This brings us to our next point…

5 – Celebrating success along the way

When things go your way, celebrate. Every day, visualise what success will feel like and celebrate your inevitable victory. Treat yourself to a reward when you overcome challenging obstacles. Remember that success is a journey to be savored and not simply a destination to be reached.

You have a greater capacity for success than you realise. Within you is everything you need to reach the dreams that are in your heart. Incorporate these five steps into the pursuit of your goal, and success is yours!