- Write down your goals. The simple act of writing down a goal is the first step toward achieving it. …
- Take inventory of resources and threats. …
- Reassess and adjust as necessary. …
- Determine milestones. …
- Share your goals. …
- Consider the SMART approach.
How to Set Goals You’ll ACTUALLY Stick To
Why it’s important to set realistic goals
Your chances of success—at work, at home, and in school—increase when you carefully consider your goals and make sure they are all attainable. Realistic goals help you stay motivated by maximizing your time and resources. Setting and achieving realistic goals also helps boost your self-esteem.
What is a realistic goal?
A realistic objective is one that you can accomplish given your present perspective, level of motivation, timeframe, skills, and capabilities. Setting realistic goals will help you determine both what you want and what you are capable of achieving.
How to set realistic goals
Here are six tips for setting realistic goals:
1. Write down your goals
The first step toward achieving a goal is the straightforward act of writing it down. Written goals help you analyze your expectations. The objectives you had in mind might require further clarification once you put them in writing. If your written goals don’t align with the ones you had in mind, reevaluate and try again.
2. Take inventory of resources and threats
Goal-achieving depends on having the resources you require and overcoming the challenges you encounter. Make a list of the resources you have at your disposal that can help you achieve your goals and the conditions that could stand in the way of your success. These include:
3. Reassess and adjust as necessary
You can honestly reassess your goals and make any necessary adjustments now that you’ve taken the time to write them down and consider the factors that will help and hinder you in achieving them.
For instance, if your objective is to “found a new company to offer creative services to pet-related retail stores,” but you lack the funds to fund the venture, you could change your objective to “I will set aside 30% of my pay for six months while I search for investors to support the venture.” “.
4. Determine milestones
Goal-achieving is a process, so you need checkpoints along the way to see if you’re on track. You might need to adjust your timeline if you miss a milestone. Additionally, milestones make your goals more manageable by dividing them into smaller, more manageable parts. Instead of attempting to finish everything at once, it is much simpler to follow sequential steps.
Example: Set reminders for yourself to check your progress every three weeks if you expect it to take six months to complete your goal. Decide whether the timeline or the steps you’ve planned to reach your goal need to be adjusted if you find yourself running behind schedule at one of these check-ins.
5. Share your goals
When you share your objectives with someone else, you invite accountability for the steps you take to reach them. Sharing your objectives with coworkers, friends, and family members is a good resource. Tell them you value their assistance in helping you maintain focus and that when they inquire about how things are going, they are assisting you in staying on course to achieve your objectives.
6. Consider the SMART approach
Use the SMART method if you require a more organized framework for creating realistic goals. How realistic your goals are is directly correlated to the letters A and R in the SMART acronym.
SMART goals meet these requirements:
Examples of realistic goals
Here are some illustrations of the distinction between unattainable and realistic goals:
FAQ
What is an example of a realistic goal?
Therefore, if your big dream is to quit drinking completely, a more achievable objective might be: “I will have a drink-free day tomorrow.” This is a good realistic goal because you can start doing it right away, but making it a regular habit will help you progress steadily toward your big goal.
How do you set realistic daily goals?
- Specific: Be very specific when you write your goal.
- Measurable: Set a goal that you can measure.
- Attainable: Make sure the goals are attainable.
- Set realistic objectives that you can complete in the allotted time.
- Timely: Complete the goals within a specific time.
