Goal Setting – How To Write Goals And Then Accomplish Them
Ouch!
What was that?
I was five and my friend, Doug, was four.
We were playing a fun game of Army at a construction site right across the street from my house.
I got hit again, and so did Doug.
We didn’t have any real weapons—what was that?
I looked down and saw the clump of exploded dirt that created the pain.
…dirt clods.
I wonder if the wise person that said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” demonstrated and taught a strategy to plan, or did he just say, “write your goals down.”
I have been in the goal-setting and success-achieving business since I first had a dirt clod war with the neighborhood hooligans.
I was only five.
But I understood that if I didn’t plan correctly, and follow through, my friend Doug and I would have been clobbered by the bullies.
Now, so many years later, I still have that dirt clod victory and many more victories (and failures), helping me prepare for the win.
How to write goals – Here is my educated, experienced, and simplified process to boost you toward improved quality of life:
1. Write out SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, as if you have Achieved them, Realistic, Time-based)
2. Use highly motivational and emotional reasons to succeed
3. Kill your old, bad habits completely and forever
4. Create new, good habits as action items and do them consistently until they become old, good habits
5. Do it now!
Writing SMART Goals really allows you to create a perfect environment mentally for your success.
Being Specific will create a definitive approach to what you need.
Without measuring, how do you know if you succeeded or failed?
As if you already achieved the goal is a method to create the proper neurological flow for success—it is essentially the opposite of saying, “I can’t.”
Realistic keeps you from failing every single time.
Lastly, time-based ensures you stay focused until you complete the goal.
If you can tap into your emotions, your goal-attaining career will sky rocket.
It is said that emotions are the number one selling point for any product or service.
Get emotional, and get it done.
This coupled with other motivational drives will create passion to complete your tasks or action items used for your goals.
Your old habits are exactly why you are the way you are, so if you keep them, you will stay the same.
This also means if you go back to them you go back to the person you are.
If you are reading this, you do not want to be where you are (on some level).
If it is your eating habits, kill the old ones, and create new good habits.
These new habits have to be inline and create success for you in your goals.
Just doing the new habit is okay, but doing it with consistency and discipline for a long enough period of time is the key to your success.
I once made a video on the secret to success, and it proclaimed action as the secret.
This is true, these new, good habits are your action steps.
Consistency in this action is what will not only bring you to your success, but will create that success for the long term.
In the Marine Corps, I was put into situation after situation during combat, and the one thing that kept us victorious, was our insane adherence to repetitive training.
Now do it.
Do something for your success before you read any further.
Once you have these 5 steps down, there are many other ways to contribute and speed up your goal conquering. Read these entries on Innovative Results for additional support, but only if you have the above 5 steps down!
Below is an example for you to use, if you’re still unclear as to how to perform this method.
Goal written with SMART method:
I have been victorious in this dirt clod war between the neighborhood bullies with Doug in the next 10 minutes.
Reason (emotional and motivational):
I do not like losing.
I don’t want to be hurt or killed.
I love winning.
I will save the neighborhood from their torment.
Old Bad Habit:
Standing there while I get pelted with dirt clods.
New Good Habit (action item):
Having Doug collect as many dirt clods as possible.
Me throwing the dirt clods at the bullies as fast as I can.
When I get tired we will switch positions.
Old Bad Habit:
Letting the bullies pick on me and win.
New Good Habit(s):
Not letting the bullies pick on me.
Being victorious.
Not giving up or failing.
#4 was the biggest aha moment in this blog for me. Action items into old, good habits is life changing. Use it!
Still trying to decide on a resolution/goal for the new year? Here is a great format for turning your dreams into realities by become focused and having help and accountability from others!
I had done the SMART goals before, but that's just step 1. The rest of the steps are also critical. Especially identifying the bad habits and finding good ones to replace them.
Replacing bad habits with good habits is the foundation for turning everything you work at into a success someday.
Identifying what needs to change for the better is always an essential and necessary first step. Followed by replacing the bad habits with good ones we can grow and achieve the goal we had initially set rather than make an arduous process for ourselves of challenging tasks that require a completely different behavior and mindset that would be shocking at first.
I have never been a person who writes down my goals and task. It always seemed to me that there was no point. And because of these it has been hard for me to break the bad habit of procrastinating. Using the SMART goal approach allows you to analyze what your goal is, why do you want to accomplish it, and how you plan on doing it. Additionally, the SMART goal approach allows you to be honest with your self and determine what bad habits are keeping you from achieving your goal. In my case, not writing down my goals and task, everyday is challenging and it is a new habit that I must continue to implement. In fitness, goals must be determined before beginning any exercise regimen, this is done some progress cam be measured. It is the same with all life goals and this is something I will be working on until it becomes a habit.
Great way to tackle your resolutions this year! 🙂
I totally agree if you have no emotions or serious feelings toward your goals it is very hard for one to get seriously motivated about the task.
🙂
Simple tools for big time success. Be smart about it, wont you?
I agree writing your goals out makes a big difference. Anyone can say they are going to do things, but if you write them out it helps you achieve them. Then you can say wow I already checked 1 off my list what’s next! Planning leads to success!
I have found writing out SMART goals is a very efficient way of altering old habits and reaching new goals. What surprises me the most is the number of goals and bad habits I want to change I have when I can see them all on paper. It is a reality check to say the least and a huge step in a positive direction.
I love this article. It is a great value to anyone who has not written down goals before and wondered why they always failed.
I found the SMART Goal system to be straight forward, yet require a high level of focus and attention that allowed me to hone in on my goals, the reasons behind them, and thus create a mission for accomplishing my vision. I shared it via facebook with the world, and now have 5 weeks to make those words a reality! Next set best set!
This has helped me map out exactly what I need to do, and has made me realize what i need to focus on. This is an awesome tool!
Using SMART goals can really make you successful in any aspect of your life. Whether it’s eating better, being active everyday or being more successful at work, setting goals will improve your life!
Transferring a goal into writing is an excellent first step, a first ACTION, towards manifesting your goal. You can create a visual reference to your goal, a reminder to stay focused on what you want to achieve and why. By expanding deeper and being specific with short term and daily actions that can be met, you are paving the path to success. Just take one day at a time, step by step, and through diligence and perseverance you will reach your goal!
Writing out goals gives you a physical and visual representation of what you are hoping to achieve. This makes it more “real” than if you simply keep it in your head. I also agree that if you are not emotionally invested in your goals, they are too easy to let slide. Find a passion, and do everything you can to achieve that 😀
Great tools for success. I have been using the S.M.A.R.T goal setting system for the last five years, totally changed my life. Once a goal is desired, writing it down as concrete evidence has to be the next step towards achieving.
“This also means if you go back to them you go back to the person you are.”
Habits are the building blocks of our character. They shape what we do, when we do it, and how we do or do not do something. It really hits home when the article talks about changing bad habits to good in order to make a permanent difference in your life. I never thought about if you go back to the old habits how it means you stay the version of yourself you are instead of working toward the version of yourself you wish to become.
My S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Run Sub 3 Hours in 2018 Marathon to qualify for Boston Marathon.
My S.M.A.R.T. goal is to achieve the 10 minute long cycle progression in 2 weeks time!
The SMART system is great for goal setting, and I like the added emphases on one’s “why” and habit correction. Awesome!
My SMART goal is..
I have eaten at least 100g of protein per day for the last month.