7 Tips for Achieving Your Goals
Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by Jon Winthorp in goals
photo credit: www.a-middletonphotography.com
Setting goals is one thing; achieving them is an entirely different beast to conquer. If you’re tired of never reaching your goals, try implementing these 7 tips the next time you set a goal for yourself.
- Don’t set too many goals—You’ve heard the saying “don’t bite off more than you can chew.” Well, that goes for when you set your goals too. Don’t set so many goals that you end up overwhelming yourself and spreading yourself too thin to achieve any of them. Instead, focus on setting and achieving just one or two simple goals. Remember, it’s better to do one thing really well than several things poorly.
- Write down your goals—A lot of times (especially at New Year’s) we set goals for ourselves only to forget all about them a few weeks later. That’s why I recommend writing all of your goals down on paper. Put that paper up on your refrigerator or somewhere else where you will see it every day. This reminds you of the direction you want your life to be heading in, and it forces you to be accountable.
- Break larger goals into smaller pieces—This is a silly example, but let’s suppose you set a goal for yourself that in 5 years you want to own 10 houses. That’s a rather lofty goal, right? How are you going to tackle such big aspirations? By taking it one step at a time. Break that goal down into bite-sized chunks. Focus on owning 2 houses by the end of the first year; 2 more the year after that, and so on.
- Make sure your goals are realistic—There’s nothing wrong with having high hopes for yourself, but you don’t want to set your goals so high that you set yourself up for inevitable failure. When setting your goals, take a step back to ask yourself “Is it really possible for me to achieve this if I do my best?” If it seems a bit unrealistic, reevaluate the goal.
- Track your progress every day—Most of the goals you set will probably take at least a few months to achieve. The only way to make sure you stay on track to reaching these goals is to track your progress each day. Simply put, you have to schedule time each day to work toward this goal. Otherwise, days will pass by, and you’ll realize you’re way too far behind to reach the goals you set on time. Reaching goals is a lifestyle.
- Don’t be afraid of failure—The very thought of not reaching a goal causes most people not to set them in the first place. Like they say in True Lies “Fear is NOT an option!” Fear will paralyze you and prevent you from ever moving forward in your life. You have to take chances, and you have to accept that you might fail. And should you fail, pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes, and move forward.
- Find different ways to achieve goals—Whenever we set goals, we usually come up with a specific plan for achieving them. But sometimes that plan just doesn’t work out. While your first instinct might be to give up on the goal, consider finding another way to achieve it. I’ll end this with another cheesy saying, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
How do you achieve your goals? Share your tips with us in the replies!
Gerri
24. Jun, 2009
These are all great, but I think #7 is most true. If one bridge is out, you take a detour.
Tracy
24. Jun, 2009
Number 6 was a huge issue for me for many years but then somebody told me to aim to fail faster and something clicked. Failure is not an end, it’s a sign that you’re moving towards something.
Jon Winthorp
04. Jul, 2009
Tracy,
I think that is something inherent in the entrepreneurial spirit. Failure often times breeds new opportunities for success. As strange as it might sound to some I actually welcome failure, even though it’s not really failure unless you give up.
Whitney Segura
24. Jun, 2009
I agree with Tracy that #6 is a huge problem with many people, but I also agree with Gerri that finding different ways to get things done is the most important one of all. Either tons of people find it hard to think outside of the box or they just don’t even try to find another route…
“Things will come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle.”
JC
24. Jun, 2009
Making sure the goals are realistic is really important. We can often set goals for ourselves that are way beyond the bar of reality. Then when we fail its depressing. I think these tips are great, and should help people who actually apply them.
Scaryinternet
24. Jun, 2009
Yep. #1 is the most important. That’s the one I have the most trouble with.
icantseeyou
24. Jun, 2009
Excellent article – every tip is something to be considered and thought about.
Ritu
24. Jun, 2009
I think one of the main ways to achieve your goal is to simply by staying on track. Most of us tend to get excited and set it on paper and after two days we are onto something different. Consistency pays. Set a goal and stick with it.
@ScottBradley
24. Jun, 2009
Fantastic points! Every point could have an entire blog post of its own!
Tobias
24. Jun, 2009
That’s it. Simplifying things often works just fine. Nothing is better than having a sheet of paper with a few to-dos on it and a small plan. Nothing big, but a hint how to get things done.
Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
24. Jun, 2009
Great ideas. Let me add one more. Remember to stay positive. Sometimes it’s good to take a break and “play” whatever that means to you. Staying centered in what makes us happy is equally important as work.
EssexSEO
24. Jun, 2009
This article came about just at the right time. I aways set myself to many personal and business goals.
Right now I’m putting a chart up in the office setting all my targets for this year, after reading this article I’m going to put all of those goals away in a folder and put one goal on the wall, once I’ve done that I’ll bring the next one out.
