How to Set and Achieve Your Goals

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Ethelbert Stevens
5 years ago
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1 How to Set and Achieve Your Goals 1

2 Goal Setting We, as humans, have the ability to look forward in life and imagine how we want things to be in the future. We learn through our experiences that these things don t just happen by themselves, we have to work towards them to create that reality. This is why we set goals, to create a target to aim towards. But if you re anything like me, goal setting is the most frustrating experience, because it takes time to think about exactly which goals you want to set for yourself, and you have to plan out how you want to achieve them. And they all change over time anyway! For some, goal setting can feel like a process that s disconnected from everyday life, a dreamy, wish-washy activity that doesn t impact on the here and now. It doesn t have to feel like that. Research has shown that setting goals really does enable you to create the future you want. Of course, there s a but - goal setting helps, but only if your goals are specific, challenging, and planned out. We ve created this guide to goal setting with a framework called Have, Do, Be, and we believe that it will help you to achieve your goals and enable you to do life even better. So, let s begin! 2

3 The greater danger for most of us isn t that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. Michelangelo 3

4 1 Goal Setting Tip 1 What do you want to HAVE? This is the step that almost all goal-setting begins with - and also the step that most goal-setting finishes! Basically, ask yourself what do you want to have? Do you want to have better grades, do you want to have success in sport or music? Do you want to have a better phone or laptop? Its important here to be specific about the thing you want. When you re not specific about what you want to have the goal becomes too broad or undefined, which can create confusion about how to actually achieve it. Or, it can lead to a loss of motivation resulting in the goal losing steam and being forgotten. Another important consideration is setting goals that stretch you. Goal setting is so popular because achieving goals helps you to grow, learn and develop. However, if you set a goal that is too challenging you can lose motivation when you don t achieve it or make little progress towards it. So, the key to setting stretch goals is to aim at incremental steps. Even if you have a big goal you want to achieve, set little stretch goals that will help you get to that big audacious goal. The last thing is to evaluate the goal as you go along. As you work towards your goals your priorities or circumstances may shift. It s possible to find that you want to have something different, or need a different approach to achieve your goal. As an example, for this guide let s say the thing you want to have is $1 million by the time you re 40. So now let s look at what you ll need to do to have $1 million. 4

5 Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. Tony Robbins 5

6 2 Goal Setting Tip 2 What do you need to DO? Now that you have identified what you want to have, its time to plan out what you need to do in order to achieve it. There might be a number of options available to you, but some of those options might challenge your values and beliefs. That last point is important, because some people do compromise their values to achieve a goal. For example, the 2008 Global Financial Crises was fuelled by Executives in big corporations who made unethical deals to further their own career and increase their own pay-check. In addition to thinking through the options available to you, you can also seek advice and support. Having a mentor, like an older family member, friend, teacher or coach, will provide you with another perspective on things. This person can help you focus on what you need to be doing to achieve your goals. In our example there s a few things you can do to have $1 million. You could rob a bank, sell your parents house or get a well-paying job. But which action is the most reaosnable? Probably not robbing a bank or selling your parents house. So the best thing to do is work a well-paying job. The next part is to think about who you need to be to follow-through with this action. 6

7 Everybody has their own Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb. Seth Godin 7

8 3 Goal Setting Tip 3 Who do you need to BE? The third step is to think about who you need to be in order to follow through with the actions you need to do. Again, this connects you to your values. It also connects your goals to other parts of your life, and grounds your achievements in who you are. This is where the growth happens. When you connect your goals at this level, you start working on your values and qualities. It might be uncomfortable, but this is what makes your goals achievable. By thinking about who you need to be, your create the energy you need to keep your goals going, to keep working towards them. Where a lot of people fall off in working towards their goals is that they only think about what they need to do. Someone who wants to exercise more thinks only about when they ll go to the gym, or what they ll do at the gym. But what about those mornings when you wake up and don t feel like going? Focussing on who you need to be means it doesn t matter what happens to you, how you feel, or if you face setbacks; you can keep working towards your goal, even if its only incrementally and in small steps. Back to our example: in order to work in a well-paying job and earn $1 million dollars by the age of 40, you ll need qualities like hard work, determination, patience and resilience. Now you know what you want to have, what you need to do, and who you need to be to achieve your goal. 8

9 Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas A. Edison 9

10 4 Identify Your Goals Have, Do, Be In the space provided on the next page, you re going to write out your goals. Begin by listing out the things that you want to have. Think about the areas you might set goals for such as: school or work, family and friends, recreation and play or health and wellbeing. Think also about how you d like others to remember you, and what dreams you have. Lastly, list out the qualities you ll need to be the person who does those actions. Remember, these are the things that will keep you focussed on your goals, even when it gets tough. To help you, think about the people who inspire you - what are the qualities they have? Then for each thing you want to have, list out the things you ll need to do in order to have those things. These could be things in your life that you ll need begin doing, stop doing, or keep doing. Also think about the people you could seek out for support and encouragement. 10

11 HAVE e.g. have $1 million DO e.g. get a well paying job BE e.g. hard working, determined, patient

12 facebook: Project Hatch 12

Before you start planning your career goals for 2018, here are a few suggestions:

Before you start planning your career goals for 2018, here are a few suggestions: Focus on the next 6 months. While it s good to have goals, you don t know exactly what the future will bring. Setting career