Writing down your goals can be a powerful tool on your journey to personal and professional development. Goals provide direction and motivation, and writing them down can help you identify what’s important to you and which direction to focus on to achieve them.
Here are some goal-setting tips and best practices to set yourself up for success. You’ll find a goal-setting worksheet PDF at the end of this article — download it and fill it out to help you stay on track.
1. Set Attainable Goals
Set goals that are realistic to achieve. Working toward something that is impossible to accomplish can hurt your progress and self-confidence. Break your attainable goals into mini-goals that are measurable so you can monitor your progress and adjust strategies as necessary.
When goal setting, it’s often important to think SMART. SMART Goals are:
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Attainable
- R – Relevant
- T – Time-bound
Examples of SMART Goals would be “earn my degree by the end of next year” or “receive a promotion at my next review.” Both of these are goals that can be measured, attained, and have due dates.
>> Read More: The Student's Guide to SMART Goals
Focus on Things You Can Control
Positive actions move you closer to achieving your goal. If there are outside situations that may affect your progress, think about what you can do to positively influence the situation.
In addition to your actions, you can also control your environment. According to author James Clear, many of us make decisions based on our environment. If you have an organized workspace, you’ll be more likely to work. If your kitchen is full of sugary snacks, you’re more likely to eat them.
Controlling your environment can have a direct impact on achieving your goals. According to Clear, scientists refer to the impact that environmental defaults can have on our decision-making as choice architecture. Your ability to achieve your goals has a lot to do with the influences you allow to surround you.
When working toward your goals, it’s important to set yourself up for success in all aspects you can control. That means keeping the best options oriented around your goal nearest to you while avoiding temptation and distraction.
2. Write Your Goals Down
A study by Dr. Gail Matthews found you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down — doing so can help you visualize them and keep them top of mind. Display your goals where you'll see them often, such as at your desk, to remind you of what you’re trying to achieve.
In addition to writing down your initial goal, it is also useful to track progress toward your goal. This study by Stanford University followed 1.4 million people who wanted to lose weight and found that those who wrote down their goals and tracked their activity and calories in an app achieved higher weight loss than those who did not.
Journaling
Bullet journaling can help you track and remember goals. If you don’t know about bullet journaling, these resources can get you started:
“How to Bullet Journal: The Absolute Ultimate Guide”
This guide helps you get organized to track your goals through bullet journaling. This popular and aesthetically pleasing way of tracking progress can take some getting used to, so this guide is helpful for beginners.
“How to Bullet Journal (Even If You're a Total Beginner)”
This article from The Today Show features an interview with Ryder Carroll, the author of The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future. It explains how to do it and the psychology of why it’s effective.
Software and Apps
If you want more digital ways to track your progress, a number of online tools can help you work toward a goal. These include:
GoalBuddy is an online tracking tool that also acts as a support network. In the online app, you can mark progress toward your goal and receive encouragement from people with similar goals. The tracker also features a task manager and list organizer.
Goalscape is software that helps simplify and streamline complex goals. This software tool helps you identify, develop, and communicate the key elements of any complex project. It also includes progress tracking.
Lifetick is web-based software that helps you track your goals and progress. The platform includes a dashboard to see your progress, reminders, a journal section to track your experience, and individual task tracking to keep you on the right path.
HabitNow Daily Routine Planner
For Android devices only, this app enables you to manage school schedules, work, chores, and more. HabitNow also offers a comprehensive calendar app to help you blend task management and time organization.
Coach.me has a free habit tracker that’s easy to use. Simply mark the habits you want to create and check them off when you work toward them. The app also has personal coaching for a monthly fee.
Broken down in an easy-to-use calendar format, Strides helps you not only track your habits but break them down into smaller, manageable pieces. The interface has easy charts and integrations with accessories such as smartwatches to keep you on track.
3. Get Proper Sleep
Unhealthy eating habits can make you tired and sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Make it a priority to eat well and get at least 7 hours of sleep each night so that you stay on track with your goals.
>> Read More: Health and Wellness Guide for Busy College Students
4. Get Inspired
Before pursuing any goal, it helps to get inspired. Goal setting — and achievement — is what makes successful people. If you’re looking for inspiration toward setting your goals, you may want to listen to podcasts, watch TedTalks, or read books about significant achievements.
Tony Robbins - How To Set Goals and Achieve Them
Self-billed as the nation's #1 life and business strategist, Robbins is a famous author, coach, and speaker. This YouTube video explains the importance of goal setting and offers Robbins’ take on how to best do so.
Tim Ferriss - Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals
With more than 12 million views, this video by best-selling author and podcaster Ferriss offers a different spin on goal setting. Ferriss explains why understanding what scares us and examining the price of inaction can help us chase even harder after our dreams.
Why the Secret to Success Is Setting the Right Goals | John Doerr | TED2018
Chairman of Kleiner Perkins and successful venture capitalist John Doerr shares the secret to his success in this video. And it isn’t really a secret. He argues that setting goals is the only way to achieve success.
Hard Goals: The Secret to Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
In this book, available at most retailers, author Mark Murphy explains how success comes from knowing how to set goals that are:
- Heartfelt (have an emotional attachment)
- Animated (motivated by a vision)
- Required (full of a sense of urgency)
- Difficult (because the greatest achievements come from the toughest challenges)
This extensive list of exercises helps you determine which goals are right for you and work through how you will attain them. Based on psychological research, this resource of games and exercises will help you better visualize your top priorities.
Called the “granddaddy of all motivation literature,” this book is a great start for those who are new to goal setting. Author Napoleon Hill dissects the successes of great American industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford. The new, updated version of the book also includes stories, such as those of Bill Gates and Mary Kay Ash.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple: 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals
This easy how-to guide walks you through not only setting goals but setting the right goals. Focused on the SMART method, this book provides simple steps from goal setting to working toward the goals that should motivate you for success.
This book by David J. Schwartz encourages you to aim high when setting goals. Do you want a successful career? Reach for it. Do you want financial security? Work toward it. Don’t limit your goals to something small; instead, think big.
Purdue Global’s Goal-Setting Worksheet
This worksheet helps you define actionable goals to get you where you want to be. We also provide space to explore what will hold you back from your goals, to define resources and cheerleaders, and to check in regularly on your progress.
You Can Achieve Your Goals
It’s never too late to set new goals for yourself. If career goals are on your mind, read How to Set Professional Goals for Yourself (With 11 Examples).
And if earning a college degree online is on your list, learn more about Purdue Global. We offer more than 175 online college and certificate programs for working adults. Request more information today.
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