This goal-setting crash course contains the essential points required to set achievable goals that build confidence.
What follows is the 2-point framework, then how to implement the plan.
- Become clear about what it is you want.
- Discipline yourself to do more things that move you toward this goal.
Here’s how to do it. These two points, done correctly, guarantee success, given enough time.
Number 1: Become Clear About What You Want.
Reasonable goals are specific and tangible. We can visualize and imagine them in our mind’s eye.
Our goals must be in harmony with our values and each other. Destinations cannot conflict with each other. In the past, I have wanted to be a guest speaker. But I also value lots of solitude. Appreciating solitude while booking a busy speaking lifestyle is not in harmony. So I abandoned the speaking goal and now write instead.
It’s essential to have one overall goal that improves our quality of life more than any of our smaller goals. It is an umbrella of congruency.
For example, a unifying goal of a strong and mobile body contains many smaller goals. It means you can kneel, walk easily, squat down or put your arms overhead. These smaller goals are all in harmony with the overall purpose and build on each other. Many goals complete themselves when they are aligned this way. By accomplishing one, we may achieve or make massive progress on another.
Next, let’s also put a deadline on our goals. Most goals are achievable, but many have unrealistic deadlines. Once we have a deadline for our goal, we work toward achieving it on time. We set a different deadline if we don’t reach the goal by that deadline. Then we work toward the goal until we finally succeed.
It’s a great learning experience to take action despite how we feel, regardless of the outcomes.
We learn about a lot of things emotionally and externally.
Keep showing up. It brings out many of our best qualities. Reset a deadline and keep going.
Goal deadlines are an estimation of the goal achievement date. We may beat the deadline, hit the deadline, or miss it. Deadlines give us structure and stress importance.
Now we are clear on what we want and when we expect to achieve it. Let’s figure out a plan and implement it.
Number 2 Discipline yourself to do more of those things that move you toward this goal
Discipline is a jump starter. Massive amounts of discipline are not required forever. That’s unsustainable. In the short term, self-discipline gets us to act on the steps of our plan until they become habits. Once our actions are habitual, we have a system for goal achievement. It’s just a matter of time.
Goal-Setting 101 – Make A Plan!
Make goal-setting easy on yourself in the beginning. Choose goals you know you’ll accomplish if you work on them daily. In the beginning, goals need to be believable and achievable. It’s good to get some wins under your belt.
Easier goals also require less complex plans and outside assistance.
Later, when our faith and self-confidence grow, we can go for it.
If we don’t already have a plan, we ask, “How.” How is it that we’re going to achieve this goal?
We wake up and write out ten possible ideas and ways to achieve our goal. Eventually, something will click. A plan will form over time. We also look at other people that have achieved what we want. Then we apprenticeship under their ideas.
If we have a plan, our task is simple. We get to work.
Work patiently, slowly, and little bits at a time. Every day we get a little closer.
Look where you are today and find a solution to reach the smallest next step. That’s a win.
Many wins will achieve the goal.
Find The Obstacles
Now we have a plan, and there will be obstacles. Analyze the barriers standing in our way. Select the biggest one.
That biggest obstacle is why we combine every goal with a learning topic. With a new objective, we have to learn something and use it to overcome challenges. Pick the skill that helps the most in achieving the goal. Whatever it is, write it down, make a plan, and then work on developing that skill. Work on it daily until you master the skill.
Goal-setting, planning, and action until completion IS the goal. Because if you do the right daily actions, you will achieve the outcomes as a byproduct.
Who Can Help Us Reach The Goal Faster?
Now we determine whose cooperation and help we need to achieve the goal. Behind many accomplishments, you see relationships. Big plans require the help of many people. More people means more knowledge and connections to leverage. The better the relationships, the faster we achieve our goals. Simple goals we can handle on our own.
Thought/Desire – Goal – Image – Reality
An Image Makes The Dream A Reality – Where there is no mental image, energy is wasted and chaos reigns.
We visualize our goals daily as if completed. As we write the same goals daily, we watch our mental movies. We see every detail of the result and the process of working the plans’ steps.
Why? We need to see where we are going. And because the goal is seldom the best part. Other desires wait in the shadows upon completion. So we must enjoy the process of pursuing dreams. We savor the personal skills and traits we acquire in becoming achievers of goals.
We become more complex and evolve as we enhance our skills.
The Goal Slash Confidence Circle
Last we need to commit. Our daily persistence, determination, focus, and repetition of effort create wins. This ordering of our consciousness on a single aim is an antidote to chaos.
There is a sense of peace in setting a goal and being committed. There is freedom in saying no to so many other things. We are doing this, not that. And in this way, many things fall outside our circle of mental effort. We only concern ourselves with what we decide is worthy of becoming a goal.
Confidence in our ability to succeed is the key to staying determined and persistent. Goals that are believable and achievable build confidence. Success leads to more success.
It’s More Than Just Goal-Setting – There are Side Benefits
It is both a shelter in the storms of life and a test of our will.
Having a definite purpose and knowing what we want, orders our consciousness. When things fall apart, we know where to focus our mental energy. It brings us back to the center. Again, we are doing this, not that.
And so goal-setting is more than getting things. It puts us in a state of flow. Goal-setting builds our character traits. It makes us realize we are capable of creating change. Working towards something we deem essential gives us purpose and peace.
James Clear said, “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” Because this is true, we will discuss systems next.