How To Set Good Goals

Goal setting is a process that requires organisation, preparation and lots of disciplined focus on your behalf.

Setting goals for yourself therefore extends far beyond wishful thinking, daydreaming or fantasising. It is an active process that you must engage in if you are to achieve the things you want to achieve out of life.

What Is Goal Setting?

One of the most important things to remember about goal setting is that goals are objectives.

They are an end result that you are working towards. Goal setting is therefore the process of seeing your goals through to completion.

However in order to do this you need to set the right goals. You need to set good goals.

For example, your end result may be to become rich, but being rich is not a goal in itself. Rather it would be more accurate to set a goal where you specifically describe what you want to do to become rich.

For example, to create a product that people need and one that adds value to their life. This product would be something that you decide upon beforehand, such as a book or some electronic equipment.

The more specific and challenging your goal setting is, the more likely you will be to achieve those goals.

Your Goal Setting Purpose

There are lots of reasons why people begin the process of goal setting. Usually it’s because they are not happy with their current situation, or because they want to achieve more than they currently have.

Regardless of the reason, these people all have one thing in common; motivation.

Finding the motivation to set goals can only come from analysing your current situation, and deciding upon the things you would like to change or improve. Once you have decided upon these areas, you can then begin goal setting.

If you are struggling to come up with ideas for goals, try asking yourself the following questions to see what motivates you.

For Setting Business Goals

• What position would you like to reach in your business, or your career?

• What do I need to know or be able to do in order to reach that position in my career?

• How do I want my work colleagues or team members to perceive me?

• How much money do I want to earn at each stage of my career?

For Setting Personal Goals

• Do I want to start a family? If so, when?

• What level of fitness do I want to achieve?

• What hobbies do I want to pursue? And how much time will I allocate to them?

• What sort of social life do I want to have? What do I want to do, and with whom?

Prioritisation & Goal Setting

Once you have decided upon the goals you would like to achieve, or even just the main areas of your life you would like to change, the next stage of goal setting is to prioritise goals in order of importance.

Use the following goal setting prioritisation tips to help you do this:

Know The Difference Between A Goal And A Purpose

If your purpose in life is to become a successful business person (with “success” being something defined by you), then the goals you set should be aligned with that purpose in mind.

There will likely be many steps you must take before you realise your purpose in life, and these steps can seem intimidating if you try and tackle them all at once.

Turn each of these steps into specific sub goals and complete them one by one. Once they have all been completed, you will have achieved your purpose in life.

What Goal Will Make The Biggest Difference In Your Life?

Most people have lots of general goals, however only a few of them will make an immediate and significant impact to their life.

When setting goals for yourself you should therefore decide which goals are most important to you, and then make those a top priority.

There is little point in pursuing goals that add little value to your life, because ultimately the completion of those goals will come at the expense of your more important goals.