A goal differs from a dream in that it has not only an image, but also real ways to achieve it. Without the means and concrete actions that make approaching the goal possible, one can only dream and fantasize.
A goal is an ideal, mental anticipation of the result of a person’s actions and the ways to achieve it using certain means.
In other words, a goal is a possible, imaginable future event or state of something, the implementation of which is desirable for a person (personal image of the future). At the same time, the means and possible paths necessary to achieve it are always consistent with the goal.
Otherwise, this desired future will only be a spell of the elements (lack of possible means) or fruitless dreams (lack of ways to achieve it). Thus, a goal is always something for which specific human actions are carried out. No actions, no goals. And vice versa.
How to set goals correctly
The fulfillment of our desires and the realization of our dreams largely depends on how correctly we set our goals. Rules for setting goals help turn our aspirations and desires into reality. Therefore, in this article we will consider in detail the question “How to set goals correctly?”, and we will understand how to translate your desires and dreams into the category of real and clear goals that can be achieved.
1. Rely only on your own strengths
Before you set a goal, make it clear to yourself that all responsibility for its implementation falls entirely on your shoulders. To avoid the temptation to blame someone else for your failures, set goals that you can achieve without outside help. This goal-setting rule will save you in the future (if you don’t achieve something) from making the wrong conclusions when working on mistakes.
2. Formulate your goals correctly
Firstly, goals, like ideas, must be written down on paper (notebook, diary, diary). A goal written down in detail has a much greater chance of being realized. If you believe that you can keep them in your head without formulating goals on paper, then do not flatter yourself about achieving them. Such goals can safely be classified as dreams. Dreams and desires wander chaotically in our heads, they are chaotic, disorderly and completely unclear to us.
The efficiency of such dream goals is extremely small; in reality, they are achieved very, very rarely. Even with words, we often cannot describe what we really want. Therefore, formulating a goal must necessarily take place with a pencil in hand. The saying is true: “What is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an axe.”
Setting and formulating a goal with the help of a recording involves our subconscious in active work; a formulated goal gives confidence and makes each next step meaningful.
The man caught a goldfish. And she says to him: “Let me go, I will fulfill any of your wishes.” Well, he thought and thought about how to fit everything into one desire and said: “I want to have everything!” “Okay,” the fish answers, “you HAD everything.”
Secondly, correct goal setting and formulation imply that the goal must carry a positive charge. Therefore, it is better to formulate it using the rules of affirmations - talk about what you want, and not about what you don’t want. The correct goal is “to be rich”, “to be sober”, “to be slim”. The wrong goal is “to avoid poverty,” “not to drink,” “to get rid of excess weight.” If nothing positive comes to mind and something like “I don’t want this, I don’t want that” is constantly spinning around, try asking correctly: “This is what I don’t want. Then what do I want instead?
Also, following this rule of setting a goal, when formulating it, it is better not to use words that create resistance and reduce the effectiveness of the goal - “necessary”, “needed”, “should”, “must”. These words are the antipodes of the word “want”. How can you want, using blocking words to motivate? Therefore, replace “must” with “want”, “should” with “can”, “should” with “will do”.
The correct goal is “I want to relax and will go on vacation”, “I can and know how to earn money and will earn a lot of money.” Wrong goal - “I need to relax and go on vacation”, “In order to pay off the debt I must earn money.” It is also best to formulate a goal in terms of a result rather than a process: that is, “do this” rather than “work better.”
3. Break big goals into subgoals
Any big goal seems overwhelming until you begin to divide it into parts. For example, the desire to buy real estate abroad seems impossible at first glance. But if you move towards your goal in systematic steps, dividing it into stages, it will be easier to achieve it.
You can first set a goal to earn 3 thousand rubles a day, then 5 thousand, etc. Step by step (goal by goal) you will reach a level where you can think about buying real estate. Setting complex (global) goals and objectives, breaking them down into smaller ones, has an excellent motivational effect. Having achieved one, albeit insignificant, goal, you will feel satisfaction and the desire to move on. Reaching near goals, you gain strength and confidence to reach distant ones.
The way of thinking will gradually change. Understand, it is unrealistic to earn 20 thousand a month, and then in a few weeks increase your income to 500 thousand. Big money loves the prepared.
4. Specification of the goal
Often the reason why a set goal is not achieved is its lack of specificity, namely:
- Lack of clearly formulated specific results. What does it mean – “I want to learn Chinese” – to learn a couple of hundred words, or does it mean to learn to communicate fluently in this language, or perhaps “to learn Chinese” means to learn all 80 thousand characters and read the text without a dictionary?
- There is no way to measure this result. When setting goals and objectives, it is important to consider the further ability to measure the result. For example, if you want to reset overweight, then you should know how much weight you want to lose, five, ten or maybe thirty kilograms.
- Lack of clearly defined deadlines. Here are two examples of goal setting: the first is “I want to increase the traffic to my website to a thousand unique visitors per day,” the second is “I want to increase the traffic to my website to a thousand unique visitors per day in three months.” The first option, without clearly defined deadlines, looks more like a desire than a goal. Well, a person wants to increase traffic to his resource, so what? He can come to this only in five years. The second option is a different matter - there is a set deadline that will stimulate and encourage in every possible way. Surely the deadline was determined reasonably, and not taken out of thin air, and therefore you will have to forget about laziness and work productively.
More, more specifics!
5. Goal adjustment
Be flexible! Just because you've set a goal doesn't mean you can't make adjustments as necessary. Anything can happen, circumstances may arise that can slow down or speed up the achievement of the goal, so you need to be prepared to adjust the goal. Remember that inertia in aspirations has never made anyone either successful or happy. Life changes, and you must have time to change with it!
6. Attractiveness of the goal
The goal and the consequences that its achievement will lead to should attract you! choose goals that attract, inspire and inspire you, otherwise “the game is not worth the candle.”
