Should I even bother setting goals? Aren’t goals just ideal things you want, but that never really happen? If this sounds like you, keep reading, there’s a reason goals haven’t worked out for you in the past and, even more importantly, there’s a way to make them work for you now. When I think about goals, I think about the things that you talk about on New Years Eve and you’ve forgotten about by January 3rd. Think about some common New Year resolutions: I want to lose weight and get in shape. I want to make more money. Have you ever made one of these resolutions? Can you really say you’re surprised that you didn’t follow through?
For starters, those are HUGE big picture goals with no specifics on how you’re going to accomplish them. When you think about how to achieve the goal, is it clear what your first step should be? Do you have smaller goals that will help you achieve your big picture goal? Did you write them down? Have you found an accountability partner such as a friend or family member who will help encourage you to succeed? Do you know why you even want to achieve the goal? So how do you change your goals so you succeed?
It Is absolutely worth it to set goals, but you have to set yourself up to be successful. You have to take the big picture goal and know your “why.” If my goal is to make an extra $1,200 for the year, why do I want that? Do I want it so I can pay off my credit card? So I can take a vacation? So I can buy a new laptop? Knowing why this goal is important to you will help you stay focused when you’re ready to give up. Once you know your “why” then think about the smaller goals that will form the path to your big picture goal. You probably aren’t going to make $1,200 in one day (and if you are, your big picture goal wasn’t big enough) so you have to break it down into smaller pieces so you can see your progress and celebrate your accomplishments.
If your goal for the year is to make $1,200 more for the year, you need to make goals for each month so that you can achieve your goal. In January, your goal could be to take on more responsibilities at work to show your manager the value that you bring to the company. In February and March, your goals could be to make an extra $100 of income each month. Be sure to be specific about which method you will use. Read 8 ways to increase your income for ideas. In April, your goal could be to try to get a raise at your current job. You could meet with your manager and discuss the additional duties you’ve taken on since January and how you’d like to discuss a raise or talk about what other actions you should take in order to get a raise. Each month’s focus can be a little different, but it should help you realize that your big picture goal wasn’t unachievable after all. Each goal needs to be something that you can achieve in a month, but not something that you could do without trying. If you could meet your goal without trying then you need to make the big picture goal a bit more ambitious. Push yourself to reach this big picture goal and be sure to track your progress.
Some months it is going to be tough to achieve your goal. Life gets busy and, lets be honest, sometimes motivation fades. To maintain your motivation think back on your big picture goal and your why. If your goal is to make more money, what do you plan to do with the money? Do you plan to pay down debt to lower your stress? Pay for a vacation? Keep this end in mind and do everything you can to make your dream come true.
“I didn’t reach my goal this month so now I’m just going to stop trying.” Absolutely not. No excuses. Even if you don’t meet your goal for a month, just keep going! No one is perfect, but you won’t reach your goal if you don’t keep pushing forward. Keep working towards your goals and you might be surprised at just how successful you can be.
What’s your big picture goal? Has breaking it down into smaller goals helped you be successful? Comment to share your story.