# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Psychologist Susan David explains why a simple switch from "I must go to the gym three times a week" to "I want to go to the gym three times a week" can put your goal within reach.

Ted was a London-based client of mine who became a good friend. He was forty pounds overweight and, because he traveled a lot for work, he found it difficult to get into a healthy routine. After a long flight, he'd show up at a hotel tired, hungry and missing his family. He'd seek out comfort in a cheeseburger and a couple of beers, then he'd graze from the minibar. His wife and doctor were after him to lose weight and exercise, but somehow, knowing what he "had to" do never got him to do it.

Ted married late in life, and he and his wife adopted a boy from Romania named Alex. Alex had been orphaned at a young age and had spent his early years in heartbreaking circumstances. He'd barely been held, touched or spoken to, and was so malnourished he developed long-term learning disabilities.

Despite these difficulties, Alex was a very talented artist. One day, when he was 10, he drew a picture of himself alone, desolate and abandoned. He titled his picture "The Orphan." Ted was not surprised at the theme - Alex often depicted his early memories - but this time, Ted noted that the figure in the picture was a young adult. When he asked Alex about it, his son began to cry. He said he "just knew" his dad would die because of his poor health habits, leaving Alex fatherless again.

In that moment, Ted later explained to me, he went from feeling that he "had to" change his health habits to feeling that he "wanted to." He was motivated to get healthy out of love for his child and the desire to see Alex grow up. Ted began to make small changes - ordering salad instead of fries, placing the minibar candy out of sight, and exploring cities on foot rather than by cab - and those changes added up. He lost weight and has kept it off, because he wants to.

When we're compelled by a wagging finger instead of a willing heart, we end up in an internal tug-of-war between good intentions and less-than-stellar execution.

When we double down on discipline and willpower, this rarely leads to the best results. You may drag yourself to the gym, but how often does that lead to you sticking with an exercise routine? You may call up your relatives out of obligation, but how often do you have a meaningful conversation? When we're compelled by a wagging finger instead of a willing heart, we end up in an internal tug-of-war between good intentions and less-than-stellar execution.

Twenty-five hundred years ago, Plato captured this inner conflict with his metaphor of a chariot being pulled by two very different horses. One horse was passion - our internal urges - and the other was intellect - our rational, moral mind. Plato understood that we are constantly pulled in two opposing directions by what we want to do and what we know we should do. It is our job, as the charioteer, to tame and guide the horses in order to end up where we want to be.

Modern neuroimaging tells us that whenever the impulsive, reward-seeking system in our brain (passion) conflicts with our rational, long-standing goals (intellect), our brain tries to - pardon the pun - rein things in. Let's say you're trying to eat better. You're at a restaurant, and you spot chocolate mousse on the dessert tray. That triggers activity in your nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain associated with pleasure. You want that chocolate mousse. But, no, you remind yourself, I can't have it. As you muster up the strength to pass on dessert, your inferior frontal gyrus, a part of the brain associated with self-control, kicks in. With both areas activated, our brain is fighting with itself while we try to decide whether to dig in or abstain.

To make matters more complicated, our baser instincts have a head start. According to brain imaging, when we're faced with a typical choice, basic attributes like taste are processed on average about 195 milliseconds earlier than health attributes. This might explain why, in one study, 74 percent of people said they would choose fruit over chocolate "at some future date," but when fruit and chocolate were put in front of them, 70 percent grabbed the chocolate.

Want-to goals reflect a person's genuine interest and values, while have-to goals are imposed, often by a nagging loved one or by our own sense of obligation.

Fortunately, there is a tiny tweak we can make to help us sidestep this competition between the two horses. Like Ted, we can position our goals in terms of what we want to do, as opposed to what we have to. When we tweak our motivation in this way, we don't have to worry about which part of us prevails - our passion or our intellect - because our whole self is working in harmony.

Want-to goals reflect a person's genuine interest and values (their "why"). We pursue them because of personal enjoyment, because of the inherent importance of the goal, or because the goal has been assimilated into our core identity. But most important, these goals are freely chosen by us.

Have-to goals, on the other hand, are imposed, often by a nagging loved one ("You've gotta lose that gut!") or by our own sense of obligation, sometimes related to avoiding shame ("Good grief! I look like the Goodyear blimp! I can't go to the wedding looking like this!").

You can choose to eat a more healthful diet out of feelings of fear, shame or anxiety. Or you can choose to eat well because you view good health as an important quality that helps you feel good and enjoy life. A key difference between these two kinds of reasons is that although have-to motivations will allow you to make positive changes for a while, eventually that determination is going to break down.

Studies show, for instance, that two people with the same goal of losing five pounds will see that same serving of chocolate mousse very differently depending on their motivation. The person with a want-to motivation will physically experience it as less tempting ("The dessert looks nice, but I'm just not that interested") and will perceive fewer obstacles in sticking to the goal ("There are other, healthier options on the menu"). Once she's tweaked her motivation, she no longer feels like she's struggling against irresistible forces.

Want-to motivation is associated with lower automatic attraction toward the stimuli that are going to trip you up - the old flame, the martini passing by on a waiter's tray - and instead draws you toward behaviors that can help you achieve your goals. Have-to motivation, on the other hand, actually ramps up temptation because it makes you feel constricted or deprived. In this way, pursuing a goal for have-to reasons can undermine your self-control and make you more vulnerable to doing what you don't want to do.

I'm not suggesting we should all simply think positive and ignore real concerns. If you can't find a want to, then that could be a sign that change is in order.

If life is a series of small moments, each of which can be adjusted ever so slightly, and all of which, in combination, can add up to significant change, imagine how much ground you could gain by employing this simple tweak and finding the want to hidden in the have to. We all fall into these subtle traps of language and think, "I have to be on dad duty today," or "I have to attend another boring meeting." When we do this, we forget that our current circumstances are often the result of earlier choices we made in service of our values: "I want to be a father," or "I love the work that I do and want to excel at my job."

To be clear, I'm not suggesting we should all simply think positive and ignore real underlying concerns. If you can't find a want to in some particular facet of your life, then that could be a sign that change is in order. If you entered your field because you wanted to make a difference in the world but your company is focused more on the bottom line, it may be time to switch jobs. Or if you've come to realize that your significant other is not the person you thought he was, you might need to seek a new relationship. Finding a want to is not about forcing any particular choice; it's about making it easier to choose things that lead to the life you want.