7. Believe that your goal is achievable
After formulating and setting a specific goal, you need to penetrate it and consolidate it in the subconscious. It happens that while consciously trying to achieve a goal, we are subconsciously not ready to achieve it. You can desire a goal, but deep down in your soul you don’t believe in its feasibility, you don’t believe in your abilities, or you simply consider yourself unworthy.
It is not enough to correctly formulate a goal, you need to charge it with the energy of confidence - this is the most important condition for readiness to achieve your goal. All successful people, from television stars (Oprah Winfrey, Larry King...) and outstanding athletes (Michael Jordan, Fedor Emelianenko...), ending with politicians (Mitt Romney, Silvio Berlusconi, Arnold Schwarzenegger...) and businessmen (Richard Branson,...) have achieved what they have thanks to the ability to correctly formulate and set goals.
8. Adjustment of goals and objectives
If you have already defined your main life goals, this does not mean that you cannot partially change them over time. Adjustments to goals and objectives can take place at every stage of your life path. Flexibility nowadays is the most important quality allowing you to adapt to changing conditions. It must be remembered that rigid views have never led anyone to success or happiness. You must change along with the world around you.
At least once a year, every person determined to succeed should devote time to such an activity as goal adjustment. For example, you can do this every birthday because it is the moment when you grow one year older and realize that you are wiser. Dedicate this day to analyzing the fruits that you managed to collect over the previous year.
Focus on your victories and don't forget to praise yourself for them. At the same time, you should not lose sight of your defeats. Draw the most correct conclusions and think about what you have to work on in the coming period. Be sure to evaluate the list of goals that was compiled a year ago. Carefully analyze each of the assigned tasks. Think about what exactly you did during the year to implement it.
Assess how far you have come in your pursuits. Ask yourself whether a specific goal has the same meaning for you as it did a year ago. Perhaps today this task will seem insignificant to you or, in some respects, even naive. In such a situation, you can safely cross it out.
Once you've gone through all your goals, start creating new list. You can modify old tasks, focusing on the requirements of the present moment. If you have new thoughts about your goals, be sure to record them. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that new tasks do not contradict the old ones that are still relevant. We must remember that our capabilities must be assessed adequately. Try to set achievable goals for yourself, since unrealistic tasks that are almost impossible to achieve at this stage will become the subject of your disappointment in a year.
If your life has changed significantly over last year, adjusting tasks is almost mandatory for you. There is no need to set too strict time limits for yourself. You don't have to wait a year to adjust your goals. By forming new life priorities, you will have the opportunity to understand and accept all the changes that have happened in your life.
Most likely, you have many goals. Try to write them down briefly and clearly on a piece of paper. Most likely, you won’t be able to do this quickly the first time, and the results of such work may surprise you. It wouldn’t hurt to compare the old and new lists in order to understand what you’ve given up and where you’re going.
Remember that you have the opportunity to change both the goals themselves and the methods for achieving them. For example, a past strategy for achieving a certain goal may seem like universal stupidity to you at the moment. Make changes in your life, otherwise there is a risk that you will remain in the same place for a long time.
Greetings, dear friend! With you is Alexander Berezhnov, entrepreneur and founder of the “PAPA HELPED” project.
Until I was 18, I didn’t even know that you could set goals, much less that it needed to be done correctly. Everything changed when I entered college, where I began to go to youth forums, communicate with interesting successful people, read books on business and personal growth.
Planning own life turned into an exciting activity for me and ultimately helped me earn millions of rubles in my business: I will also talk about this here.
I directly attribute my positive changes to goal setting and proper planning!
If you are reading this article, then like me you are striving for big changes. Great! Then study this material to the end and implement everything I recommend. I guarantee that within a few months you will be pleasantly surprised by what is happening in your life.
From correct setting goals can really determine your fate!Setting goals - a vital necessity or a fashionable trend of our time
Today it is fashionable to be successful and effective. On the Internet and beyond, thousands of trainings and courses on earning money and self-development are advertised.
Well-known companies like "Business of Youth" encourage you to become an entrepreneur and earn a ton of money from your business. At the same time, everyone speaks with one voice about the importance of setting goals. Is this really important or are business and personal development gurus recommend setting goals “to the heap”?
Once upon a time, I decided to look into this myself and came to the conclusion that setting goals really helps to achieve what you want.
This happens due to 3 obvious points:
- Clarity. You know exactly what you want to achieve and begin to notice the necessary opportunities. For example, you decided that you will definitely buy a new car in a year. Your brain immediately begins to look for opportunities to earn money or get what you want legally. Having a vague idea of what you want from life, it will be very difficult to achieve what you want. Returning to buying a car... You must know exactly what brand, model, color and for what amount you plan to purchase a car. It is wrong to say: “I want to buy a car.” That's right - “I want to buy a new Toyota Camry, no older than 2017, white, for 2,000,000 rubles.”
- Focusing. Imagine that you are throwing darts at a target. Your goal is the bull's eye. You stand a few steps from the target, take aim and throw the dart. This approach will most likely lead to hitting the coveted red dot, you just have to practice. And if you were to throw a dart without aiming, or not at all towards the target... The chance of hitting it immediately decreases thousands of times. So in life, by focusing on the desired goal, you will achieve it at your own level. in a fast way. It was not for nothing that I wrote “at my level.” Since if you already have a million dollars, then earning another one is not so difficult task. And if you start with “doshirak” and torn shoes, even earning 100,000 rubles a month will become a global task for you. I know this from experience.
- Regularity in actions. Having a clear goal in itself will motivate you to take regular action. Consistency is strength! It’s like in sports: it’s better to exercise for an hour a day, 3 times a week, than for 8 hours, 5 days in a row. In the second case, you will simply overstrain yourself and quit training.
The most famous approach to goal setting is called SMART". Attention! This is not a translation of the word “smart” from English, but characteristics abbreviation the right goal.
