The Ultimate Guide To Goal Setting

(Photo from Shining Academy)

1. FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE OR ACCOMPLISH.

It's always surprising to me when I realize just how many people don't actually know what the heck they want. And as a result, they usually don't HAVE what they want! After all, how can you go after something specific if you don't know what that something specific is? So the first step to getting what you want is actually knowing exactly WHAT you want.

If you don't know what the heck you want, then having a little brainstorming session might help! During your session, ask yourself these questions ...
- What is important to me? - What am I passionate about? - What sounds exciting? - What's something new that I'd like to try? - What do I want people to remember about me? - What specifically would make me feel happier? - What do I enjoy doing so much that I forget to eat and poop? (Hehe.) - Where would I like to be 3 - 5 years down the road?
And if you don't know your life's "dream" right now, don't panic! That's perfectly okay. I've found that some times the only way to figure out exactly what you want is to simply let time pass while you try new things! It took me a good year and a half to figure out that I wanted to help other creative entrepreneurs grow their blogs and businesses, and the only way I was able to discover that little tidbit was by taking the time to try new things. For now, come up with at least 1 - 2 things based on your answers above that you'd like to achieve over the next year that you can make into a solid goal or two!

2. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT KICKED ASS LAST YEAR (AND ALSO AT WHAT DIDN'T.)

Another way to come up with new goals is to examine the past year. Oh yes, take a good, hard look at it! Stare at it so hard that it makes this past year feel uncomfortable!!! Ehem. But seriously, think about the last several months. Is there anything related to your life, business or relationships that you'd like to change, maintain or improve? Ask yourself questions like ...
- What were the best, most awesome parts about this past year? - What sucked the most about this past year? - Where did you let fear stop you in your tracks this past year? - What would you have done differently this past year? - Were there any time sucks that totally drained your energy? - What were 3 of your favorite moments this past year and why? - When/how did you have the most fun this past year? - What was your biggest accomplishment this past year? - What was your most memorable moment this past year?
Once you've thoroughly examined the past year, think about any goals that you could create to make things better, more fun, more kick ass, more efficient and more AWESOME!!!

3. PICK DIFFERENT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE TO SET GOALS IN.

Not only do I love setting goals in general, but I adore setting goals in different areas of my life! I mean ... if I only set business-related goals and totally neglected setting any health-related goals, then the chances of me neglecting that area and/or not making much improvement are pretty dang high! Balance is a good thing, and that's why it's super important to think about different life "categories" that you can set specific goals in! Examples of life "categories" can include things like business, finances, physical health, mental health, relationships, pets (don't laugh that's totally a category!) etc.

4. THINK ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE EACH PARTICULAR GOAL.

I'll bet you've set a New Years resolution for yourself before and have broken it within hours, weeks or months.
Perhaps you've done this dozens of times. Or HUNDREDS of times!!! (Actually, you probably haven't done it "hundreds" of times because that would mean you've lived hundreds of years and therefore you'd probably be dead at this point. Right?) But my point is, it's easy to set goals. It's the moving towards them continuously even on days where you feel totally unmotivated that's the difficult part! Which is why you should write down WHY you want to achieve each goal along with all of the awesome benefits that achieving each one will provide. You'll want to be able to read this later for motivation, trust me! (And if a specific goal doesn't have good benefits and/or isn't inline with your passion and purpose, then you probably shouldn't waste your effort on it any way!)

5. WRITE DOWN YOUR SPECIFIC GOALS.

Once you've come up with goals for different areas of your life and have also thought about WHY you want to achieve each particular goal, it's time to WRITE THEM DOWN. No, not on a sheet of paper that you're going to lose and never see again! (I'm strict about this one, sorry! Hehehe.) Write your SPECIFIC goals down on a pretty sheet that you can post by your workspace and/or inside of your planner. (P.S. feel free to check out my Blog + Life Planner if you're still in need of a colorful, quirky planner to do all of your scheming and dreaming in!) Not to sound like a broken record here, but be really specific. Mmmkay? And if you can include dates on your goals, even better! For example, "Increase my blog traffic by 100% by October 31st" is really specific as opposed to "Get more blog traffic." Seeing and saying your specific goals on a regular basis can be a super powerful way to actually getting shiz done. (Plus you won't do something silly like accidentally forgetting about them. DOH!)

6. BREAK EACH GOAL DOWN INTO SMALL, ACTIONABLE STEPS.

Now THIS is the fun part! This is where you take a big and exciting (and sometimes totally scary) goal and make it completely doable! Scary, seemingly unattainable goals seem way less so when broken down into small, NOT scary steps. And if one particular step overwhelms you, just break that step down into 3 or 5 smaller steps! So for each goal that you'd like to achieve, write down ALL of the small steps that you need to take from start to finish in order to accomplish it. So for example, if one of your goals is to start a blog, your actionable steps might look something like this ...
1. Define my blog's purpose. 2. Identify my ideal reader. 3. Create a brand style guide. 4. Choose a blog name. 5. Purchase the domain. 6. Purchase a website/host.
Get the picture? (By the way, I totally wrote an entire blog post on how to start a blog in a day if that actually IS one of your goals!)

7. SCHEDULE YOUR ACTIONABLE STEPS.

As Marie Forleo says, "if it's not scheduled then it's not real." I heart this quote SO MUCH. Because it's SO TRUE. Scheduling all of the actionable steps for each goal will remove that feeling of overwhelm and insure that you get things done! It's like creating a fun little roadmap to your dream destination. So whether you use a tangible planner or a digital one, take the time to actually schedule in all of the various steps for each of your goals. And if you miss a step along the way, NO BIGGIE. Simply reschedule that step. Hell, reschedule it five times if you have to!

8. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.

I don't know about you, but nothing makes me feel more motivated than looking back at and keeping track of all the progress that I've made! If your goal is to lose 10 pounds by a certain date, then celebrate the hell out of each pound that you lose and keep track of when you accomplish every single step! If your goal is to grow your blog traffic by 25% each month, then write down how much you're actually growing it each month! Give yourself a pat on the back. Keep track of and acknowledge all of your progress and accomplishments!

9. SPEND AT LEAST 30 MINUTES A DAY MOVING TOWARDS THAT BIG GOAL.

Do you have one or two really big goals on your list? (You totally should because big goals are challenging and fun!) If so, try to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to moving closer to it. Yes, this might not always happen, but if you can't dedicate 30 minutes a day then dedicate just FIVE minutes a day when time is extra tight. Every single day ask yourself, "what can I do today to move closer to my goal?"

10. REWARD YOURSELF FOR HITTING GOAL MILESTONES.

What better way to stay motivated and feel accomplished than with some good 'ol fashioned rewards for hitting particular milestones? If you've got one really big, juicy goal that you're trying to achieve you could create a few "milestones" leading up to that goal and treat yourself when you hit them! There are lots of ways to treat yourself, either with or without spending money. A few ideas ...
- Take a day to yourself (or at least a half day) doing something that you love! - Take yourself out on a date to your favorite restaurant, or bring a friend/significant other! - Buy a big fancy pants espresso drink! - Sign up for a class you've always wanted to try! - Treat yourself to something you've been wanting, like a new book or outfit! - Spend the afternoon exploring a place you've never explored before! - Take a long, hot bubble bath!
You get the idea ... get creative with your rewards! Better yet, schedule those rewards inside of your planner so that you remember to treat yourself for hitting those milestones!

11. REAFFIRM YOUR GOALS ON A DAILY BASIS.

Remember how in step 5 you wrote down your specific goals in a place where you can easily see them? (Such as on a pretty piece of paper hung by your workspace and/or inside your planner?) This might sound cheesy but it's important: read those goals and say them to yourself every single damn day. Saying them to yourself reaffirms your goals, keeps you focused and actually keeps your goals on your mind!

12. REVIEW AND REWRITE YOUR GOALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

Some times priorities and wants change, and that's totally normal! So as the year goes by, you might need to modify or change some of your goals. Which is why it's a fabulous idea to really think about and review them every 3 months! Did you complete one of your goals early? You can remove the other needed steps from your schedule! (And create a new goal, perhaps?) Are you running behind on a particular goal? You might need to reschedule a few steps. Is one of your goals just not resonating with you at all anymore? It might be time to scrap it! No shame in that. (Also there's a difference between something that's no longer resonating with you and something that you just feel like giving up on because it's hard. Don't you dare scrap your goal if it's the latter!)

13. BE CONSISTENT.

This is perhaps one of the toughest things to do, but is essential for reaching your goals! Setting goals can be super fun and exciting, but when things get tough (or busy!) it's easy to fall off the bandwagon. Fast. (By the way, what the heck is a bandwagon? I'm picturing an old-fashioned covered wagon with a little 5 piece band playing inside it!) So for tips on how to stay consistent and work towards your goals, watch this great little video by the fabulous (and hilarious) Marie Forleo!

14. SHARE YOUR GOALS WITH OTHERS.

The moment you share your goals with others you become accountable! Plus, putting them out there just makes them feel more real, ya know? So go on ... share them with a friend or two. Share them on Facebook. Share them on your blog. SHARE THEM WITH YOUR CAT!!!
Speaking of sharing, have any of you set any goals for the new year yet? I'd love to hear one or two! (And if I can help you in any way, even better!) One of my goals for 2016 is to release my first ever FREE online branding workshop and online course soon! WOO HOO!
There, I said it.

source: http://www.wonderlass.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-goal-setting/

Self Confidence Affirmations From Think And Grow Rich

Today I'm going to be drawing inspiration from the book 'Think And Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill. This book has been around forever, it's quite a famous book and has been described as "the essential guide to joining the worlds most successful people. 
Virtually every page of this book has some pearl of wisdom and today I'm going to be talking about the self confidence formula. 
In the book it states that taking an inventory of mental assets and liabilities you will discover that your greatest weakness is a lack of self confidence. It goes on to say that this handy cap can be surmounted through the aid of auto suggestions through the principle of taking positive thought impulses and writing them down.
These affirmations need to be repeated over and over until they become a working part of your conscious mind. 

So here is the five point self confidence formula that Napoleon Hill is recommending in the book.

1: I know that I have the ability to achieve the purpose of my definite chief aim in life. Therefore I demand of myself persistent, continuos action towards it's attainment and I promise to take such action. 

2: I realise that the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action and gradually transform themselves into physical reality. Therefore I will concentrate my thoughts for 30 mins daily upon thinking about the task of creating the person I intent to become, creating a clara mental picture of that person. 

3: I know through the principles of auto suggestion that any desire that I consistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression 
though some practical means of attaining the object. Therefore I will devote 10 minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self confidence. 

4:I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life. I will never stop trying until I have developed sufficient self confidence for it's attainment.

5: I fully realise that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice. Therefore I will engage in no transaction that does not benefit all of whom it affects.

So that's the 5 affirmations to help improve self confidence as written by Napoleon Hill in think and grow rich.

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals that Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of SMART goals  already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Attainable.
• Relevant.
• Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralise yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

 

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans  for more on how to do this.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

How to Apply the Golden Rules to New Year Resolutions

Click on the link below to see how you can use the Five Golden Rules for setting your New Year Resolutions represented in an infographic:


https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/new-year-infographic.htm

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Source: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm

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