Excerpted with permission from Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Susan David PhD.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Want to help your resolutions stick? Make this one-word change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ted was a London-based client of mine who became a good friend. He was forty pounds overweight and, because he traveled a lot for work, he found it difficult to get into a healthy routine. After a long flight, he'd show up at a hotel tired, hungry and missing his family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Feel like you start the new year ready to reinvent your life, only to find that, a month later, you've given up on everything and are living a life that's totally indistinguishable from last year?

Cue the guilt spiral, and February already looks bleak.

But maybe the problem isn't you. Maybe you're just bored of making and breaking the same resolutions over and over again. You know the drill: Lose weight; eat better; work less; exercise more. It's no wonder you're uninspired to keep them going past January.

So why not break the rut this year? Try a new resolution. Do something fun, creative, interesting.

Here are some suggestions, inspired by TED Talks:

Watch 10 movies that were written or directed by women.

If most of the movies you've seen are American, 95 percent of them were likely directed by men and up to 90 percent likely had male leading characters. But why does this matter? "[Stories are] the way we understand the world and our place in it. They're the way we develop empathy for people who have experiences different than our own," says actress Naomi McDougall Jones. "And right now, all of that is being funneled at us through the prism of this one perspective."

Studies show that the movies you watch affect your career choices, your relationships, your mental health, your sense of identity and more. So, commit to watching more films made by women and see how your perspective changes. Visit moviesbyher.com for an easily searchable database filled with women-directed movies.

Choose one person you disagree with and take them out to lunch.

Most of us are guilty of "other-ing" people who think or act differently than we do. As a result, we stop seeing their humanity and focus on their differences. Is there anyone you find yourself judging or negatively stereotyping because of their views? Invite them to lunch. However, before you meet, agree on some ground rules - that neither of you will persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, conversational and real. And be sure to listen.

When Elizabeth Lesser did this, she and her lunch mate found they had a newfound respect for each other. "Neither of us had tried to change the other, but we also hadn't pretended that our differences were just going to melt away after a lunch," she says. "Instead, we had taken our first steps together, past our knee-jerk reactions."

Schedule weekly time to be bored.

If your brain is always occupied, then you're probably missing out on some of your best ideas. "When you get bored, you ignite a network in your brain called the 'default mode,'" says podcaster Monoush Zomorodi. "The default mode is where we connect disparate ideas, we solve some of our most nagging problems, and we do something called 'autobiographical planning.' This is when we look back at our lives, we take note of the big moments, we create a personal narrative, and then we set goals and we figure out what steps we need to take to reach them."

So put down your smartphone, stop playing Candy Crush, and schedule some time to do nothing.

Become pen pals with someone in prison.

Sometimes, it just takes a letter to transform a life. When Marlon Peterson was in prison, he began receiving letters filled with stories and cartoons from schoolchildren. They made him feel like he mattered, and he also shared them with two of his friends who were inmates. Now they're all published writers, gun violence prevention advocates, and youth program innovators - and Marlon says he owes it to the pen-pal program. "It boosted my sense of worthiness. It gave me a sense of what I could contribute to this planet," he says.

Once a month, gather some friends to write letters to people at a local prison. Your words might provide the motivation and hope that they need to rebuild their lives.

Do one thing that scares you - knowing you'll get rejected.

Want to get over a fear of rejection? Jump head first into it. For 30 days, find a new way to get rejected every day. Do what author Jia Jiang did and ask for a "burger refill" the next time you're at a restaurant. Or, ask a stranger for $100. By the end, you'll desensitize yourself from the pain of rejection - a pain that could be holding you back from goals you want to accomplish.

"Rejection has bothered me my whole life because I was running away from it," says Jiang. "Then I started embracing it. I turned that into the biggest gift of my life."

Talk to a stranger every week.

It's easy to get swept up in your routine and forget about the people around you. This year, commit to talking to strangers - whether it's the person waiting in line with you at the grocery store, someone you see everyday on your morning commute, or a parent at your child's school. Even if it's just "hello" or a "how are you doing today," those little interactions can brighten your day and make another person feel seen.

"When you talk to strangers, you're making beautiful interruptions into the expected narrative of your daily life and theirs," says Kio Stark. You might just be surprised by the new and unexpected connections you make.

Celebrate one of your failures with friends.

Many of the biggest success stories begin with a risky, audacious idea, but often we let our fear of failure prevent us from trying at all. Instead, embrace it. Think of something you royally screwed up - and then celebrate it. It'll encourage you to test out more moonshot ideas without worrying about what people will think if your plans don't work out.

Try inviting your friends to dinner to celebrate one of your failures. Make a night of it, have fun with it, and see what you're able to accomplish when you stop fearing failure.

Say yes to everything for one month.

Try an experiment: say "yes" to everything that scares you. Raise your hand to take on a new project at work. Speak at a town hall about an issue close to your heart. Go to that intimidating kickboxing class your friend keeps inviting you to.

When TV producer Shonda Rhimes committed to saying "yes" to things that made her nervous, she stretched her comfort zone more than she could've imagined. "The very act of doing the thing that scared me undid the fear, made it not scary," she says. "'Yes' changed my life. 'Yes' changed me."

Buy fruits and vegetables that don't look perfect.

Ever go to the grocery store and inspect every piece of produce until you find the most flawless one? Our desire for perfect fruits and vegetables leads to a ton of food waste. A full third of our food is thrown away. "We're not talking about rotten stuff," says activist Tristram Stuart. "We're talking about good, fresh food."

This year, try to choose fruits and vegetables that look a little busted - not rotten, just imperfect. They'll be perfectly edible, and you'll do your part to help reduce food waste.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cue the guilt spiral, and February already looks bleak. But maybe the problem isn't you. Maybe you're just bored of making and breaking the same resolutions over and over again. You know the drill: Lose weight; eat better; work less; exercise more. It's no wonder you're uninspired to keep them going past January.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Beginner’s Guide to Goal Setting for Teens - Powerful Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SMART goals? WOOP goals? IDK what those are! Whether it’s big or small goals, this is the introduction to goal setting for teens looking to up their game!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Set Goals and Achieve Them: 10 Strategies for Success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Knowing how to set goals and achieve them is an important process. Goal setting is powerful for creating motivation and giving clarity. Here's why.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Set Goals You'll Actually Achieve

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Set yourself up for success with expert advice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Goal setting is everywhere in our world. We set goals for our careers, our health, and our lives in general. It seems modern society is always encouraging us to think about the next milestone. However, what we don't think about enough is the science and strategy of how to accomplish your goals. That's what this guide is here to do.

