Back to Basics - Why Goal Setting Matters and How To Set Clear, Achievable Goals

Many people understand that setting goals is crucial for success, yet they still struggle to do it. A University of Scranton study found that only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, often because of hesitation and unclear goals.

Here are five reasons to set goals, followed by five tips to ensure you are aligned with your goal and maximise your chance of success.

Why Setting Goals Is Crucial For Your Success and Fulfilment

1. Clarity and Focus

Goals help us?prioritise and filter?out distractions. Studies by Locke and Latham (2002) show that specific, challenging goals lead to?higher performance?than vague, or,?"do-your-best"?ones.

2. Motivation and Positive Reinforcement

Each small win causes our brain to?release dopamine. This chemical reward helps us keep motivated?and reinforces our?new behaviours.

3. Building New Habits

Goals help us replace unhelpful habits with?constructive ones. As habits are the cornerstone of all success, they are powerful catalysts moving us?closer to our desired outcomes.

4. Adaptability

Challenging goals develops?cognitive flexibility,?which helps us build mental toughness, an essential skill in our fast-paced, technologically driven world.

5. Increased Confidence

Every small win achieved boosts our self-esteem. As psychologist Edwin A. Locke discovered, achieving goals, especially ambitious ones, contributes to our overall?satisfaction and well-being.

As Rumi wisely said:

“The regrets of not having walked down those roads will often outweigh the fears you inhabited of what worse could come along the journey.”

Goals can push us beyond our comfort zones, which can be daunting. The cost of not pursuing our goals is often higher than our fears of leaving our comfort zones.

Five Tips for Maximising Goal Success

1. Define What You Want, and Why ?

Write down your goal with as many reasons as possible for why you want it. Understanding your?"why"?and expanding this to many?"why's",?is like a powerful fuel that helps keep you motivated and connected to your goal.

2. Stack the Benefits ?

Identify the strong emotional reason behind your goal by digging deeper, as shown in the example from a former client below:

GOAL - Pursue an MBA

• Question:?What will doing an MBA give you that is even more important?
• Answer: Respect in my business and more skills
• Question:?What will having respect in your business and more skills give you?
• Answer: More clients through greater trust and credibility
• Question:?And what will this give you?
• Answer: It will give me more income and financial abundance
• Questions:?What will having financial abundance give you?
• Answer: It will give me choices and freedom. I will run a successful business, set my own work schedule, and have the freedom to follow my other interests.

This core emotional driver -FREEDOM - is the vital fuel for staying connected with the outcome.

3. Create a Detailed Plan

Break down your goal into daily and weekly action steps. Schedule these tasks and select one?Routine Action Task?- (RAT) that will be your focus. Just as many of us avoid real-life rats, we naturally steer clear of boring or difficult tasks.

However,?“befriending the RAT,”?achieved by practising and repeating this essential behaviour, turns it into a powerful habit that helps you move closer to your goal.

4. Celebrate Milestones ?

Establish mini-rewards for milestones achieved along the way. Recognising progress reinforces your self-belief and confidence, making it easier to keep going.

5. Develop a Backup Plan

Most people have no plan for when they hit a hurdle or simply lose focus or motivation. Creating a plan will exponentially increase your chances of success. A favourite technique of mine is to record a video message from your 'future self'.

When motivation dips, listen to this video for a pep talk. Additionally, having an accountability partner can help keep you focused and moving forward.

The Challenge of Growth

Our instinct for safety and comfort is deeply ingrained in us. Goal achievement pushes us outside our comfort zone, requiring new habits, routines, and ultimately a shift in our identity.

Recognising that discomfort is a normal part of the process makes it easier to stay the course.

If you would like a copy of my'How to Create CLEARer Goals'?so you can maximise your chances of success, please email me with CLEARer Goals in the headline and I will send you one.

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