Keys to Goal Setting Success

A key part of every business or life plan is setting goals that provide a clear vision of the path you want to take and the things you want to accomplish. Many people make goal setting seem to be an uncomplicated and easy process. You simply define a specific goal and when you would like to complete it, making sure that it is measurable. Then implement your plan, track your progress, evaluate your results, and objectively make changes to your actions.

That all sounds well and good but I’ve found things rarely work out this way. A number of stumbling blocks tend to throw many frustrated people off course. One reason that halts progress before even getting start is setting unrealistic goals. Or nonchalantly setting a goal with no real idea how it will be reached. Many people often are gung-ho and motivated at the beginning of setting a goal but quickly find themselves disappointed and unmotivated.

So let’s take a moment and look at some important points that will help you keep moving forward in reaching your goals. First off, be realistic. Each goal should be achievable within the given amount of resources and time. For example, it would probably be unrealistic to set a goal to earn $25,000 per month in 90 days when you are currently earning less than $1,000 per month. A more realistic and more achievable goal would be to increase your earnings by a small percentage, say 5 – 10%, over an ongoing period of time.

Next, you’ll want to break your goal down into small, manageable tasks. Then schedule them in the order they will need to complete for you to reach your overall goal. Give each task a reasonable amount of time to complete. The total time of all tasks will give you a realistic target date as to when you will be able to achieve your overall goal. It will take some time and effort to establish this plan but your success rate will be much higher than arbitrarily pulling a time frame out of thin air.

It is also good idea to plan review times so that you can effectively evaluate your progress. The frequency of these reviews will be determined by the target date of your goal. Short-term goals may require a daily review, where as long term goals may only need to be evaluated weekly or even monthly. For instance for a three month goal, schedule a set time every week to evaluate your progress and make any needed adjustments to keep you on track for reaching your goal. This will take discipline and some things are sure to come up and interfere with your schedule on occasion. That’s ok, just be sure to define a way to make up for it.

An additional roadblock that will hinder your progress is the process itself. Take great care to not create a goal management system that takes more of your time than the goal itself. It’s best to keep it simple. For example, use something like a basic spreadsheet or if needed, a software designed for goal management. Again, don’t over complicate this area. You just need sufficient tools to keep you on track. Nothing more, nothing less.

Once you’ve reached your goal you’ll want to spend some time reviewing your overall process and actions. With an objective and open mind, this review will be a great learning opportunity. You will learn how you can improve for the next time and build on the confidence that setting and reaching your present goal has created.

In summary, plan properly and set goals realistically and you and your business will benefit tremendously over time. You will see constant and never ending improvement that impacts everything you do!