Goal setting tips helps set effective goals. However..

If you want it to be really good, you must make sure you get these vital goal setting tips right.

I’ll start off by saying SETTING GOALS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!! More often than not, I meet people who underestimate the power of goal setting. (I was one of them) People often tell me “I know what I want in life, I don’t need to set goals and write it out” Though it seems like a simple act, it has a huge impact.

Sometimes as achievers, we are so engrossed in ‘doing’. We wanna take action, get this and that done. I used to think that I rather use the time to actually do something to achieve it. And not ‘waste’ time on goal setting. Big mistake. Why? Because goals ;

• Keeps us on track – It’s so easy to get distracted nowadays. You have the bf/gf/husband/wife, TV, internet, family, friends, relatives, job, parties etc all demanding our attention. It’s easy to get preoccupied with unimportant things if we don’t set goals.

• Gets us to focus on important things – things that matter to us in the long run

• Saves time – because your actions will be focused on one outcome. You won’t be expanding unnecessary energy on useless actions.

• Gets us off our butts to take action!

There are numerous goal setting tips on how to set goals effectively however on this page, I want to highlight what I think are the most vital goal setting tips.

Vital Goal Setting Tips #1

Getting it right : Means goal vs End goal

This is the most important of all goal setting tips. When setting goals, make sure you set end goals and not mean goals. End goals are the things that you ultimately want to achieve. Mean goals are used as a means to achieve the end goal. For example, the I-want-to-be-rich goal. I’ll assume that it is not your end goal because I don’t think that what you’re seeking for is more digits in your bank balance. Rather it is the things that money can give, such as happiness, security, freedom and taking care of your loved ones.

Unfortunately, too many people get caught up in the process of accumulating more dollars that they end up unhappy and unfulfilled no matter how much money they make. Of course they’re unhappy. It’s because focused on a mean goal, not end goal. Here’s a familiar story: Young man works in a large corporation, aiming to be the CEO so that he can have the money to live a life of security, freedom and happiness. Works hard for 20 years, finally becomes the CEO. But in doing so, for 20 years he spent most of the time working (no freedom, no time for loved ones), the stress is killing him (unhappy), and it affected his relationship with family members and friends. So he may have achieved his target, but he sure didn’t get his ultimate goal. You definitely do not want to walk down that path.

To set a goal, sacrifice for it and finally achieve it, only to find out too late that it didn’t give you what you really wanted. Just thinking about that makes me feel sick.

Take your time when setting goals. Don’t be anxious to get it over with. If you get it wrong, all your time and effort will eventually go down the drain.

The nature of personal development makes it easier to not confuse end and mean goals. However, when it comes to business goal setting, career goal setting and student goal setting , it is easy to get confused and fall into the trap. Make sure that you get it right.

Vital Goal Setting Tips #2

The Why

You gotta know your reason for the goals that you set. Why do you want to achieve it? The clearer your reason, the better. Don’t go ‘cause I wanna be rich’. That’s not a reason. The more and the stronger your reasons are, the more likely you’ll stick to it till the end. Because there will be obstacles along the way. There will be tough times… stuff happens. If you don’t have strong reasons for wanting to achieve the goal, you’ll most certainly give up when the going gets tough. You’ll feel that it won’t be worth the time, effort, pain whatever. However, with strong reasons you will keep you going. It will validate your decision to continue your effort and not give up.

Here’s an example. I want to have healthy living habits so that I can live a long life and experience as many things as possible. So that I can be there for my kids and watch them grow up. Because my body is God given and sacred. Because I want to inspire my loved ones to do the same. Because if I don’t, then I am not loving myself. Because only then am I living up to my standards. Because it makes me proud of myself.

With these strong reasons, anytime you feel like eating junk food, not exercising, or taking a smoke, just read through it and you’ll bring yourself back on track. It will definitely work, but only if your reasons are strong and compelling enough.

Vital Goal Setting Tips #3

The detail-ness

When setting goals, the more detailed and descriptive you make the goal the better. Remember, clarity is power. Go further than the what, why, how, when, who questions. Make it as detail as possible.

Making your goal setting very descriptive will give you more motivation and determination to achieve it. By describing it clearly, it no longer just seems like a wish or longing, but rather something that is possible.

When your goal is ‘I wanna be healthy’ your brain does not know what it means. It’s so vague… what is defined as healthy? When you don’t know what it is, you will never ever achieve it.Instead be descriptive like ‘I want to weigh ___ kgs, have ___ % of fat, able to run ___ miles, wake up everyday feeling refreshed, have good posture, smooth skin, hygienic habits, sleep soundly every night, eat nutritious natural food at least 5 days a week, feel energetic not lethargic daily, not needing to rely on coffee, exercise on a regular basis, look like an Adonis, etc.

This way, you have a clear target. You know where to start, what to do, and you will know when you have achieved it. When your goals are vague, you don’t know what to do & where to start. But when it is descriptive, you are making it possible and real.

Plus, it will also give you more motivation & determination to take action and follow through. Does the vague goal or the descriptive goal motivate you more? Of course it’s the descriptive goal. How can you be motivated to take action when your brain is confused about what the vague goal means?

Having said that, the biggest reason for writing a descriptive goal is because the act of doing it is part of the creation process. As you write the goal, read it, think about it, visualize it… you are making it happen. You are sending out a signal to the universe and attracting it to you. When you put focus on the goal, you give it power. Do it with desire and emotion, and the power will multiply.

Those are the 3 vital goal setting tips that you must get right.

Final thoughts....

Good goal setting tips practices increases the likelihood of success in it’s achievement. If you’re not sure on how to begin, these are goal setting forms which may be helpful and get you started.

You can set effective goals using pen and paper in your journal or notebook. However, you may want to consider making use of computer technology to set goals. Apart from offering a host of additional features, a goal setting software makes your goal setting more manageable and saves time compared against traditional pen and paper.

Visit Achieve Goal Setting Success for FREE practical tools including a step-by-step goal setting workbook, templates, personal analysis tools and action plans... not to mention, lots of information on everything you need to know about goal setting and other helpful advice on how to get the most out of your personal goal setting journey.

I'll wrap up with this, do not focus on the pain, sacrifice, obstacles etc of achieving that goal. Instead, focus on how having the goal right now will impact your present reality. This will get you motivated, and always remember that half the reward is in the journey itself. So enjoy every moment of the path to the goal.

Hope those goal setting tips helped. Have fun guys....

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