Baby Steps To Setting Goals

Article Written By: ElliottKosmicki

Popular motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, andquot;If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. What ever good things we build end up building us.andquot;

Goal setting is indeed a tricky task. Every goal you wish to achieve has to begin as a thought. So the first step is to think. Evaluate your overall situation and define your goals.

The outline below are some basic steps for you - the simpler the better!

Five Step Goal Setting Made Simple:

1. Give yourself realistic goals - Bring yourself up to your limits, then push yourself closer.

2. Define Your Objectives - Attention to detail is critical.

3. Put your tasks in order - One thing at a time.

4. Define Your Time Frame - Give yourself time to achieve, but not slack.

5. Follow Through - What good does an unaccomplished goal do for you?

Give Yourself Realistic Goals

Determining your personal, financial, educational or business goals requires a lot of thought and decision making on your behalf. Think about what you want to achieve and make notes along the way - even if it seems to be a minute detail, it could be an important factor in your decision making.

andquot;Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.andquot; - A quote by Henry Ford.

Take a few days at minimum to think about it. If you've ever seen a carpenter work, he says andquot;measure twice, cut once.andquot; If he doesn't take the time to measure twice and cuts too short, his goal takes longer to achieve because he didn't take the proper measures to ensure the success of his original plan. He has to use more materials, more time measuring again, cutting again and making his goal harder to reach because of poor planning.

If you set your goals too high, you're setting yourself up for failure. Be sure you can comfortably challenge yourself with your goals. That's not to say you should make it easy on yourself!

Make a List of Objectives

Give yourself definite goals and subgoals. Set aside time for each goal during your planning stage. Give yourself concise notes about how you think you'll reach each goal and subgoal.

Put Your Tasks in Order

Be very clear with yourself about what you must do to reach your goals. Take great notes. Make lists of what you're willing to give up to turn your goals into a reality. Decide which goal is most important to you and put it at the top of your list. The tasks needed to reach that goal are now your number one and only priority. Once you reach that first goal, move the next one up the list!

Do You Have a Set Time?

Work out your time frame. Make sure you have a realistic one. You don't want to be looking 10 years down the road, upset at yourself for not staying focused! You're the only one who can decide when you can reach your goals, and it's only you who can make yourself succeed. Like the first step, Make Reachable Goals, you have to make a real time frame for every goal. Remember, challenge yourself, but don't make it so hard that you quit.

Cross The Finish Line

Besides thinking and mental planning, this is probably the most important step. If you don't follow through, you aren't going to achieve your goals. You can't let yourself give up on you! If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you can't allow yourself to stop at 19. If your goal is to ace the big test coming up or get a promotion at work, don't stop until you've achieved it!

About the Author

The author, Elliott Kosmicki, is a motivational blogger that started Becomng.com - the personal development blog for people who live online. Leave a comment and find other personal goal setting posts from Becomng.com.

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This Article Has Been Published on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 and Read 249 Times

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