Here is its transcript:
Assess your goal using SMART criteria before setting it | S— Specific | It's all about clarity. The more clearly you formulate the object of your goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. For example, a goal might sound like “buy two-room apartment in Moscow" |
| M- Measurable | Clearly formulate all the parameters of the future goal: location, color, model, distance and others that are important to you. If you want to achieve a quantitative indicator, set it in absolute units. For example, earn 100,000 rubles a month if you currently earn 50,000 rubles. If we are talking about quality indicator, then you need to designate it in a clear way, for example, “move for permanent residence from Samara to Moscow” |
| A— Attainable | This means that your “idea” is feasible in principle. For example, it is unlikely that you will be able to spend the night in a tent on Mars, no matter how hard you strive for it. |
| R- Relevant | It is understood that the goal should be “needed” specifically for you, and not imposed from the outside. Think about whether achieving your stated goal will lead you to something more - a feeling of harmony within and happiness. Be honest with yourself. For example, if you want to move to another country or city only because “there is nothing to do in your outback” or “they pay little here.” Weigh the disadvantages and calculate everything in advance. It may be much easier to change something in yourself or at the job where you are currently working than to “turn everything upside down” and face unforeseen circumstances in the process of moving. |
| T— Time-bound (limited in time) | It is very important that your goal is achieved by a certain deadline or date. This way you will properly distribute your efforts towards achieving it. Write your goal in the present tense, starting with the word “I.” “I will achieve “this and that” by December 20, 2020.” |
« SMART“is a universal and mandatory set of criteria that the “correct” goal must meet. In business circles the expression “ set a smart goal«.
An example of a correct SMART goal:
I am buying a black BMW X6 car no older than 2015 with a mileage of up to 100,000 kilometers, no more than 2,500,000 rubles by January 1, 2019, with money earned in my business selling building materials wholesale.
Example of an INCORRECT SMART goal:
I want to buy a BMW X6 car.
ANECDOTE on the topic of correct and specific goal formulation:
“A black man caught a goldfish in Africa, she invited him to make 3 wishes in exchange for freedom. The man agreed and made 3 wishes:
- I want to become white.
- Move to America.
- So that there would be a line of women waiting for me.
The goldfish said “it will be done,” and the man became a white toilet in the women’s restroom of an American cafe.”
Now you know why it is important to have a goal and how to set it correctly.
The famous “Harvard experiment” on goal setting
In 1979, Harvard University conducted an experiment designed to determine the impact of goal setting on success in a person's life. The experiment lasted about 10 years.
To do this, they selected a group of students and asked who sets their goals, and most importantly, writes them down on paper. It turned out that only 16% of 100% had at least some goals in life and only 3% of those who wrote them down on paper in the correct way.
A few years later, they asked again this group graduates and it turned out that those who had at least some goals at the university earned on average 2 times more than their “aimless” comrades. People who were included in the 3%, who recorded their goals in writing, earned 10 times! more than their classmates.
There is something to think about, what do you think?!
How to set goals correctly and achieve them: step-by-step instructions from Brian Tracy, a world-famous expert
Brian Tracy is an expert on goal setting. Brian Tracy is the world's leading expert on business and personal effectiveness.
I really like this personality and his simple and efficient system Goal setting has helped millions of people achieve what they want over 30 years.
I was one of these “students” of Brian.
Before that, I often listened to his audiobooks on sales, management and personal effectiveness.
In a word, Tracy is truly a MONSTER in these topics! I recommend everyone to study his materials and seminars.
As for goals: just do everything one step at a time and enjoy the result!
Step 1: Be clear about what you want
I have already written about this.
It is very important to write down the goal starting with the word “I” and talk about it in the present tense as if it's already fait accompli :
- “I earn 500,000 rubles a month.”
- "I live in Sochi."
- "I drive a BMW."
You don’t have to limit yourself to one goal; you can set several in different areas of life. But for greater focus, choose the most important one and throw all your energy at it.
Most often in modern world In capitalism, people set precisely material goals (money and property), since success in other important areas for a person directly depends on this: health, relationships, hobbies.
Step 2: Write your goal on paper
The chosen goal must be recorded on paper, written down by hand, and not by typing it in a text editor on a computer! This is how our consciousness will better perceive it and then transmit it to the subconscious, which will work to achieve the goal around the clock.
It is difficult to overestimate the power of the subconscious. According to some estimates, it stores all the information accessible to a person. Our consciousness is a small part of the tip of the iceberg of the subconscious.
Using the power of the subconscious, it is also recommended to solve complex problems or make fateful decisions. The exercise is performed at night. Before going to bed, write down your question by hand on paper and go straight to bed. As a rule, in the morning the most correct and simple answer or way to solve a problem comes to mind.
Our brain never switches off completely. In his sleep, he works intensively to find the right solution.
Step 3: Set a deadline for achieving your goal
It is also called the “deadline” (dead line). By setting a deadline, you subconsciously plan your next steps so that the goal is achieved by the right time.
Use the preposition "to" or a clear date:
- by September 1, 2020 I'm buying one-room apartment in Sochi;
- December 1, 2019 I earn 1,000,000 rubles per month.
Step 4: Make a list of everything that will help you achieve your goal.
Take a piece of paper and write down everything you think will be needed to achieve your goal:
- meet such and such a person;
- learn something;
- earn so much;
- do something.
There may be a lot of items on your list: 100-200 or more.
If at a certain stage you no longer have ideas for the list, then when they appear, add to it.
So, the list is ready. Let's continue.
Step 5. Organize your plan from the list you receive.
In front of you is a sheet with a list of required actions. From now on, these are your tasks. And as you know, they cannot be performed chaotically or all at the same time.
For example, you have 100 points, the implementation of which will certainly lead to your cherished goal.
By acting according to plan, you greatly increase the likelihood of achieving your goal! At this stage, you need to rank the resulting list. Place the letters next to each item: A, B, C, D.
Where A are the most important tasks, and D, accordingly, are the least significant. You will get 4 categories. Now prioritize each of them.