Whether you're setting personal goals or professional goals, this guide will explain everything you need to know. You can click the links below to jump to a particular section or simply scroll down to read everything. At the end of this page, you'll find a complete list of all the articles I have written on goal setting.
I. What is Goal Setting? II. How to Set Goals You'll Actually Follow III. How to Achieve Your Goals Consistently
What is Goal Setting?

Experts define goal setting as the act of selecting a target or objective you wish to achieve. Fair enough. That definition makes sense, but I think there is a much more useful way to think about setting goals.

What is Goal Setting?

Most goal setting exercises start with an overpaid consultant standing by a whiteboard and asking something like, "What does success look like to you? In very specific terms, what do you want to achieve?"

If we are serious about achieving our goals, however, we should start with a much different question. Rather than considering what kind of success we want, we should ask, "What kind of pain do I want?"

This is a strategy I learned from my friend and author, Mark Manson. What Mark has realized is that having a goal is the easy part. Who wouldn't want to write a best-selling book or lose weight or earn more money? Everybody wants to achieve these goals.

The real challenge is not determining if you want the result, but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal. Do you want the lifestyle that comes with your quest? Do you want the boring and ugly process that comes before the exciting and glamorous outcome?

It's easy to sit around and think what we could do or what we'd like to do. It is an entirely different thing to accept the tradeoffs that come with our goals. Everybody wants a gold medal. Few people want to train like an Olympian.

This brings us to our first key insight. Goal setting is not only about choosing the rewards you want to enjoy, but also the costs you are willing to pay.

Rudders and Oars

Imagine a small row boat. Your goals are like the rudder on the boat. They set the direction and determine where you go. If you commit to one goal, then the rudder stays put and you continue moving forward. If you flip-flop between goals, then the rudder moves all around and it is easy to find yourself rowing in circles.

However, there is another part of the boat that is even more important than the rudder: The oars. If the rudder is your goal, then the oars are your process for achieving it. While the rudder determines your direction, it is the oars that determine your progress.

This metaphor of the rudder and the oars helps clarify the difference between systems and goals. It is an important distinction that shows up everywhere in life.

If you're a coach, your goal is to win a championship. Your system is what your team does at practice each day.

If you're a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.

If you're a runner, your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.

If you're an entrepreneur, your goal is to build a million dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.

Goals are useful for setting the direction. Systems are great for actually making progress. In fact, the primary benefit of having a goal is that it tells you what sort of system you need to put in place. However, the system itself is what actually achieved the results. 1

This brings us to our second key insight. Goals determine your direction. Systems determine your progress. You'll never get anywhere just by holding the rudder. You have to row.

How to Set Goals You'll Actually Follow

Alright, now that we've discussed the tradeoffs and systems that come with goals, let's talk about how to set goals you'll actually follow.

There are three basic strategies I like to use when goal setting. Let's talk about each one now.

1. Ruthlessly Eliminate Your Goals

Psychologists have a concept they refer to as "goal competition."

Goal competition says that one of the greatest barriers to achieving your goals is the other goals you have. In other words, your goals are competing with one another for your time and attention. Whenever you chase a new goal, you have to pull focus and energy from your other pursuits. This is basically The Four Burners Theory in action. When you turn one burner up, you have to turn others down.

Now, there is good news. One of the fastest ways to make progress on your goals is to simply press pause on less important things and focus on one goal at a time. Sometimes you just need to reorganize your priorities a little bit and suddenly progress comes much more quickly because you are now fully committed to a goal that was only getting moderate attention previously.

This is an important insight. Typically, when we fail to reach our goals, we think something was wrong with our goal or our approach. Experts tell us, "You need to think bigger! Pick a dream that is so big it will motivate you every day." Or we tell ourselves, "If only I had more hours in the day!"

These excuses cloud the bigger issue. What often looks like a problem of goal setting is actually a problem of goal selection. What we really need is not bigger goals, but better focus. You need to choose one thing and ruthlessly eliminate everything else. In the words of Seth Godin, "You don't need more time, you just need to decide."

Our lives are like rose bushes. As a rose bush grows, it creates more buds than it can sustain. If you talk to an experienced gardener, they will tell you that rose bushes need to be pruned to bring out the best in both their appearance and their performance. In other words, if you want a rose bush to thrive, then you need to cut away some of the good buds so the great ones can fully blossom.

Our goals are similar. They need to be consistently pruned and trimmed down. It's natural for new goals to come into our lives and to get excited about new opportunities-just like it's natural for a rose bush to add new buds. If we can muster the courage to prune away a few of our goals, then we create the space we need for the remaining goals to fully blossom. Full growth and optimal living require pruning.

I've written about a variety of strategies for getting your priorities in order and focusing on one thing at a time, including:

Take a look at those strategies and try out one that resonates with you.

2. Stack Your Goals

Research has shown that you are 2x to 3x more likely to stick to your goals if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you will perform the behavior. For example, in one study scientists asked people to fill out this sentence: "During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE]."

Researchers found that people who filled out this sentence were 2x to 3x more likely to actually exercise compared to a control group who did not make plans for their future behavior. Psychologists call these specific plans "implementation intentions" because they state when, where, and how you intend to implement a particular behavior. This finding has been repeated across hundreds of studies and has been found to increase the odds that people will start exercising, begin recycling, stick with studying, and even stop smoking.

One of my favorite ways to utilize this finding is with a strategy I call habit stacking. To use habit stacking, just fill out this sentence:

After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

Here are some examples:

Meditation: After I brew my morning coffee, I will meditate for one minute.

Pushups: Before I take my morning shower, I will do 10 pushups.

Flossing: After I set my toothbrush down, I will floss my teeth.

Gratitude: Before I eat dinner, I will say one thing I am grateful for that day.

Networking: After I return from my lunch break, I will send one email to someone I want to meet.

Habit stacking works well because you not only create a specific plan for when and where you will implement your goals, but also link your new goals to something you are already doing each day. You can read more on how to stack habits and set triggers for your goals in my popular guide, Transform Your Habits.

I find this to be a helpful way to bridge the gap between goals and systems. Our goals tell us what we want to achieve while our systems are the process we follow each day. Habit stacking and implementation intentions help us move from the goal in our heads to the specific process that will make it a reality.

3. Set an Upper Bound

Whenever we set goals, we almost always focus on the lower bound. That is, we think about the minimum threshold we want to hit. The implicit assumption is, "Hey, if you can do more than the minimum, go for it."

An individual might say, "I want to lose at least 5 pounds this month."

An entrepreneur might say, "I want to make at least 10 sales calls today."

An artist might say, "I want to write at least 500 words today."

A basketball player might say, "I want to make at least 50 free throws today."

