You can take a masters degree at a leading university and never receive a single hour of instruction on goal setting and goal achieving. Fortunately, setting a goal is a skill. – Brian Tracy
Do you have clear goals? Many of us don’t!
In this article I would like to introduce you a video by Brian Tracy on how to set goals.
Here is his 7 Steps Methods:
1. Decide exactly what you want
It is hard to achieve your goals if you don’t know exactly what you want. Unfortunately, many people are not very clear about their goals (when they do have goals). Losing weight, making money or being happy are not goals, they are merely wishes. Goals that aren’t specific, measurable are unlikely to be achieved. Once you have clear goals, you will have your subconscious work for you.
2. Write your goals down
Only a few percent of people write down their goals (3% according to Brian Tracy). Writing down your goals activate your subconscious and start turning your goals into reality.
3. Set a clear deadline
Having a clear deadline activate your subconscious mind and force you to move forward. Keep looking at your deadline on a regular basis
4. Make a list of everything that will help you achieve your goals
Make a list of everything you could think of that will help you achieve your goals and keep writing until the list is complete. Having a list helps you chunk down your goals and create sub-deadline when necessary. No matter how big a goal is, it is always nothing more than a successful of small tasks.
Think strategically:
- How can I cut my learning curve?
- Who can help me?
- What kind of action took people who achieved similar goals? What was their mindset? What was their action plan?
- What kind of person do I need to become to achieve these goals?
5. Organize your list
Once you have your list, organize it, first by sequence and then by priority.
You are probably familiar with the 80/20 rule. 20% of the tasks that are on your list will bring 80% of the results. We generally spend too much doing things that are not really important. I believe there are mainly two reasons for that. The first one is simply because we didn’t take the time to identify the key tasks, and prioritize our work accordingly. The second reason is because we are afraid to tackle those big tasks. For that reason, we procrastinate by focusing on petty tasks (more or less consciously) and aren’t really making progress. Are guilty of that too?
The best tip I can give you is to start working on your most important task first thing in the morning. What I like to do, and find the most effective, is to start working on my most important task even before having breakfast or taking a shower. If you work from home, that is a good thing to try. (Make a list of your task fro the day, the day before or first thing in the morning)
To identify your most important task you can ask yourself the following question “Which task would make me the happiest and bring me the most relief, if I could complete it today”.
6. Do something immediately to achieve your goal
Right after you set your goal, take immediate action while it is still fresh in your mind. As Jim Rohn says “Here is the time to act: when the idea is hot, and the emotion is strong. That is the time to act“. I find it to be very true. A month from now, this great idea you have now will only be a remote memory. It will be gone forever. If the idea is hot, and your emotion is strong, take action!
7. Do something EVERY DAY
It is vital that you take action every day in order to move closer to your goal. In order to make it easy for you to do so, it is important to create daily habits that will support your goals. Your willpower is limited, so simply relying on motivation is not a good strategy. It is far more effective to implement two or three daily habits that will help you achieve your goals than to rely solely on motivation. To learn more about habits see my article How To Form Habits Effortlessly -The Power of The Compound Effect
Brian Tracy’s Exercise:
Make a list of ten goals that you would like to achieve next year or so and write them down. Then ask yourself: “If I could only achieve one goal on this list, which one goal woud have the greatest positive impact on my life? Circle that goal.” This becomes the goal you will constantly focus on. Follow the 7 steps above and keep thinking about your goal. Review your goals before going to bed and when you wake up in the morning. Lastly, and more importantly, take action!
What about you? What is your most important goal? Leave a comment below and share it with me.
To learn more about goal setting check out my books:
- Goal Setting: The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals That Truly Excite You
- The One Goal: Master the Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battles, and Achieve Exceptional Results
Finally, why not go further in your personal development journey? Make sure to SIGN UP below to receive your FREE E-BOOK and get started 🙂
The 5 Commandments of Personal Development