Assign the number 1 to the most important task in your opinion from category A. You will get A1, the less important - A2, and so on.
Step 6: Take Action Immediately
Now the most important thing! Take on the tasks from the list you receive as soon as possible. This way you will start the most difficult stage of achieving your goal - the first step.
Key rule: do not start performing tasks from category “B” until all tasks from category “A” have been completed.
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE differ from losers in that act immediately!
« LOSERS“They constantly put off doing important things under various pretexts or do unimportant things.
How I set goals and achieved results - sharing my experience
At the age of 24, I set several goals using the technology described above.
A document with written goals called " PLAN 30“, implying that they should be completed by my 30th birthday.
Alexander Berezhnov (pictured) is the founder of the “PAPA HELPED” project. Yes, it's me At that time, I had no understanding of how I could achieve them and only faith in success helped me move forward.
I won’t go into detail about my goals from 6 years ago, I’ll just say that the result even exceeded my expectations. During this period, I managed to get married, have children, buy several apartments in a prestigious residential complex in my city and a foreign car, and help my relatives financially.
I realized that nothing is impossible and even if you now have no idea how you can get what you want, just act and you will eventually be able to “eat the elephant piece by piece.”
From own experience I know that big goals scare people and they continue to be content with little, instead of pulling themselves together and making their dreams come true.
Now I’m already working on my goals, which I called “ PLAN 40". In 10 years (I'm 30 now), I'm going to build a number of large sources of passive income, strengthen family relationships, give my children a better education and raise them properly.
I will also definitely continue to engage in charity work, social activities and education. I plan to write several books and make my own film, visit 10 countries of the world and meet a number of outstanding people of our time.
We'll see which of these goals I can achieve in 10 years, but intuitively I feel that this plan is being implemented 100%!
Answers to frequently asked questions
Here I have collected the most popular questions on the topic. Previously, I often asked them to myself in different formulations, and later I began to receive them from friends and subscribers.
Question 1: Does a vision board help you achieve your goals? Marina, 24 years old, Krasnodar
Vision boards are a well-known tool for effectively achieving goals. It is a sheet of Whatman paper or thick paper with pasted photographs (pictures) and inscriptions embodying your “wants”.
Seeing a vision board in front of you every day helps you focus on them. I think that such a “board” certainly helps, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to it alone, because it’s just a tool. In addition to it, no one canceled the written down goals and the plan to achieve them.
Question 2. How to dream and set goals correctly? And what is a dream anyway? Ilya, 19 years old, Moscow
A dream and a goal have a lot in common: both are wishes to possess something. Most people have dreams but are not serious about achieving them. Surely you have heard someone say, “I wish I had...” or “if only I had...”.
These are just empty words that will never take on material form. A goal differs from a dream in that it is as specific as possible and has a plan for achievement.
Everyone has heard the concept of “business plan,” but few people say “business dream” in the same context. The plan has clear steps to achieve, but the dream only emotionally pleases its owner.
A dream is an “unformed goal”, but also its main predecessor.
Question 3. When I invited my friends to set goals for life together, they laughed at me and said that these are difficult times and nothing can be planned. How should I react to this? Denis, 32 years old, Nizhnevartovsk
Dear Denis, I am very familiar with this question. Most people, as already mentioned, do not have clear and correct goals.
Some don't even know what they will do tomorrow. Set goals boldly and work on a plan to achieve them.
After 3-5 years, just compare your progress and the progress of the guys who laughed at you. I assure you, the difference will be colossal!
Don't try to convince anyone of anything. It’s best to show with your example how to do it right.
And even after you achieve success, some envious people will still say that you were just lucky.
The best expression here is
"The dog barks, the caravan moves on."
Question 4. How to correctly formulate goals if I don’t know what I want? Bogdan, 27 years old, Kostroma
I had similar periods several years ago. First of all, you need to find what you love, and for this you need to look for it and not stop.
Try yourself in different areas, and as soon as you feel that your heart and soul resonate with some activity, take it up professionally. It is very important for a man to do what he loves, to realize himself creatively and to earn money from it.
Think back to your childhood. In it you will find answers to the question “what do I like to do?” After that, set the right goals, and the energy from doing what you love will support your enthusiasm.
Question 5. How to set goals and objectives correctly and how do they differ? Inna, 34 years old, Izhevsk
Goals- these are global desires, the implementation of which leads to the achievement of quantitative or qualitative results. They have a significant impact on your life. A great addition to the concept of goal is “strategy.”
Task- this is a certain small step towards achieving the goal. The task is rather characterized as “tactics”. It is not as global as a goal, but it is very important as a component of it.
The goal is achieved the correct sequence completed tasks.
Example
You have decided to get a job at the Romashka company - this is your GOAL.
The tasks for this will be:
- familiarization with the company's activities;
- writing a resume;
- passing an interview;
- signing employment contract when applying for a job.
This is very simplified, but I think you get the idea.
Question 6. Are there specifics in setting financial goals? Vladimir, 24 years old, Vologda
By and large there are no differences. However, when setting financial and business goals, it is customary to use the concept of “decomposition”.
Decomposition- this is the division of the goal into small components, which, if you consistently complete them, you will certainly achieve it through a simple mathematical calculation.
Use decomposition when setting a financial goal Example of decomposition of a financial goal
You decide to save a million rubles in 2 years. Two years is 24 months. That is, 1,000,000 rubles must be divided by 24 to find out how much money you should save monthly.
It turns out that on average you need to save about 42,000 rubles per month.
If your salary is now 40,000 rubles, then there are only 2 options:
- Abandon the goal (reduce its size).
- Increase your income so you can save the amount you need.
A similar principle applies to more global calculations, but the essence remains the same: you calculate the decomposition and, based on mathematically verified steps, achieve a financial goal.
