4 Simple Tips For Successful Goal Setting

So here we are.

This is that time of year we look back and we reflect on all the things we’ve done this year and all the things we’ve accomplished, but it’s also that time of year where you look forward to the next year and you want to think about the goals that you want to set for yourselves.

Or maybe you’re just trying to get through the holiday season and survive it until you get to January.

But the fact of the matter is, not many people actually set goals for themselves… Set specific goals.

It’s usually things like, “oh, I’d love to lose weight this year, or, I’d really like to go on a vacation, or maybe I’d like to do this or that.”

But it’s rare that they actually set specific goals and decide how they’re gonna accomplish those goals.

Statistics show about 60 to 70% of people have never written down a goal in their lives. And that’s a shame because statistics also say that you’re much more likely to reach a goal if you write down your specific goals on paper.

So today I want to discuss…

4 simple tips that are going to help you set your goals for the coming year.

So to help you set your goals, I’m goning to give you the acronym “Why”,  W. H. Y.

Now, I know you’re saying to yourself,  “Mark, that’s only three letters.”  Where’s the “4” Tips. 

Well, what we’re going to do is we’re going to start with the WORD “Why”.

When you’re setting your goals or deciding what you want to accomplish for this coming year, I want you first to find your “why.”  Why do you want to accomplish this goal?

Let’s say you want to be a specific weight, or you want it to improve your health.

What is your why?

What’s your driving passion?

Your desire, your motivation to reach this goal?

Simon Sinek, the author of Find Your Why, said…

“The Why can help you set your vision. The Why can help you act WITH purpose, ON purpose.”

You see, if you know your why, then you can determine almost any how.

It was Eric Thomas that said,…

“Once you find your why, you will find a way to make it happen.”

So that’s why it’s so important to determine the why behind the goals that you’re setting for yourself.

Now, let’s go to the “W” in Why.

The “W” stands for WHAT.

What specifically do you want?

What do you want to accomplish?

It can’t be wishy washy. You can’t just say, I’d love to lose weight. You need to give your brain marching orders. You need to tell your brain exactly what you want to accomplish, then you can get going on specifically what you will need to do to accomplish that goal.

So if you want to lose weight, it’s, “I weigh this much by this date, of this month.”

If you want to start running next year and you want to run a certain distance, then you have to say specifically what that distance is and when I want to accomplish it by what date.

Once you give your brain specifics on what you want to accomplish, then your brain will start to understand what it needs to do to solve that problem; to reach that goal.

Now, the “H” stands for ‘HOW”

Once you have your specific WHAT and know exactly what you want to accomplish as far as what you want to be, do, and have, then you can determine how you will accomplish it.

What is the plan that you will have to specifically take the actions of how you will reach the goal that you have set for yourself.

If you want to run a 5K or a 10 K by this date in March of this year, then you will figure out specifically how you will do that. You will plan out the tasks that are necessary that will help you achieve this goal. How much will you have to run each day?  How much will you have to run each week to get you to the level that’ll allow you to run that race on that specific date?

What are all the specific tasks that I will need to do to allow that to happen and allow me to reach that goal?

Now, the ‘Y” in “Why” stands for YOU because, ultimately, you are the one that can make this happen.

Nobody else can do it for you.

William Johnson said,…

“If it is to be, it is up to me”

To achieve great things or reach the goals that we set for ourselves, very often we need help. And it’s wonderful to have a team to get us there, but at the end of the day, if it is to be, it is up to me, meaning it is up to you, nobody’s going do it for you.

You set the specific goals for yourself and you will make it happen. And when it comes to setting specific goals for yourself, usually when you’re setting a goal, it’s a matter of commitment to yourself and accountability.

Now, with accountability, it does help to have somebody in your corner.  A person that can help you with accountability: a coach, a mentor, a friend, a loved one, a family member, that can help you keep honest with yourself.

But remember that “Y” stands for “YOU”, because you are the one that will see yourself achieving that goal and envision yourself reaching that goal.

And it comes back to your reasons why you set that goal in the first place.

What is the driving force?

What is the reason why?

What is the passion?

Why you want to reach this goal?

Now, I could speak for a whole weekend on the topic of goal setting, and a separate pillar of my Focused Mind course actually talks about getting clarity and setting goals for yourself.

And I have my whole system of how to set PRIME goals. But today I wanted to give you these 4 simple tips to help you on your way to setting goals for the coming year.

So remember,…

• Find your WHY. What is the driving desire and the reason why you wanto to reach this goal.
• Next “W”, determine WHAT specifically you want to accomplish. Have your goals, be as specific as you can. And remember, do yourself a favor, write them down. Because when you write them down and there’s a magical connection between your mind and the pen, that the only thing you can can focus on when you’re writing that goal is the actual goal and you’re much more likely to reach that goal.
• The “H” was HOW:  How specifically will you accomplish that goal? That’s when you plan out the specific tasks that it will take to reach that goal.
• The “Y” is YOU. You are the one that commits to yourself to accomplish this goal. “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

I hope this information helped you out!

Have a wonderful Week!

Be Positive, Be Motivated, Be Focused and Be Well,

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