But what would it look like if we added an upper bound to our goals and behaviors?

"I want to lose at least 5 pounds this month, but not more than 10."

"I want to make at least 10 sales calls today, but not more than 20."

"I want to write at least 500 words today, but not more than 1,500."

"I want to make at least 50 free throws today, but not more than 100."

In many areas of life, there is a magical zone of long-term growth. You want to push hard enough to make progress, but not so much that it is unsustainable. This is where setting an upper limit can be useful. Upper limits make it easier for you to sustain your progress and continue showing up.

This is especially critical in the beginning. Whenever you set a new goal and begin working toward it, the single most important thing is showing up. In the beginning, showing up is even more important than succeeding because if you don't build the habit of showing up, then you'll never have anything to improve in the future.

How to Achieve Your Goals Consistently

Effective goal setting requires consideration of the system that surrounds you. Too often, we set the right goals inside the wrong system. If you're fighting your system each day to make progress, then it's going to be really hard to make consistent progress.

There are all kinds of hidden forces that make our goals easier or harder to achieve. You need to align your environment with your ambitions if you wish to make progress for the long-run. Let's discuss some practical strategies for doing just that.

How to Align Your Environment With Your Goals

Although most of us have the freedom to make a wide range of choices at any given moment, we often make decisions based on the environment we find ourselves in. For example, if I wanted to do so, I could drink a beer as I write this guide. However, I am currently sitting at my desk with a glass of water next to me. There are no beers in sight. Although I possess the capability to get up, walk to my car, drive to the store, and buy a beer, I probably won't because I am surrounded by easier alternatives. In this case, taking a sip of water is the default decision, the easy decision.

Similarly, many of the decisions we make in our professional and personal lives are shaped by the options that surround us.

If you sleep with your phone next to your bed, then checking social media and email as soon as you wake up is likely to be the default decision.

If you walk into your living room and your couches and chairs all face the television, then watching television is likely to be the default decision.

If you keep alcohol in your kitchen, then drinking consistently is more likely to be the default decision.

Of course, defaults can be positive as well.

If you keep a dumbbell next to your desk at work, then pumping out some quick curls is more likely to be the default decision.

If you keep a water bottle with you throughout the day, then drinking water rather than soda is more likely to be the default decision.

If you place floss in a visible location (like next to your toothbrush), then flossing is more likely to be the default decision.

Scientists refer to the impact that environmental defaults can have on our decision making as choice architecture. This has an important impact when it comes to achieving goals. Whether or not you achieve your goals in the long-term has a lot to do with what types of influences surround you in the short-term. It's very hard to stick with positive habits in a negative environment.

Here are a few strategies I have found useful when trying to design better default decisions into my life:

Simplicity. It is hard to focus on the signal when you're constantly surrounded by noise. It is more difficult to eat healthy when your kitchen is filled with junk food. It is more difficult to focus on reading a blog post when you have 10 tabs open in your browser. It is more difficult to accomplish your most important task when you fall into the myth of multitasking. When in doubt, eliminate options.

Visual Cues. In the supermarket, placing items on shelves at eye level makes them more visual and more likely to be purchased. Outside of the supermarket, you can use visual cues like the Paper Clip Method or the Seinfeld Strategy to create an environment that visually nudges your actions in the right direction.

Opt-Out vs. Opt-In. There is a famous organ donation study that revealed how multiple European countries skyrocketed their organ donation rates: they required citizens to opt-out of donating rather than opt-in to donating. You can do something similar in your life by opting your future self into better habits ahead of time. For example, you could schedule your yoga session for next week while you are feeling motivated today. When your workout rolls around, you have to justify opting-out rather than motivating yourself to opt-in.

How to Measure Your Goals

Another key to making long-term progress on your goals is measurement. The human mind loves to receive feedback. One of the most motivating things we can experience is evidence of our progress. This is why measurement is so critical for effective goal setting. By measuring your results, you get insight on whether or not you are making progress.

The things we measure are the things we improve. It is only through numbers and clear tracking that we have any idea if we are getting better or worse. Here are a few of the measurable goals I've implemented:

The trick is to realize that counting, measuring, and tracking is not about the result. Measure to discover, to find out, to understand. Measure to see if you are showing up. Measure to see if you're actually spending time on the things that are important to you.

Here are some of my favorite techniques for setting measurable goals:

Give them a try and see which one you prefer.

Where to Go From Here

I hope you found this guide on goal setting useful. If you're looking for more ideas on how to set and achieve goals, feel free to browse the full list of articles below.

All Goal Setting Articles

This is a complete list of articles I have written on goal setting. Enjoy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Goal Setting: A Scientific Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether you're setting personal goals or professional goals, this guide reveals the science and strategy behind smart goal setting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I don't know about you but I find SMART goals to be so dull. Don't get me wrong, SMART goals are certainly effective, but that doesn't mean they're exciting.

Much has been written about goal setting so I won't bore you with yet another article on how to set goals. I will, however, share with you five reasons why goal setting works. After all, we know that goal setting is important because they build self-confidence and help you increase productivity but the science behind why goals help us focus is more opaque. The beauty of knowing why something works makes youA) more willing to embrace it (whatever "it" is in this case) and B) more informed, which therefore makes you better suited to make decisions. Put it this way, can you think of a business initiative, company policy or meeting memo that, had you known just a little more about, would've helped you to make better, more informed decisions? Don't we all.

Here are five reasons why goal setting will improve your focus:
1. Goals trigger behavior.
Having a clear, compelling goal mobilizes your focus toward actionable behavior. In other words, goal setting should motivate you. Let's assume, for example, that John Doe has a goal of saving money to purchase a new car. You ask him what type of car he wants and he replies, "Anything that runs." Do you think that motivates John? Probably not. The problem here is that the end state isn't clear. Conversely, if John Doe's goal was more specific, such as "Save $10,000 by December to purchase an end of year deal on a new Tesla," he has something to aspire for; he has a mental cue that triggers his focus and motivates him to begin saving.
2. Goals guide your focus.
When you set a goal you naturallydirect your attention toward a next step and, as a result, lead yourself in the right direction which forces your actions-your behaviors-to follow. It's a cheesy saying but I'll say it anyway: whatever the mind believes, the body achieves. The body follows the mind.
3. Goals sustain momentum.
Seeing progress is addicting. No seriously, it's literally addicting because of the dopamine released in your brain after attaining a reward. Just as a snowball grows in size as it's rolled down a hill, momentum works the same way. Just think of the last time you were really "in the groove" where you said to yourself, "I'm on a roll!" That's momentum. Whatever you were doing you probably didn't want to stop because you were what Mikhail Csikszentmihalyi called which is the optimal state of mental performance.
4. Goals align your focus.
Goal setting helps you align focus with behavior because you get feedback on your progress. The actions you take-or avoid-offer clues about your values, beliefs, challenges, strengths and weaknesses which allow you to course correct as necessary and reset your goal achievement strategy (and subsequently, your focus).
5. Goal setting promotes self-mastery.
Perhaps the most important reason why goals work is because they build character. Actually, achieving goals builds character. While the process of goal setting is important because it helps unearth and identify what's truly important to you, pursuing your goals is the real money-maker (literally and figuratively) because it builds self-efficacy; it develops yourself as the type of person who can achieve goals.