Question 7. Time management and goals: to what extent are they related to each other? Laima, 36 years old, Ivanovo
These two concepts are inseparable from each other. Without proper time management, it is impossible to achieve the goal or it will take much more effort. The principles of time management are illustrated in “step 5” of this article, which talks about ranking tasks.
Time management is an essential skill successful people
The most successful people in the world are distinguished by professional time management and the ability to set goals. It sometimes takes years to master these skills, but when they are perfectly developed in a person, any, even the wildest desires, quickly come true.
Question 8. What should I do if I haven’t achieved the goal I set? Evgeniy, 28 years old, Stavropol
You need to understand what the reason is.
If you set a goal using the “SMART” technology and strictly followed the plan for achieving it, then:
- either you set too ambitious a goal, and you objectively did not have enough strength and resources;
- or they violated the “technology” and therefore did not achieve what they wanted.
This also includes “burning out” of the goal, laziness, force majeure circumstances.
Analyze your actions and you will certainly find a weak point.
Conclusions
A correctly formulated goal, written down on paper by hand, is a powerful tool for realizing your goals. cherished desires. I have checked this more than once from my OWN EXPERIENCE and the stories of thousands of other people say the same thing.
The technology for setting and achieving goals described in the article is the simplest and most effective in the world today. You just have to follow it in practice.
Why don't people set goals and write them down? It's so simple and only requires a couple of hours a year. The answer is obvious: because not doing it is EVEN EASIER!
Set goals, because it really doesn’t cost anything... JOKE
A man caught a goldfish - as always, it’s about wishes...
The man says: “I want me to have everything...”
The fish replies: “Man, you had everything, let me go!”
I wouldn't want to be in the place of this guy from the joke
Dear friend, thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Remember: the more specifically you formulate what you want, the greater the chances of getting it in a short time.
Study the principles of time management and personal effectiveness, and our online magazine will help with this.
I wish you success!
PS. Do you have experience in setting goals? Share it in the comments to this article.
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This article will talk about how to set goals correctly and then successfully achieve them. We build our own lives or others do it for us, so it is important to learn how to set goals and achieve them.
A person, by definition, cannot achieve anything significant in life if he does not have specific goals and a definite plan for achieving them. If we live without a goal, then such life is deprived of meaning, and we lose the taste for it.
I hope you understand that in such a situation a person cannot be happy, successful and healthy. It’s not for nothing that many “success trainers,” lecturers, and psychologists talk about the importance of setting goals correctly.
What is the right goal?
The ultimate goal can only be achieved if it is clearly and correctly formulated. It is then that all the visible and invisible resources of a person are turned on, which helps to achieve the desired.
Every sane person needs to have goals in life. In other words, it is necessary to understand what I want from life, and also what I should strive for from the position of reason and wisdom.
It is important not only to feel your desires, but also to understand where they came from. I may disappoint you, but most of the goals and desires that a person has ultimately cause harm and suffering.
Many desires arise in us under the influence of our environment: parents, friends, TV, our own imperfect life experiences. But due to the fact that neither we nor the surrounding society is ideal, our goals and desires are far from perfect.
In addition to that article, I will say that the right goal, at a minimum, does not harm others, and, at a maximum, is selfless and harmonious with the universe.
A person is able to live life with enthusiasm and benefit to the whole world only when he has great goals in life.
Do you have a goal that makes you get up every morning? Does it inspire you so much that many things fade into the background?
It is a great happiness and luck to have such a goal in life. But such a goal in life is always inextricably linked with the fact that we think less about ourselves and more about others. Think about these words.
Let's say that you have previously identified goals that are truly yours, as well as useful for you and those around you. Now we need to arrange all this as correctly and efficiently as possible.
- It is necessary to develop the desire to achieve a certain goal
We must want something passionately, this is where inspiration and enthusiasm come from. Without this, we will not achieve anything, and most goals will remain just dreams and illusions.
- The goal must be written down on paper
Goals must be written down on paper. That's when dreams turn into goals.
But you can say that the goals are in your head and at any moment you can remember and formulate them. The problem is that it doesn't work.
During the day, about 50,000 thoughts flash through the human brain (according to scientists). When we write down goals on paper, we highlight them from tens of thousands of other thoughts, most of which we conveniently forget.
Thus, we give a signal to our mind, for which goals become a certain beacon towards which it begins to strive.
- The goal should be as specific as possible
The goal must be set as specific and clear as possible. Vague goals are usually achieved 2-5% of the time.
For example, the wrong goal:
I want to learn a few foreign languages
The right goal:
By January 2020 I am fluent in English and German languages, my vocabulary 10,000 words in each language.
- Having a clear and precise understanding of the path to the goal
It is not enough to write down goals; we also need to know how we will achieve them. When we have specific steps that need to be taken to achieve a goal, the goal becomes clearer and additional enthusiasm appears after overcoming each intermediate stage.
If we return to the example with foreign languages, then you can plan the following:
- Choose a method of achieving the goal (with a tutor, among native speakers or independently);
- What vocabulary and level of proficiency will be considered achievement of the goal;
- How much time each week and how many days a week should be devoted to this;
- What financial costs will be needed for this;
- Do this for each language separately.
That's it in a nutshell. If desired, the goal can be written down even more carefully and the higher the likelihood that it will be achieved.
How to achieve your goals?
Of course, it’s not enough to learn how to set goals correctly. You also need to achieve your goals, otherwise, why waste time on all this.
By this point, you should already have clear and specific goals in all four areas of life, written down on paper. Also, do not forget to write down the main goal of your life (more on this in the article linked above).
Below you will learn a very simple and very effective technique achieving goals.
- Write down in detail a plan to achieve a specific goal.
This has already been discussed above, but many people still miss this point or do not attach much importance to it. Understand this is really important.
For several years, I myself simply wrote down the desired goals, but did not draw up detailed plans for achieving them. As a result, many of them were not achieved and were safely forgotten.
It is important to break the main goal into smaller goals or intermediate stages. We need to clearly and clearly understand what we want to achieve as a result. We must clearly see ourselves and the realization of our goal in 5 years, 1 year, month, week, 1 day.
