
More often than not, people confuse the act of setting goals with making resolutions. We’ll admit that they’re a bit similar considering that they both involve things that you intend to do in a year. However, the truth is that setting goals is a much more practical way to get to the destination you’re interested in getting in. That’s why we’ll be looking at the proper way to set goals for yourself.
Having read the topic, your mind is probably racing with questions as to what the proper way to set goals for yourself is. To answer that, we’ll say that it involves a series of actionable steps and processes. Don’t worry, though. The proper way to set goals for yourself isn’t particularly long, and it is something you can get done in as little time as possible. Here’s how you do it:
1. Set SMART goals
As you can probably tell from the use of uppercase letters, SMART is an acronym. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This is everything that your goals should be. Otherwise, the chances are that you might be wasting your precious time.
2. Write it down
Someone once said that those who write down their goals instantly place themselves ahead of the 97% of the population. This is clearly dependent on different factors, but the truth remains that if you set goals for yourself and write them down, you’ll be setting yourself up for success. Why? Because you’ll be constantly reminded of these goals such that you’ll always work hard to achieve them regardless of the circumstances.
3. Do not compare yourself
When you’re trying to improve your life, it is quite common if you feel the urge to compare yourself to other people. Don’t do it! Seriously, don’t! Comparison is a major stakeholder in the boardroom of failures. When you start to compare yourself to others, you begin to focus less on what you can do and more on what these people can do better than you. This slows you down significantly, such that you can hardly get things done any longer.
4. Be ready to fail
We’ve spent the majority of this article telling you about how you’re very likely to succeed and whatnot. But, we should let you know that there’s also a chance that you might fail too. It’s not necessarily your fault, but it is likely to happen. So, if you find yourself in a situation where things aren’t going as planned, embrace it. It’s only natural. Just make sure that you don’t fall into the pit of self-pity and learn how to pick yourself up.
5. Enjoy the process of doing what you want
Your goals won’t come to pass immediately you set them just because you want them to. Some will definitely take longer than others. If you start getting impatient, you’ll lose focus, and you might crash. So, enjoy the process of what you’re doing. That’s the major way through which you can protect yourself from going completely off track.