Goals- How to set and achieve them

[annalaurabrown]

Are you a busy person who wants to set and achieve your goals but you can’t seem to get started? Have you set goals before but then been unsuccessful at achieving them? Let’s examine the letters in the word GOALS and see what helpful tips we can come up with to help you set effective goals and realize them in your life.
Go the first part of the words GOALS is go. In order to be successful in achieving your goals you must first commit to go. That is you must take action and get started. One of the main reasons we fail to achieve our goals is that we fail to take action.
Obstacle- all successful goal achievers will encounter obstacles. You must have a plan to overcome these and be determined to succeed no matter what challenges you may face in the process. How you choose to deal with your obstacles will to a large degree determine your success. To often when setting goals we fail to account for any obstacles which may prevent the achievement of that particular goal. When setting goals it can be helpful to think about what challenges or obstacles may come up and to plan for how you will overcome them.
Attitude- what kind of attitude do you have towards goal setting and towards your goals? Are the goals you have set, truly your goals and not those of someone else? Do you really want your goals to be realized? These questions can be difficult to answer because often we are not completely aware of our inner thoughts. Are you afraid of your success? Having the right attitude is imperative if you are going to succeed. It can be helpful to journal your goals, your progress and your thoughts every night for a few minutes before going to bed. This can help to determine the attitude you truly have towards your success and can help you to identify any mental blocks which may be impeding your success. In many respects this is the most important aspect of goal setting. You must have the right attitude and expect your own success.
Ladder- just like a ladder has many steps, goals also have many steps. When setting your goals you must write down and be very clear and specific about the different steps necessary to achieving your goal. If you are unable to come up with at least three different steps and actions for each goal then that goal is not specific enough or clear enough. Just like you know when you have reached the top of a ladder, you must also know when you have achieved your goal. It must be measurable. In the beginning you may have to split up your goal into more than one smaller goal.
System- Do you have a system for achieving your goals? All goals must include a plan of action. You must know what system you are going to follow in order to insure your success. It is not sufficient to write down a goal without a specific series of steps you will follow until you have reached your goal.
Keep go, obstacles, attitude, ladder, and system in mind and if done effectively and in the proper manner you will succeed with your goals and realize more success in your life than you ever imagined was possible.

[KevinCald]

[trinitybrown]

[Al Smith]

Great post and quite timely since many people are setting New Year's Resolutions. (just another name for New Year's goals)

Just wanted to bump this one up now it's 2009.

Al Smith