- Take action every day
We constantly need to do something that brings us closer to the goal. Dedicate at least an hour a day to achieving your goal.
For example, if you want to have a beautiful, pumped up body, then you need to regularly do physical exercise, study literature and videos on this topic, eat right, follow a routine and much more.
- Find a role model
Find someone who has already achieved a similar goal, who is the best in this field or activity. Read and study his experience, if possible, communicate with him personally.
As they say, who we think about is who we become. Therefore, the sages recommend always thinking about God, taking example from exalted personalities. Well, for more mundane purposes, take an example from that person who has already achieved the highest level in what you want.
- Resolutely give up desires that prevent you from achieving your goal
Learn to give up secondary goals and desires that interfere with achieving your main goal. On the way to a goal, there are always some obstacles or temptations that must be resolutely avoided.
Focus on the main goal, think about how you will feel when you achieve your goal. This will help overcome obstacles on the way to achieving your goal.
- Check yourself regularly
Check yourself every day. Have you forgotten your goal? Are you going the wrong way? What did you do today to achieve your goal?
This will break you out of the illusions and sleepy state in which most people spend their entire lives. Many people learn how to set goals, but then do nothing and get caught up in their daily routine.
Just always ask yourself unexpected questions:
What do I want in 1 year, 5 years? What exactly needs to be done in order to achieve this? Am I doing this?
- Remember that last word always behind God
We can plan a lot of things, strive to achieve, but at one moment everything can change dramatically. Therefore, it is important to live in harmony with the world around us and trust the flow of life and God.
Many of us have problems in life only because we do not know how to live in harmony with nature and consider ourselves smarter than it. We are a small part of the One Whole and we need to accept His protection.
A reasonable person goes towards the intended goal, but does not become attached to the result and trusts God, because he knows that the Lord knows better what is good for us and what is harmful.
Bonus: approximate goals for the year that will make you better
So you have studied another article and learned about how to set goals correctly, and then achieve them. But this is all theory. I want you to do something practical and meaningful for your life. Reading about setting goals correctly and achieving them is not enough; you need to do something else.
For example, it is important to set specific goals that will make you better over time. And since the main goal of this blog is to help you change and become happier, then accept the bonus in the form of recommended goals for self-development.
If you really set these goals in your life and begin to achieve them, then you will purify yourself and your heart, raise your level of consciousness and quality of life.
Here is a list of goals for the year to improve yourself and your life.:
- Take responsibility for your life. Learn in every moment not to blame others, but to look for reasons within yourself or benefit from the lesson that life gives us;
- Learn to get up early in the morning and go to bed early. It is optimal to fall asleep at 21-22 o'clock and get up at 4-6 am every day, regardless of the day of the week or the calendar;
- Engage in spiritual practice (pray) or simple meditation every day, starting with 10 minutes a day;
- Learn to do breathing exercises and do them at least 10 minutes a day, it greatly calms and sobers the mind;
- Develop in yourself detachment from money, compliments, performance results, other people’s opinions, cars, etc., this will make you more and more free and peaceful;
- Learn to live in the present moment, and not dream about the future or regret the past;
- Monitor your emotions and live them consciously (for example, catch yourself when you start to get angry and calm down, as this will only lead to bad things);
- Don’t fuss and don’t rush to live, be calm, this will increase your efficiency;
- Choose your communication very carefully and filter your environment (including movies, music, the Internet, etc.): read - ;
- Control your speech - empty chatter takes a lot of energy from us;
- Live with humor and smile more, gloomy people are unhappy themselves and are not liked by others;
- And of course, set specific and clear goals in all important areas of life for 1, 5 and 10 years.
Implement, set goals correctly and improve your life! Be Happy!
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Video example of correct goal setting
Watch the video in which you will learn the rules of correct goal setting using a live example:
http://site/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/kak-pravilno-stavit-celi.jpg 320 641 Sergey Yuriev http://site/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logotip-bloga-sergeya-yurev-2.jpgSergey Yuriev 2017-06-05 05:00:30 2018-11-06 12:22:42 How to set goals and achieve them: a secret guide
We fill sheets of paper with multiple statements of our goals in life; our reality is saturated with advice on time management. But a mountain of sheets does not make our desires and goals more realistic.
How to achieve the goal? Make our goal become a reality, turn from a mirage on the horizon into a tangible “here and now”? How to organize your life so that setting goals and our actions are aimed at the result, and not at the process?
She told us about all this Anna Kebets, organizational coach, head of the consulting company GoodWin Group. The techniques described will help you create a system for achieving goals and be sure that your friends, colleagues or subordinates have the same understanding of the project you are working on together.
Determine the desired result
The SMART coaching technique will tell you how to set goals correctly and make your desires truly come true.
According to this technique, in order to set a goal, it is important that it meets the following characteristics:
Specific– specific;
Measurable– measurable;
Achievable– achievable;
Realistic/Relevant– real/relevant;
Timed– defined in time.
Specific goal. Before you start moving, make sure you are able to set yourself a clear and positive goal. For example, your personal task for today “send your resume” is not clear. It sounds much more specific: “today find 5 interesting vacancies, write a resume for each of them and send.” “Improve your diction” is also not the best example of how to set goals, and your specific option for self-improvement is “read the tongue twister twice every day.” “Organize a party for friends” also sounds too vague. But “organize a party for 20 people in the style of office zombies under open air outside the city" - good example how to set a goal. The task “make a promotional video to wow!” will result in “uuh, what the hell did you film?” But “I want action with a cut of YouTube jokes in a one-minute video, where our ideal target audience receives the answer “why do I need this subscription to the site?” – gives your employees a clear understanding of what exactly you want to see and what goals they should set for themselves.
If something can be measured, then it can be done. Quantitative indicators help you understand what stage of achieving your goal you are at.