Trevor @ Fancy Dress
24. Jun, 2009
I need to work on number 5, but I’m getting better at it.
I think I’ll print this page off and add it to my task list…..te he
David - web designer
24. Jun, 2009
I set goals for my clients websites but never for myself.
Maybe its about time I started.
annemoss
24. Jun, 2009
Great tips. I’m goal oriented and this breaks down the process nicely.
Ann Smarty
24. Jun, 2009
The best advice for me is to get organized. Organize your goals, plan your time and think over every step…
Gerald Weber
25. Jun, 2009
I personally utilize #2. Not only do I write down my goals, but I also break it down from yearly, monthly, weekly and daily. So at the most basic level I have a daily list of things to do. This has served me very well thus far and definitely keeps me moving forward.
Matt | Small Biz Bee
25. Jun, 2009
I personally like #3. Sometimes we set big goals for ourselves (good!), but they seem insurmountable on the whole (not so good). By breaking them down into smaller, bite sized pieces, you keep achieving without getting discouraged.
Matt
Jon Winthorp
04. Jul, 2009
I have made this mistake before. Don’t get me wrong it is good to set lofty goals but if they are unrealistic then you are setting yourself up. Realistic goals in bite sized pieces work. Thanks for stopping by Matt.
Gennice
27. Jun, 2009
Number 2 is a must do. It helps so much when you write down and look at your next achievement every single day…
That way you will persuade even yourself that you can do it!
Gennice´s last blog ..Unfollow People Who Aren’t Following You On Twitter
Rahul - Web Guru
28. Jun, 2009
I like the #3 one. To break bigger goals into smaller ones so that they can be achieved easier.
Rahul – Web Guru´s last blog ..Global fight against Polio
Jon Winthorp
04. Jul, 2009
It definitely works for me.
Everything Counts
30. Jun, 2009
From eureka to achievement, the evolution of a goal begins in the mind and immediately takes shape when pen is put to paper. The goal progresses from thought to sketch; from sketch to action; and finally from action to achievement, in real time. The achievement of a goal is an exemplary tale of power, purpose, and potential.
Jon Winthorp
04. Jul, 2009
It’s a great sequence of events and put very poetically. Thanks for stopping by.
Nancy
01. Jul, 2009
Good points and number 2 reminds me I’ve been trying to find time to make one of those visual boards for my goals. If I can see it, I can do it! Thanks
Nancy´s last blog ..FDA Reasserts Multi-State 0157:H7 E.Coli Outbreak Linked to Nestle Toll House Refridgerated Cookie Dough
Vered - MomGrind
02. Jul, 2009
Breaking a large daunting goal into smaller, more achievable goals really does work.
Great tips.
Jon Winthorp
04. Jul, 2009
Agreed. Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting.
Louie Baur
06. Jul, 2009
I need help with numbers 1-7:-)
Louie Baur´s last blog ..Full Deck: A Short History of Skate Art
Harsh Agrawal
08. Jul, 2009
I always use the Strategy # 3 that works for me
Harsh Agrawal´s last blog ..Use Friendfeed to increase your RSS feed subscriber count
Tech Support
19. Jul, 2009
Cool list. Now, if I can only get motivated!
Jim Knippenberg
24. Jul, 2009
Number 2 in the list is real important. Also, there’s a HUGE difference between a “New Year’s Resolution” which is NOT a goal and a well-defined goal. Writing the goal out in well defined terms, as a well-formed outcome (I want to do / have / achieve XXX by such and such a time) is a really important step to take.
Most people are non-specific, and so they either don’t get their goals or they don’t know when they’ve achieved them.
“I want to get another car because I don’t like mine anymore (or it’s old, worn out, whatever) is not very well-formed. “Another car” might be a used clunker with 300,000 miles on it. Or it might be a Camry or a Tesla Motors electric roadster. Be specific, and write it down. And take action. Awesome advice!
Nice post! I found it on Twitter. Thanks for posting!
Sincerely,
Jim Knippenberg
Meena
29. Aug, 2009
I go with point 3..Splitting your goals into small pieces make them achievable..
Meena´s last blog ..What are the Limitations of Free Wordpress blog
David Leonhardt
30. Aug, 2009
Add to this…”Choose goals that really mean something to you”. Goals that are focused on what others think or what seems normal aren’t going to have as much sway as those that speak to your core values as a person.
David Leonhardt´s last blog ..Want a link on a throw-away domain?
Todays Goal
16. Nov, 2009
Having my goals broken down to one day at a time has helped me immensely, it makes any goal achievable. Great post.
Todays Goal´s last blog ..Goal Update for Today: Practiced practiced practiced! Practice makes near perfect on public speaking
aks
14. Dec, 2009
nice list thanks for sharing.