Tips for Achieving Your Goals, by Jonas Chapman

There are many reasons why we want to set new goals for ourselves. Goals give us direction and clarity on which way to go in our lives. Having goals means you know where, or what, you want to achieve, and have a plan on how to get there. But getting started is easier said than done, and accomplishing those goals can be even harder.

First and foremost, setting goals provides us with direction and purpose. It helps us find motivation and focus, and in achieving and maintaining our goals, we learn different ways to prioritize and be more efficient in our daily lives. In realizing our goals, we find increased productivity, accountability, and an overall boost in our self-confidence; all of which leads to an increase in our own personal (and often professional) growth. Some other good reasons to establish and achieve our goals are that along the way you gain charisma and self-assurance, foster a longer life-span and, most importantly, unlock your potential.

Begin by figuring out which parts of your life you want to improve. This could be your career, relationships, or just general self-confidence. Determine your why. Why are you setting this goal? Why is it important? How will it improve your life? Write this information down and place it where you can see it often. Create a list, vision board or other optical reminders to help you visualize this goal and stay motivated. Having something tangible to refer back to can help with this. Get as creative (or not) as you want. The challenge often arises in keeping up with these goals as life becomes busy. Be kind to yourself through the process and focus on small, daily steps. Progress, no matter how small, is a step forward.

Next, formulate your Plan of Action. You should take the time to identify obstacles and how you can make adjustments when life happens and impinges on your goals. As obstacles arise, you may need to: adjust a tactic, pivot your strategy, or allocate additional resources. Brainstorming and developing solutions to these hindrances and scouting out the resources available to assist you to get past them is key, so when they do arise- and they will- you can more easily pivot and navigate a way to get past them. This requires regular check-ins, communication and flexibility, which leads to the next important step when setting your new goal: creating accountability. Self and peer accountability are equally important.

Self-accountability is taking responsibility for one’s actions and holding oneself to a higher standard. Those who are self-accountable are more likely to attain goals and stick to them as they can stay focused and committed. Those lacking self-accountability struggle with setting and attaining goals as they will often procrastinate and make excuses for their shortcomings.

Peer accountability is holding each other accountable for your progress towards a shared goal. This can provide constructive feedback, help identify areas in need of improvement, help you stay motivated. When individuals know their peers are counting on them, they are more likely to stay focused on a task, remain goal-oriented, and push themselves harder. There are different ways peer accountability can manifest, but establishing regular goal-setting sessions either in a group or a one-on-one setting, are the most effective. Be consistent and check your progress regularly. Being accountable to someone else actually increases the odds you’ll reach your goal to 95%!! Also, remember to track your progress, either by finding a buddy to work on your goal(s) with you, or signing a commitment contract to yourself. You can also use goal-tracking tools, such as online/apps, like Hive.com.

Ultimately, goals help you learn and grow and expand your horizons. Goals give you the opportunity to create a new and better future, generally resulting in a longer life-span. The types of goals that are important to you and the things you want to attain are unique to you. You wake up and start to connect with your true self. Our goals keep us motivated, focused, and ambitious. Every goal-setting cycle unlocks that potential and, with each cycle, you slightly adjust the course of your life and eventually, you find your path and begin to discover the meaning of your life.

One key tip in formulating your “Plan of Action” is to remember the acronym SMART. SMART stands for Smart goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound:

1. Specific: Instead of being vague like “get healthy”, be specific about what you want to accomplish, such as “lower my blood-pressure” or “lose fifty pounds”. Ask yourself- why this goal and how will it impact my life once I achieve it? (Another important question may be to ask how will my “plan of action” impact my life?...) and work on small steps to get you there.
2. Measurable: Define your criteria for measuring your goal progress; instead of “walk every day”, walk one mile or twenty minutes a day.
3. Attainable: Set goals that are achievable within your physical, financial, and time boundaries.
4. Realistic: Make sure your goal(s) is/are realistic; that it is something actually attainable or do-able for you and your lifestyle, and that you’re doing it for yourself- because you want to- not because someone else wants you to do it.
5. Time Bound: Setting a time frame can help keep you on track, as it creates a sense of urgency and prevents everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goal(s).