Make Your Goals Meaningful And Robust

People often say that in order to achieve success you should set goals but when it comes right down to it, there are very few people who can actually show you how to do this effectively. Following are some tips that will help you gain clarity and focus when setting goals.

The first thing that you need to do is gain clarity about what it is that you wish to achieve. If you are truly serious about accomplishing your goal you will take the time to write it down on paper.

Writing your goal down makes it real and shows commitment. This process is symbolic of making a contract or entering into an agreement with yourself. Upon completing this task, you should have a very specific result that you want to achieve.

Once you have captured your goal on paper you can then follow this six step procedure to transform it into a reality.

Since weight loss is such a popular subject, let’s use this topic to work through an example.

Begin the process by answering the following questions:

1. What is my specific goal?

• Lose twenty pounds

2. What are the benefits of accomplishing this goal?

• Improved Health
• Look Better
• Feel Better
• Enhanced Self-Esteem

3. What is my timeframe to accomplish this goal?

• Three Months

4. What specific steps will I take to accomplish this goal?

• Limit my daily caloric intake to less than two thousand calories
• Eat Healthy Foods
• Ride my bicycle at least thirty minutes three times per week
• Refrain from eating after 8:00 p.m.

5. What barriers or obstacles will I encounter?

• Eating fast food for lunch
• Eating unhealthy snacks such as sweets

6. What will I do to get focused when I get off track?

• Refer back to my goal-setting worksheet and recommit
• Look at my body in the mirror and visualize myself after the weight loss
• Utilize motivating self-talk
• Start the process over

These steps are so simple that they are often overlooked by many people during the planning stage of their goal-setting process. Perhaps they take these steps for granted or they assume that they can just gradually work their way to success by aimlessly heading in the general direction of their goal.

Successfully accomplishing goals requires focus and dedication. It also requires vision and a clear path consisting of a well defined roadmap.
Writing your goals down on paper provides a starting point and a final destination.

If you happen to fall down or get lost along the way it serves as a rock or anchor that you can use to get back on track.

A written commitment to your goals provides inspiration and increases your chances of success by making them meaningful and robust.

By: Laney Lockhart

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