Remember, you can't manage what you don't measure and you can't improve what you don't manage. Start with goal setting.

Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out some of my other work here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Reasons Why Goal Setting Will Improve Your Focus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I don't know about you but I find SMART goals to be so dull. Don't get me wrong, SMART goals are certainly effective, but that doesn't mean they're exciting. Much has been written about goal setting so I won't bore you with yet another article on how to set goals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you ever feel like you're sleepwalking through life with no real idea of what you want?

Perhaps you know exactly what you want to achieve, but have no idea how to get there.

That's where goal setting comes in. Goals are the first step towards planning for the future, and play a fundamental role in the development of skills in various facets of life, from work to relationships and everything in between. They are the target at which we aim our proverbial arrow.

Understanding the importance of goals and the techniques involved in setting achievable goals paves the way for success.

In the words of Pablo Picasso:

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

What Is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is a powerful motivator, the value of which has been recognized in an abundance of clinical and real-world settings for over 35 years.

'Goals,' are " the object or aim of an action, for example, to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit." (Locke & Latham, 2002, p. 705) They are the level of competence that we wish to achieve and create a useful lens through which we assess our current performance.

Goal setting is the process by which we achieve these goals. The importance of the goal-setting process should not go unappreciated. According to Lock (2019) " Every person's life depends on the process of choosing goals to pursue; if you remain passive you are not going to thrive as a human being. "

Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1984) is based on the premise that conscious goals affect action (Ryan, 1970) and conscious human behavior is purposeful and regulated by individual goals. Simply put, we must decide what is beneficial to our own welfare, and set goals accordingly.

Why do some people perform better on tasks than others? According to Ryan (1970), if individuals are equal in ability and knowledge, then the cause must be motivational.

The theory states that the simplest and most direct motivational explanation of why some people perform better than others is due to disparate performance goals, implying that setting and adjusting goals can significantly impact performance.

Why Is Goal Setting Important?

Initially, research into goal setting attempted to ascertain how the level of intended achievement (goal) is related to the actual level of achievement (performance) in an organizational setting (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Goal setting increases employee motivation and organizational commitment (Latham, 2004). Additionally, goals affect the intensity of our actions and our emotions. The more difficult and valued a goal is, the more intense our efforts will be in order to attain it, and the more success we experience following achievement (Latham & Locke, 2006).

Through the experience of success and the positive emotions that accompany it, confidence and belief in our own abilities grow. Schunk (1985) found that participation in goal setting encourages a search for new strategies to aid success. Finding novel ways to utilize our skills and push our abilities increases task-relevant knowledge while enhancing self-efficacy and self-confidence.

Goal setting involves planning for the future. MacLeod, Coates & Hetherton (2008) found that goal setting and skill-oriented planning significantly improved subjective wellbeing in those who took part in a goal-setting intervention program. Thinking positively about the future bolsters our ability to create goals and consider the actions required to achieve them.

The capacity to plan positively impacts our perceived control over goal outcomes and our future (Vincent, Boddana, & MacLeod, 2004). Furthermore, goal setting and achievement can promote the development of an internal locus of control.

While individuals with an external locus of control believe that both positive and negative outcomes are the result of external influences, those with an internal locus of control believe that success is determined by their own actions and skills.

Key Principles of Goal Setting

Locke and Latham suggested five key principles for successful goal achievement (Locke & Latham, 1990).

1. Commitment

Commitment refers to the degree to which an individual is attached to the goal and their determination to reach it - even when faced with obstacles. Goal performance is strongest when people are committed, and even more so when said goals are difficult (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Once they're committed, if an individual discovers their performance is inadequate, they are likely to increase their effort or change their strategy in order to attain it (Latham & Locke, 2006).

When we are less committed to goals - particularly more challenging goals - we increase the likelihood of giving up.

A number of factors can influence our commitment levels (Miner, 2005). Namely, the perceived desirability of a goal and the perceived ability of achieving it. To be successful, you must possess the desire and a comprehensive understanding of what is required to achieve your goal.

2. Clarity

Specific goals put you on a direct course. When a goal is vague, it has limited motivational value. Goal clarity is positively related to overall motivation and satisfaction in the workplace (Arvey et al., 1976).

Set clear, precise and unambiguous goals that are implicit and can be measured. When a goal is clear in your mind, you have an improved understanding of the task at hand. You know exactly what is required and the resulting success is a further source of motivation.

3. Challenging

Goals must be challenging yet attainable. Challenging goals can improve performance through increased self-satisfaction, and the motivation to find suitable strategies to push our skills to the limit (Locke & Latham, 1990). Conversely, goals that are not within our ability level may not be achieved, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration.

We are motivated by achievement and the anticipation of achievement. If we know a goal is challenging yet believe it is within our abilities to accomplish, we are more likely to be motivated to complete a task (Zimmerman et al., 1992).

4. Task complexity

Miner (2005) suggested that overly complex tasks introduce demands that may mute goal-setting effects. Overly complex goals that lie out of our skill level may become overwhelming and negatively impact morale, productivity, and motivation.

The timescale for such goals should be realistic. Allowing sufficient time to work toward a goal allows opportunities to reassess the goal complexity, while reviewing and improving performance. Even the most motivated of people can become disillusioned if the task's complexity is too great for their skills.

5. Feedback

Goal setting is more effective in the presence of immediate feedback (Erez, 1977). Feedback - including internal feedback - helps to determine the degree to which a goal is being met and how you are progressing.

Unambiguous feedback ensures that action can be taken if necessary. If performance falls below the standard required to achieve a goal, feedback allows us to reflect upon our ability and set new, more attainable, goals. When such feedback is delayed, we cannot evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies promptly, leading to a potential reduction in the rate of progress (Zimmerman, 2008).

