How to Set Goals

Setting Goals: WARNING, some serious, frank language ahead…



People are generally terrible at setting goals – and even worse about holding themselves accountable to them. Setting goals and following is an art – a discipline – a habit. 



GOOD NEWS! We’re going to systematically show you how to set reasonable goals, measure them and ultimately make your goals into habits that you achieve…



Let’s break this down a bit. To do this well you will need to:



1. Set reasonable, measurable goals

2. Measure them regularly and possibly adjust at first

3. Evaluate what worked and didn’t work in an effort to be even better next round



Let’s take these one at a time:



1. Set reasonable, measurable goals



- To do this you must be very honest with yourself.



- Be reasonable in your expectations – if you have never worked out, let’s not start with run a marathon, but something like, “Walk 3 days a week every week.”



- Be sure your goals are measurable. A goal like, “eat better,” isn’t measurable – if you eat one meal better than last year, you’re done. Try something like, “Cook 3 meals at home a week,” or, “Only eat fast food one day a week,” or, “Take lunch to work instead of eating out.”



2. Measure them regularly and possibly adjust at first



- I suggest putting a weekly reminder in your calendar at first to review your goals.



- It may help you to write a journal or notes each week as well.



- If you need to adjust, make it slight – don’t cut your goal in half, but use systematic ideas – such as, “If I can lose 3 pounds a month, that will be 36 pounds by the end of the year.



3. Evaluate what worked and didn’t work in an effort to be even better next round



- People are generally not great at goal setting the first few times – that’s why so many fail at it.



- Don’t be too hard on yourself, just correct the problem (remember the goals aren’t the problem – it might be the person setting them).



- Base your next years’ goals on what you actually achieved the year before – if you wrote 5 handwritten Thank You notes, then go for 8-10 the following year – not 20.