How to set goals to achieve success in any activity

Hello dear readers of my blog! Today I want to talk to you on a very important topic, and important because the correct setting of goals and objectives is the most important thing in achieving success, the very first thing a person should start with if he decides to reach heights and satisfy his needs for self-expression, security, recognition and belonging. Yes, in the end, their physiological needs, otherwise you can die from freezing or starvation. I exaggerate of course. But at least not go with the flow like a weak-willed vegetable.

Where does the goal come from?

The psychology of personal success is very simple, interesting and consistent, now you will see it. Let’s start with the fact that initially a person has a desire for something, which, by the way, is sometimes difficult to recognize. And if suddenly the desire in the imagination clearly manifested itself, and we understand that we want to translate it into reality, a new definition appears — the goal, which means that we do not just dream, but consciously want and are ready to achieve the desired result. Next, you need to make a plan in order to understand how and in which direction to move, and only then do tasks appear when we ask ourselves what exactly needs to be done.

Simple classification

Let’s try to decompose these very goals into types, so that it is clearer what we are dealing with. So, they are:

• Long-term. It seems clear that the process of achieving will be long. In this case, it will be necessary to perform many tasks and actions. It is good to understand this in advance, so that after a short period of waiting for the result, do not give up, disappointed.
• Short-term. Usually, the period of time for implementation is no more than six months.
• Complicated. For this type, you need to connect your internal resources as much as possible and give everything to the fullest. They, as a rule, are energy-intensive, but thanks to this, the maximum result is achieved in a short time.
• Simplified. For those who want to save themselves and make a minimum of effort.
• Unattainable. When a person sets himself an impossible task, although in the process of implementation he can achieve considerable, solving the accompanying difficulties.

What are the ways of setting, or where to start?

 1.Smart setting method

The correct setting of goals and plans can occur thanks to this unique technique. It is necessary to convert them into so-called SMART criteria. This is a very interesting tool, we analyzed it in detail in a separate article. Here is the link: “How to Turn a Dream into a Realistic Goal with the SMART Goal Setting Technique”

In short, this is an abbreviation that was formed thanks to the first letters of English adjectives:

Specific (specific) — there must be a final result;

Measurable (measurable) — any result can be evaluated according to different criteria;

Attainable — must be a realistic goal;

Relevant (significant) — about the significance of the goal;

Time-bounded (corresponding to a specific period) — a time frame must be set.

2. Brian Tracy reception

In one of the previous articles “How to effectively manage your time for a busy person using time management techniques”, I already recommended his book for reading, and in this article I will mention the 12 stages that each goal goes through, that is, in simple terms, how set and reach:

1. Desire – we have already discussed that everything starts with the generation and recognition of desire. It contains a colossal amount of energy, with which it is important not to slow down;
2. Faith — if you believe that you will achieve your goal — success is guaranteed to you;
3. Writing down goals — when you write them down, you see them on paper, and this is very important, as they take shape. If you do not want to write out, you can get more creative with this issue by creating a collage of photographs or drawings;
4. Benefits — you need to understand what benefits the achievement of the goal will bring, you should not waste time on completely useless activities;
5. Analysis of the current situation — in order to move somewhere, it is important to understand what we have achieved for a given period of life, this will give us a tremendous resource of self-confidence that we can achieve what we want and overcome obstacles. Support in the form of personal experience;
6. Deadline — the importance of setting a deadline that is aligned with reality and proportionate to your capabilities has already been mentioned more than once;
7. Obstacles — try to fantasize about possible difficulties in the process of achieving your plan, so you will think over possible options for solving them in advance, and the level of anxiety will also decrease. After all, everyone experienced the fear that they could not cope or could not stand it, right?
8. Knowledge — it is necessary to understand what knowledge will be required in the process in order to be able to be more knowledgeable in advance;
9. Support — make a list of people whose help may be useful, this will give more confidence and peace of mind;
10. Plan — drawing up an action plan, be sure to write down each step in stages, the more detailed it is, the more likely success;
11. Visualization — try to play with the picture in your mind, imagine that you have reached the goal and scroll through all the details;
12. Determination is the last and important step. Readiness to start is already half the battle. The most terrible first step, but if you do not stop yourself, but move towards your dream, you will gain a lot in the process.

An overview of the book can be found at this link.

Tips on how to successfully set and achieve goals

1. I wrote that sometimes it is not easy to recognize desire, I want to add that it is also important to listen to yourself in order to understand whether it is yours, or whether it arose because it was imposed by advertising, society, or family, for example. Otherwise, if you move towards achieving an imposed dream, someone else’s idea, you can and will achieve success, but you can hardly get satisfaction and joy from the result. So, ask yourself questions about the origin of desires, what you are inspired by and what you feel energy in.

2. If you are convinced of your desire, the goal should be defined in the form of “what I want”, and not vice versa. Have you ever noticed that it is easier to talk about what we do not want in our lives and how exactly? For example, instead of «I don’t want to live with my parents“, better phrased “I want a separate rented apartment‘, then a clearer image appears.

3. Also, the goal must be realistic and contain a certain realistic time frame (for example, when you want to buy a Bentley within a year, but in reality you live on a scholarship that is barely enough for groceries).

4. It must be understandable, otherwise it will be impossible to pick up a plan and means to achieve it.

5. In order to get somewhere, first you need to understand where you are at the moment (if you want to buy an apartment, analyze how much your current salary is in order to know what kind of income you need)

Conclusion

Finally, dear readers, I would like to say, go for it, be persistent in achieving your plans, but at the same time remember that it is important to be able to enjoy not only what has already been achieved, but also enjoy the process itself. Noticing your small victories, recognizing your courage and determination, in this case it will be a great motivation for you to move forward and still complete such a difficult but valuable path.