Measurable goal. A goal should always have results that can be recorded in some way. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand that achieving the goal is close. After all, if something can be measured, then it can be done. Quantitative indicators help you understand what stage of achieving your goal you are at. Therefore, instead of “increase sales”, for example, good managers in sales they set themselves the task of “increasing the average sales bill to $5,000 in May”: this is an example of how to set a goal correctly. And, for example, a marketer formulates measurability as follows: “publish three articles per spread in three leading publications in the country / increase the number of VKontakte subscribers is up to 5,000 people.”
“Becoming more flexible” is not clear: how do you know what exactly to do if you set such vague goals in life? But it is quite clear what needs to be achieved in such cases - “in a month, reach your forehead with your knee without bending your legs / practice one negotiation technique a day.”
You must have the opportunity to implement your plans. It makes no sense to want a villa by the sea while spending all your free time on the sofa.
If it is difficult to understand how to correctly set a goal and measure it, answer two questions for yourself using a scale from 1 to 10 points: how many points do you define achievement of the goal and how close are you now to the final goal? The first question means that your task does not require a perfect 10 points, and you only need, for example, a 5 to check the “done” box.
Achievable goal. When thinking about how to achieve a goal, you need to evaluate whether you have the capabilities to implement your plans. For example, it will be difficult for you to marry a famous TV presenter without any access to the circles in which he moves. It also makes no sense to consider a villa by the sea as your goal in life, spending all your free time on the couch, not having rich relatives and not even getting involved in money scams.
Before setting goals, think about which of them you can achieve due to your professional skills or personal abilities. If you need to involve someone for this task, then choose someone who has the motivation, ability or necessary skills.
A realistic goal. Realism is determined by your external and internal resources. When building a system for achieving goals, honestly evaluate what you already have today to achieve your goal and what you don’t yet have. In addition, each new goal must be consistent with your other goals and activities. Otherwise you will stop yourself.
Don't stretch or compress real deadlines, otherwise you will have to do everything at the last minute or at an accelerated pace.
A goal defined in time. Effective goal setting always includes deadlines. In order to run a half marathon, you personally need to train for a year. Set a deadline - “in order to prepare well and not die during training, I need a year, but not one last month before the race.” If you want to set a goal to write a book review/financial report within a week (taking into account force majeure), indicate exactly this deadline. Don't stretch or compress real deadlines, otherwise you will have to do everything at the last minute or at an accelerated pace. And you will probably miss something important in a hurry.
Working through each task/desire/goal according to these five criteria will help you identify specific steps that will help you both set your goal and achieve its implementation.
We determine the conditions for achieving the goal
Do you want to get an objective picture of the facts and understand what is actually happening in your life/work regarding a specific goal (for example, a project, a task), what may prevent you from achieving your goals in life, and is this the goal you are striving for?
Here is a list of clarifying questions:
1. How are things going with this goal?
2. If we leave everything as it is, what will happen in a year, three, five?
3. What will happen if the goal is realized?
4. To what extent can you personally influence implementation?
5. What steps have already been taken in the chosen direction to achieve the goal?
6. Could more have been done?
7. What stopped you from doing more?
8. What resources are needed for implementation?
9. What resources do you already have, what resources will you need in the future, and where can you get them?
10.What are the possible risks?
11. Which partners/assistants/friends can help realize the idea, and which ones will hinder?
12.What measurable results are needed?
13. After achieving a goal, how will the realized goal affect everything that surrounds us?
Determining the strategy to achieve
If you clearly understand your goal, then you have several ways to achieve it. And how you can achieve your goal and the algorithm for subsequent steps depends on the strategy you choose. Do you want to be sure you find it? best way? Test your strategy and chosen system for achieving goals.
So, brainstorm (if you are confident, you can brainstorm alone) and write down the answers to the following questions:
1. How can you achieve the goal you set for yourself? Write down everything, even the most crazy options. Don't dismiss anything.
2. What are the pros and cons of each option? Write everything down, even potential disadvantages and advantages.
3. What is needed to implement each option? Describe financial, human, time, etc. resources.
4. Which option will work faster, which one will be more effective? This question rejects decisions that are too long in time, require excessive investments and depletion of resources, and ineffective decisions to achieve the goal.
Surely you are familiar with SWOT analysis, which allows you to evaluate a particular idea: Strengths ( strengths), Weaknesses ( weaknesses), Opportunities (opportunities) and Threats (threats). This is also a good tool for those who want to know how to set goals correctly. Analyze your goal and make yourself a chart to organize everything that came to mind during your brainstorming. As a rule, after these questions there are only a couple of options left, according to which you need to make a real choice of strategy.
Determining a specific plan
When you understand what goals to set for yourself, after the final choice of a single strategy, draw up an action plan (don’t forget to formulate everything according to the SMART principle!). Otherwise, all the work done is meaningless. The starting questions are very simple. We ask ourselves these questions every day:
1. What is the very first step towards achieving your goal that you are ready to take?
2. When exactly will you take this first step?
3. Who will you involve: who is the performer, the controller, who should motivate, etc.?
4. Do all steps have deadlines?
How to set a goal and achieve it - practical guide with examples.
Choosing a goal in life
People do not know how to set goals for themselves or choose their goals. Most people don't even understand what they want for breakfast. Therefore they forever want what they want should want like everyone else: money, a car, to lie under a palm tree.
The main question not “How to set a goal,” but “How to choose your goal.” The right goal is half achieved.
"Correct" means really desirable you target.
This is not a “right/wrong” test, not a simple choice - this is right, but otherwise it’s not.
The right choice between: OWN goal or someone else’s. A simple criterion, but hellishly difficult for an unprepared person.
Remember or now choose a goal for yourself, which we will now set and analyze along with examples.
To make up your mind, the Life Balance Wheel tool will help you.
Look at examples of how to set goals: 100 goals, 50 goals and 25 goals, 20 goals, 10 goals.
Examples for goal setting
- Become financially independent.
- Learn English.