When we perceive our progress towards a goal as adequate, we feel capable of learning new skills and setting more challenging future goals.

8 Interesting Facts on Goal Setting

1. Setting goals and reflecting upon them improves academic success. Around 25% of students who enroll in 4-year university courses do not complete their studies - common explanations for this include a lack of clear goals and motivation. Goal-setting intervention programs have been shown to significantly improve academic performance (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, & Shore, 2010).

2. Goals are good for motivation and vice versa. Most definitions of motivation incorporate goals and goal setting as an essential factor. For example, "Motivation is the desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior." (Kleinginna & Kleinginna, 1981).

3. Goal setting is associated with achieving the optimal conditions for flow state. Setting clear goals that are both challenging yet within your skill level is a powerful contributor to finding yourself in 'the zone'.

4. An optimistic approach to goal setting can aid success. Research into goal-setting among students indicates that factors such as hope and optimism have a significant impact on how we manage our goals (Bressler, Bressler, & Bressler, 2010).

5. Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to overall improved performance. Comparisons between the effect of non-specific goals such as "I will try to do my best" and specific, challenging goals suggest that people do not tend to perform well when trying to 'do their best'. A vague goal is compatible with multiple outcomes, including those lower than one's capabilities (Locke, 1996).

6. People with high efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals and commit to them. Individuals who sustain belief in their abilities under the pressure of challenging goals tend to maintain or even increase their subsequent goals, thereby making improvements to ensuing performances. Conversely, individuals who lack this confidence have a tendency to lower their goals (making them easier to achieve) and decrease their future efforts (Locke, 1996).

7. Social influences are a strong determinant in goal choice. While the impact of social influences on goal achievement may diminish with increased task-specific knowledge, social influences remain a strong determinant of goal choice (Klein, Austin & Cooper, 2008).

8. Goal setting is a more powerful motivator than monetary incentives alone. Latham and Locke (1979) found goal setting to be the major mechanism by which other incentives affect motivation. Within the workplace, money was found most effective as a motivator when the rewards offered were contingent on achieving specific objectives.

Research and Studies

A multitude of studies has shown that setting challenging yet attainable goals increases the prospect of pursuing and fulfilling ambitions.

The setting of clear goals is more likely to close the gap between current ability and the desired objectives. With this in mind, let's look at some of the research related to goal setting.

Goal setting in teams

The increasing prevalence of team-based structures in the workplace encouraged research in goal setting within teams. Such research indicated structural differences between goal setting for individuals and for groups (Locke & Latham, 2013).

Kozlowski and Klein (2000) suggested that while the effectiveness of individual and team goals may look similar when considering the final outcomes, the structure of the goal-setting construct is very different.

In team-based structures, individuals must engage in interpersonal interaction and various other processes in order to accomplish the team's goal. Kristof-Brown and Stevens (2001) examined how perceived team mastery and performance goals affected individual outcome. Their findings suggested that agreement on team performance goals elicited greater individual satisfaction and contributions, regardless of goal strength.

Goal setting in virtual teams

Within virtual teams (workgroups in which members collaborate remotely), designing interactions that encourage the setting of goals leads to the achievement of shared mental models (Powell, Piccoli, & Ives, 2004). The addition of intermediate goals in addition to final goals, and clearly articulating them, significantly improved task performance within virtual groups (Kaiser, Tuller, & McKowen, 2000).

Research by Powell, et al. (2004) suggested that virtual groups should employ someone who is responsible for sharing goal-critical information, known as a caretaker. The inclusion of a 'caretaker' ensures each virtual team member's efforts are aligned with those of the group, that there is role clarity, and that each teammate's contribution advances the team toward its goals.

Goals and academia

The setting of educational goals in academia ensures learners have an unequivocal understanding of what is expected, which in turn aids concentration on the attainment of their goals (Hattie & Timperly, 2007).

Reis and McCoach (2000) suggested that specific characteristics are commonly associated with academic underachievement. These include low motivation, low self-regulation, and low goal valuation. For children, self-regulation and motivation are affected by perceived goal and achievement values. When a goal is valued, children are more likely to engage in, expend more effort on, and perform better on the task

Further research by McCoach and Siegle (2003) found that valuing a goal was a necessary prerequisite to one's motivation to self-regulate and to achieve in a scholastic environment. Additionally, students' beliefs in their efficacy for self-regulated learning influenced the academic goals they set for themselves and their final academic achievement (Zimmerman, 2008).

Neurological rehabilitation

Goal setting is at the core of many neurological rehabilitation therapies. Holliday, Ballinger, & Playford (2007) explored how in-patients with neurological impairments experienced goal setting and identified the issues that underpin individual experiences of goal setting.

Their findings suggested that within rehabilitative healthcare professions, it is vital that patients understand what is expected of them in order to ensure goal setting is a meaningful activity.

Goal setting in physical therapy

Goal setting is a traditional method used within the practice of physical therapy. Cott and Finch (1991) examined the potential use of goal setting in improving and measuring physical therapy effectiveness. The study suggested that active participation by the patient in the goal-setting process is of primary importance to the attainment of goals.

That is, inclusion in the formation of goals rather than having them externally imposed is imperative.

How and Why Goal Setting Works

When done correctly, goal setting is effective and often critical to success. Goals give us direction by focusing attention on goal-relevant behavior and away from irrelevant tasks (Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Miner (2005) suggested that goal setting works through three basic propositions:

1. Goals energize performance through the motivation to expend the required effort in line with the difficulty of the task.

2. Goals motivate people to persist in activities over time.

3. Goals direct people's attention to relevant behaviors and away from behaviors which are irrelevant or detrimental to the achievement of the task.

As previously discussed goals that are specific and challenging lead to higher levels of performance. Locke and Latham (1990) suggested that these types of goal strategies work more effectively for the following reasons:

1. Specific and challenging goals are associated with higher self-efficacy (the belief in our own skills and abilities).

2. They require higher performance and more effort to elicit a sense of satisfaction.

3. Specific goals are less ambiguous in terms of what constitutes good performance.

4. Challenging goals are more likely to result in outcomes that are valued by the individual.

5. They encourage a tendency to persist with a task for longer.

6. The more specific and challenging the goal is, the more attention an individual will dedicate to it, often utilizing skills that have previously gone unused.

7. They motivate individuals to search for better strategies and to plan ahead.

What Skills Does It Require?

There are some essential skills required for successful goal setting and achievement.

