To achieve more of the goals you set you’ve got to be a person of action. Throughout your day keep in mind the old saying, “all else fails without action.” As you put forth effort on the things you deem to be most worthwhile, you will find that your inner belief system grows.
The beliefs you hold about yourself determine the goals you are able to manifest in your life. If you believe you’re capable it is far more likely that you will try — which is the first step in goal setting. Dream big, for when you do, truly you will see that your life becomes one filled with rich life experiences.
There is any number of goal-setting strategies you can put to work in your life. I’ll share two below.
How to Set SMART Goals
The idea behind setting SMART goals is that each letter in the word SMART stands for the following:
S = specific. A goal has to be connected to a particular endeavor, idea, or undertaking.
M = measurable. A goal should also be one that you can monitor and measure your development as you work toward its accomplishment.
A = actionable. To advance toward a goal, there should be clear activities or actions you can take.
R = realistic. The goal should be achievable. If your goal is to play center for a professional basketball team you’re going to have a real hard time seeing it through if you aren’t even 6 feet tall. Friend, I’m optimistic by nature, but that’s a perfect example of making sure your goals are realistic.
T = timely. A goal should be accomplished within a certain time frame. This will help keep you working on your goal. This does not mean you quit if you fall short of your intended time frame. if that happens you just extend it out and continue in its pursuit.
When you’re writing your goals you’ll be in a far better place to accomplish them if you’ll use the SMART goal system framework above.
Alternatively, here’s a system I teach called the Goal Cards system. I’ll outline it below for you. It’s one of the many strategies I dig a lot deeper into in my book, It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG.
The Goal Cards System
First, you need some 3×5 index cards and a writing pen. Nothing fancy required.
Feel free to personalize this so it works best for you. I always say personal development is a hands-on project after all! With that said, here is how I use the 3×5 index card goal-setting tool.
I would write down the particular goal. For example, let’s say my personal goal is to write at least one new article a week.
I would write the following on my 3×5 index card:
“I write and complete one or more motivational articles a week. I receive nice notes from people that read my writing to let me know that they found the ideas helpful. This or something better is happening in my life now for the good of all concerned.”
It’s worth noting that I do adjust the wording according to the particular goal I am recording, but in all instances, I like to include the last part which reads “This or something better is happening in my life now for the good of all concerned”.
You certainly don’t have to add that part, but for me, I find it helps to keep me focused on my larger objective of helping others.
Hopefully, you noticed a few other things I like to include on my personal goal cards from the example above. In case you missed them they are…
I write in the present tense. I find this helps make the distinction in my mind between what I am doing (I.e. Being active and taking the real action necessary to see results) versus simply what I’d like to do.
Remember, we’re on our way to making our goals a reality when we take the needed steps to achieve them, not simply hoping they’ll happen on their own. Writing my goals in the present tense makes a difference.
Another thing I do is include a little supporting statement for my goal. In the example above I included “I receive nice notes from people that read my writing to let me know that they found the ideas helpful.” I find that including a statement like this helps to give life to my goal — and helps highlight one of the reasons why it is worth taking the effort to work on the goal.
You might consider it a written visualization. Just as visualizing an outcome in your mind helps to manifest your goals, so adding a little written visualization to your goal card will give some added emotion as you are reading and reviewing them.
The key to why keeping your goals written down on 3×5 index cards works is because they’re easy to keep around. They can easily fit in your pocket, on your desk, or practically anywhere. Since it is easy to keep them nearby, it is also easy to review them often! And make no mistake… Reviewing your goals as often as possible is what makes all the difference.
Think of it like this… When it comes to goal achievement, out of sight and out of mind is a killer. And seeing as how our lives can move 90 to nothing it is far too easy to be sidetracked by any number of life’s challenges.
To summarize, set regular times with yourself during your day to review your goal cards. Keep them in places where they won’t be easily missed. While it is true this idea is a simple one, it is also true that it is easy to neglect taking action on it. While simple, it does work — if you work the idea that is.
There you have it, two goal-setting systems you can use to begin finding success in your pursuits. Keep in mind that both require action on your part to get the results you are after. Anything worthwhile takes work, but you’re worth it!
— It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds
* Josh is the author of Why Perfect Timing is a Myth: Tips for Staying Inspired and Motivated Day in and Day out! and It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!