- Travel.
- Open a business.
- Learn to sing.
If you have similar goals, you must read this article.
The list above is not goals. These are desires, dreams, “it wouldn’t be bad,” but definitely not goals that you can set for yourself.
These are areas worth taking a closer look at. Perhaps your goals are there.
Achieving these goals is difficult - because it is a set of templates. These goals can be forever achieve.
How to set a dream goal
Time frame to achieve the goal: 1 year.
The chosen period already dictates the result to be strived for.
“Learn to sing” in a month from scratch - at best, you’ll sing one song passably.
“Learn to sing” in a year from scratch - in such a period, you can already sing 5-10 songs perfectly in karaoke.
Let's set goals using our examples:
Resources to achieve the goal
To receive, give. Purpose has a price.
The price is expressed in: money, energy, time, discomfort, effort.
Discomfort, effort, overcoming yourself - this is a growth zone that you should enter in order to get what you want. The very presence of a goal in life requires effort to achieve it.
What will you need to achieve your goal?
How many hours, money, stress and sweat? What will you have to sacrifice for the sake of the goal? If you need 1 hour a day to learn a language, it means you won’t do something as before. If it was a rest after work, therefore, now there is less rest, will you have enough strength?
Let's consider the resources for our purposes:
- Double your income.
- If you are an employee:
- Find out if you can, in principle, current work have the required salary? Yes, then find out how and act.
- Upskill, or take on new responsibility, or change companies.
- Retrain for someone who pays more. It's not easy, but it's possible.
- If you are the owner:
- Double the number of clients.
- Multiply the average check.
- Reduce costs.
Required: change character, habits, increase responsibility, prove yourself, look for new ways. - If you are an employee:
- Watch movies in original.
To achieve such a goal requires regularity. It's better to study 1 hour every day. Learn new words, grammar, communicate in clubs, practice in groups or individual lessons. When setting a goal to master a language, understand what it costs you and take on the required commitment.
Required: 30-60 minutes every day. - Spend a week abroad.
International language It is not necessary to know, but it is advisable. There are many countries that are “simpler”.
Required: international passport, visa, $400-700, vacation, determination. - .
Running a company is a complex task that requires many personal qualities. But with a bright dream and a strong desire, everything will work out. If you want a restaurant, but you work as an accountant, quit. Go work as a waiter, manager and then restaurant manager. Disassemble the details, what and how it works. Likewise for other niches. Go to the niche in which you intend to build a business.
Required: analysis, passion for work, service to the client, ability to take risks. - .
Follow your dreams. A little overcoming yourself and you are a vocalist.
Required: 2 hours with a teacher per week, 30 minutes per day for independent work. ~50$/month. ~$40 for recording.
Target check
This is a step that is best not to be skipped. Answer these questions for yourself:
- Do I have the required resources? If not, set a goal to acquire them.
- Am I ready to work to achieve my goal? An hour a day is a lot, are you sure you’re ready?
- What will I do if I fail? Will I get angry, or will I have fun and go look for my goal?
- What will this give me? The joy of victory, happiness? Why am I going to achieve this goal?
- Imagine yourself with the end result - do you like it there, are you satisfied with yourself and the path you took?
An effective way to understand whether this is in demand by you or not: live for a day or two as if you have already set such a goal for yourself, but do not take on any obligations.
- Double your income. Improve your skills - learn. Or ask to fulfill new obligations. Or double the number of clients tomorrow, how would you do that?
- Watch movies in original. Watch the film in the original with Russian subtitles. Learn English for an hour a day. Like? Are you ready?
- Spend a week abroad. Find out information about the country you are planning to visit. Do you want to visit there? Is it worth the money, or are there other alternatives?
- Explore the area for your project. Read interviews with other entrepreneurs on the Internet. Talk to the business owner you would like to be like, listen to his opinion and what it cost him.
- Record a song in a recording studio. Take a trial lesson at a vocal school, it's often free.
The first step towards achieving your goal
The goal has been set, verified, and obligations for implementation have been taken. It's time to act.
The goal has been set, it is clear, but it is still not clear what to do. To do this, immediately decide what the first step towards its implementation is.
First steps towards our goals:
- Double your income. Assess the situation and make a list of real ways to double your income - 2 hours.
- Watch movies in original. Sign up for a trial lesson at two language schools (you will find out your level and learning conditions) – 2 hours.
- Spend a week abroad. Make a list of countries that you can afford and want to visit – 3 hours.
- Explore the area for your project. Outline the requirements for starting an organization in your niche - 8 hours.
- Record a song in a recording studio. Sign up for a trial lesson at a music school – 1 hour.
What to do if you fail?
Rejoice! An unachieved goal is quite normal.
Did you want and dream, but halfway through the journey you realized that it wasn’t for you and gave up? This excellent result.
“Failure” of a goal brought you benefit.
- Have you dreamed, but it turned out that you are not interested? – now you know yourself better.
- Have you worked hard but met an insurmountable obstacle? - you found out that it exists, and that the chosen road is a dead end. Look for another one.
- Have you overestimated your capabilities? Achieving your goals requires much more than you expected? – your next assessment will be more accurate, and you are already halfway to such a difficult goal.
Are the following results failures?
- Double your income. Income rose only 50%.
- Watch movies in original. You watch the series Friends in the original, but Sherlock is difficult for you.
- Spend a week abroad. You went on a mountain hike in your homeland.
- Explore the area for your project. You have determined that to start you need $50,000 and a partner (whom you are already looking for).
- Record a song in a recording studio. You've only been training for 2 months. Vocals are hard work that doesn't bring you joy.
Video “How to set a goal”
Useful video on the topic “How to set a goal in life”:
The final algorithm for setting a goal:
- You are driven by yours desire and yours dream?
- Transform your dream into a plan specific result, defined by a period.
- Check whether the goal is worth your work.
- Get ready to enjoy the process.
- If you fail, you still win.
Set and achieve goals!