The good news is they can be learned and developed through practice. If you cannot achieve the goals you have set, it is possible that the problem lies in one or more of these areas:

Planning

The old adage ' fail to plan, plan to fail ' is applicable to successful goal achievement. Low-quality planning negatively affects performance in relation to goals (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990). Planning and organizational skills are integral to the goal achievement process. Through proper planning, we can prioritize and maintain focus on the task at hand, while avoiding extraneous distractions that can draw us away from the end goal.

Self-motivation

Without the desire to achieve, our attempts at goal setting are doomed to fail. Motivation to achieve a goal encourages us to develop new techniques and skills in order to succeed (Locke, 2001). In more challenging circumstances, the motivation to keep going is a powerful contributor to goal attainment.

Time management

Time management is a useful skill across many facets of life including goal setting. While setting goals is commonly considered being a specific time management behavior (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990), time management is also required to successfully accomplish a goal. If we do not properly consider the timescale required to attain a goal, we will inevitably fail.

Additionally, the time we allocate to planning our goals directly impacts task performance - the more time spent on the planning stage, the more likely we are to succeed (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990).

Flexibility

Inevitably, at some point, things aren't going to go as planned. Having the flexibility to adapt to barriers, the perseverance to sustain your efforts and to carry on in the face of adversity is essential to reaching your goal.

Self-regulation

An individual needs to regulate and manage their own emotions in order to promote their own personal and social goals. With developed Emotional Intelligence comes the ability to efficiently consider and describe motivational goals, aims, and missions (Mayer, 2004).

Commitment and Focus

If we are not committed to our goals, goal setting will not work (Locke, 2001). It is imperative that goals are important and relevant on a personal level, and that we know we are capable of attaining, or at the very least making substantial progress towards, a goal.

An Outline for Personal Goal Setting

Personal goal setting is a personal endeavor-only you know what you want to achieve.

The following outline will help focus your attention on the personal goal-setting process and guide you in the right direction for successful personal goal attainment.

Set three goals

It might be tempting to approach goal setting with gusto, and while enthusiasm is a good thing it is important not to rush into too much too soon. By limiting the number of goals you initially set there is less chance that you will become overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. Setting just a few initial goals will allow you to make a start on the journey while avoiding the negative emotions that accompany failure.

As you begin to achieve your objectives, try setting more challenging, longer-term goals to push your abilities even further. Once your goals are set, remember to review them regularly. When you begin the goal-setting process it may be beneficial to revisit your progress daily or weekly depending on the goal.

Focus on short-term goals

Initially, it is better to set short-term and more realistic goals. Setting short-term goals such as " I will learn to make pancakes by next week " enables more frequent opportunities to review and acknowledge the achievement of goals. More frequent experiences of success result in greater positive emotions and increased motivation to set additional goals or a combination of short, medium and long-term goals.

Make your goals positive

Reframe negative goals such as " I want to stop eating so much junk food" into more positive terms like " I want to feel healthy and will change my diet in order to do so". With negative goals, the initial motivation often comes from a place of negativity. For example, " I want to stop eating so much junk food because I feel unattractive. " These negative connotations can lead to self-criticism and de-motivation.

Failure to achieve a positive goal is viewed as an indication that while we may have failed at least we are still on the right path.

3 Descriptions of Goal Setting in Practice

There are three prominent areas where you can practically apply goal setting.

1. Psychological health

Goal setting is a robust method of support for positive mental health (Rose & Smith, 2018).

When considering the goals you would like to achieve in relation to psychological health, think about what you want to change and how you want to go about changing it. Achieving goals in any aspect of life can boost self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to improvements in confidence and wellbeing.

Janet has been thinking about her wellbeing and wants to make changes to improve her mental health. Within this area, goals such as " I want to be happier" are too vague and will create barriers to achievement. Janet settles on the more specific goals of " I will do one thing every day that makes me happy ". This is much more realistic and can easily be reviewed.

2. Relationships

Canevello and Crocker (2011) suggested that goals contribute to the cycles of responsiveness between people and improve relationship quality. Interpersonal goal setting allows us to create higher quality relationships characterized by improved responsiveness that ultimately enhance relationship quality for everyone involved.

Toby decides he wants to spend more time with his family, after thinking about how he can do this he feels that the problem may be related to the many late nights he has been spending at work. Toby decides, " I will make sure I am home from work every night before the children go to bed ".

While this may seem like a specific goal, there is still much ambiguity. What if he has to work late in order to meet a deadline? Both he and his children will feel disappointed and frustrated with this outcome.

After reviewing his goal, Toby makes some alterations: " I will make sure I am home from work 2 days a week so that I can see the children before bedtime ". By adding specifics, he has made his goal more achievable and measurable. On reviewing his goal progress, Toby might then decide to change his goal to three times per week if experience tells him this is attainable.

3. Financial

Money, or lack thereof, can massively influence our mental health and wellbeing. It is impossible to know what life will throw at you - illness, redundancy, unexpected expenditure.

In this category, like many others, short term, smaller goals are often more likely to result in success. Perhaps you have debt that you want freedom from or even just a rainy day savings fund. Whatever your financial goal, small positive steps to taking control of your finances can make a big impact.

Jenny has been thinking about her finances and decides she wants to start building her savings. Rather than setting the vague goal, " I want to save money," she thinks in more detail about her objective and sets the goal " I will save $500 in the next 8 weeks. " By making the goal more specific and measurable, Jenny has improved the likelihood of actually achieving her goal.

The goal can now be reviewed when she decides to and it will be clear if she is on track.

3 Goal-Setting PDFs

This PDF: ' Workbook for Goal-setting and Evidence-based Strategies for Success ' provides an abundance of exercises and worksheets to teach the reader the best practices for designing, pursuing and achieving important goals.

Compiled by Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, author of ' Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide ', the 90+ page workbook provides a structured approach to guide readers towards successful goal setting.

This workbook/guide draws input from a number of areas, including work on " flourishing" from positive psychology founding father, Dr. Martin Seligman. It presents a thorough 6-theme process which guides readers to successful goal setting and provides an in-depth review of the underlying psychology.

Anxiety Canada's PDF ' Guide for Goal Setting ' provides a simple but effective guide on how to identify, set, and achieve realistic goals. The guide handily breaks down the process into easy-to-follow steps while prompting readers to view their future prospects in a positive light.

In brief, the guide is broken down into five steps:

1. Identify your goals with a focus on being realistic and specific.

2. Break down these goals into smaller steps.

3. Identify potential obstacles between you and your goals.

4. Build a schedule and allow adequate time to pursue goals.

5. Do it!

The guide is a really great overview of goal-setting practices and represents a fantastic starting point if you're keen to jump right into the practice of goal-setting.

