How to Set Goals and Accomplish Them
When I googled “How to set and accomplish goals,” here’s what came up:
How to set goals examples
7 steps of goal setting
How to set goals in life
5 steps of goal setting
Smart goals
The last one, Smart goals, is helpful because it’s an acronym that can guide you through the goal-setting process:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
Here’s the problem with the list that pulled up: They’re all about goal-setting. A lot of people know how to set goals. The challenge is accomplishing them.
Definitely follow the SMART method and set a realistic, measurable goal with a deadline.
But here’s what else you need to do to accomplish your goal:
*Bite-Size Steps
It’s important to brainstorm what steps you’ll need to take to accomplish your goal. When you’re able to work on one small piece at a time, the goal seems more achievable and within reach. For example, if you want to incorporate more movement into your life to improve your health, what will you need to do?
– Identify different types of movement you can participate in. (You can spend 10 minutes googling for ideas.)
– Find organizations or locations where you can do this. (On a different day, you can check online for these resources.)
– Purchase any special equipment or supplies. (At a separate time, you can spend a few minutes browsing online and decide to purchase online or go to a store.)
Getting started seems so simple when you can work on bite-size steps.
*Appointments with Yourself
If you weren’t doing this before, you’ll have to figure out when you’re going to do your movement. Take out your calendar and figure out when this week you can spend 15 minutes doing movement – even if it’s right there in your den. Make an appointment with yourself on your calendar. After the first week, take a look at the next. You don’t have to schedule out the entire year. Try just a week or two at a time to begin with.
*Check-Ins
Studies show that the probability of accomplishing a goal increases significantly when you have accountability. This can be a coach you hire, a group chat you join, a class you attend, or as simple as a friend or spouse asking how your week was. Who can you recruit to ask you once a week how things are going?
Whether you’re setting New Year’s Resolutions or personal or professional goals for 2025, implementing the three goal accomplishment strategies above will help you be successful.
For more tips on how to create time to set and achieve your goals, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.