The University of Exeter's PDF, ' Goal Setting ' for the physically impaired, was compiled by BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist, Dr. Paul Farrand and associate research fellow - Joanne Woodford. The guide focuses on goal setting for individuals facing physical health problems.

Alongside goal-setting advice, the guide contains worksheets for tracking their progress.

How Often Should We Review Goals?

Once your goals are set, it is important to revisit and reassess them. Reviewing goals affords the opportunity to assess progress and to ensure they are still relevant.

While some goals can be achieved relatively quickly, others take time, patience and lasting motivation to continue. The frequency with which goals should be reviewed is very much dependent on the goal itself. What is more certain is that you should plan to review your goals regularly.

If, for example, you have set yourself smaller milestones to reach on the route to your final goal, it may be prudent to review these on a weekly basis. Being aware of your progress allows opportunities to alter your actions and goals so as not to undermine the hard work you have already put in.

Perhaps things aren't quite going as planned, regular reviews allow you to reflect on the difficulty of the goals you have set. Is the goal more challenging than you expected? What can you improve upon to attain it?

Regular goal reviews ensure the goal is still relevant - is this still what you want to achieve? If you do not 'check in' on your progress, you can lose sight of your ultimate aim which will result in disappointment, frustration and less motivation to attain it than when you first began your journey.

Time-based goals such as learning a new language can take months or even years to complete. When working towards these types of long term goals, it is a good idea to break them down into more manageable targets that can be reviewed weekly.

Essentially, reviewing your goals ensures that you are monitoring your progress in relation to successes and failures. It gives you the chance to analyze the good and bad, so that you can regroup, build on that knowledge, and improve future goal setting strategies.

How Can We Best Achieve Goals We Have Set?

Have you ever made a grand New Year's resolution only to find that by the middle of January, you've given up or forgotten all about it? You may have set yourself a goal that was too general, ambitious, or impersonal. Incorporating healthy goal-setting techniques is an excellent way to tackle these issues.

Pick goals that are S.M.A.R.T.

The S.M.A.R.T. protocol offers a guide to help steer you towards setting goals that are suited to your abilities, timely, and measurable. If you are unsure of the goal-setting process, the S.M.A.R.T framework offers a sense-check to ensure your goals are the best they can be.

- Specific

Be as specific as possible when setting goals. Look at the what, why, where, when and how of a goal. What do I want to achieve? How will I get there? When should I have achieved this goal by?

- Measurable

Having a goal which can be quantified makes it a lot easier to track your progress.

- Achievable/Attainable

The goals we set need to be grounded in reality lest we set ourselves up for disappointment.

- Relevant

Focus more intently on the subjective 'why'. Is the goal something you actually want to achieve, or does it stem from external pressure?

- Time-specific

Create a clear yet achievable timescale. Deadlines maximize the reward versus time component. Be explicit about the time span or deadline. For example, change 'end of summer' to a specific date for improved clarity.

Write down your goals

It may seem like an unnecessary additional effort, but there is value in putting pen to paper. Write down your goals and think carefully about the steps involved to get there. The very act of writing something down improves recall (Naka & Naoi, 1995), and having a physical reminder of what you want to achieve means you can check-in and review it at any time.

Put a plan into action and review it regularly

Consider the timescale in which you wish to achieve your target. If your goal is a particularly challenging one, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals that culminate in attaining your main goal.

Rather than saying "I want a promotion", consider the smaller steps that will help get you to that goal, "In the next 4 weeks I will commit to taking on a project I haven't tried before". Whatever you decide, ensure it is right for you.

Keep it specific and review your progress often

How we articulate goals to ourselves is integral to the outcome of our efforts. Rather than a blanket statement, more specific goals will be much more effective. Rethink your objectives by presenting them in more specific terms, then build on that.

Reward yourself for your successes, but don't punish yourself for failure

This doesn't mean rewarding yourself with chocolate when you attain a healthy eating goal, rather an internal pat on the back. Acknowledge your success and revel in the positive emotions that accompany it.

It is important to be resilient in the face of adversity. Reassess your goals and make alterations when you feel it is necessary to do so.

It's great to shoot for the stars, but goal setting is more about what you can realistically accomplish rather than an idealistic vision of what you hope you can achieve.

7 Tips and Strategies

To culminate this extensive guide on goal-setting, we leave you with a final list of tips and strategies.

1. Brainstorm

Consider what you want to accomplish and be specific in your goals. Really think about your core values and what outcome you are reaching for and write them down. Clear goals will ensure a comprehensive understanding of what is required in order to achieve them. Take the time to really reflect on what you want.

2. Create a 'goal tree'

This logical thinking process tool is an excellent way to maintain focus on your goal while considering the strategy you might use to achieve it. The very top of the tree is the end goal - your mission statement. On the next level are a maximum of five objectives that are critical to attaining your main goal.

Under the objectives are the necessary conditions required to achieve each one. A goal tree is like a map to success, over time each step is color coded as it is completed, meaning that you can easily review your progress at a glance.

3. Be optimistic but realistic

If you set an unrealistic goal, it may well discourage you from continuing with your endeavor.

4. Evaluate your goals and reflect upon them

Feedback is superior to no feedback, and self-generated feedback is more powerful than externally generated feedback (Ivancevich & McMahon, 1982).

After setting your goal, feedback is the best way to assess how well you are doing. Try setting up a schedule where you can 'check-in' on your progress every week. Do you need to reassess and redefine your goal?

5. Intermittent reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement involves interspersing easier, more achievable goals among more challenging, difficult goals (Martin & Pear, 2019). The completion of each smaller goal becomes rewarding in and of itself, thus delivering the positive effect of success at regular intervals.

6. Tell others about your goals

When we share our goals we are more inclined to exhibit accountability and strengthened commitment. If you tell a friend about a goal you have set, how will you feel if they ask about it and you haven't been working towards it?

7. Believe in your abilities

Believe in your abilities, but know that it's OK if things aren't going to plan. Reevaluating our progress and rethinking goals is all part of the process. Remember that any progress towards your goal is a good thing.

A Take-Home Message

We all have the capacity to adapt and to achieve our personal expectations. Through goal setting, we raise the bar in relation to our own potential and push ourselves to achieve things we only hoped were possible.

Have you incorporated any goal-setting techniques to help you on your way to success? Or maybe you are tempted to make a start on your own plan? How are you going to turn your goal setting into goal getting? Let us know in the comments below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Goal Setting and How to Do it Well

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Goal setting is the first step towards planning for the future, and plays a huge role in the development of skills in various facets of life.