Goals are the key to success simply because it’s a lot easier to get places if you know where you are going. Whatever you want your next success story to be, whether it’s losing weight, starting a business, running a marathon or breaking a habit, laying out goals will help you achieve it. Why? Because goals keep us motivated. They give dreams a deadline and push us to take the steps we need to turn our ambitions into achievements.

 

1) Define what you want

The first step to successful goal setting is defining what it is you want to accomplish and why. Write your goal down, with the reasons you want it, somewhere you can see the words when you need a reminder that all your hard work will be worth it. If you think you may need a little extra motivation along the way, keep visual reminders of your goal (or its benefits) where you can see them.  If you’re working for that big promotion, keep a picture of the first thing you’ll buy with that bigger paycheck. Wanting to run across a finish line? Find photos of other athletes at the end of a race or of the medal that will be waiting for you when you get there. Just want to fit into an old pair of jeans? Hang them up where you can see them every day.

 

2) Set small goals

 Once you have your main goal in mind, it’s time to start planning small goals that will get you there. Start with something simple to get you started: if you want to run a marathon, you could begin by just getting out the door on your first official training run. If you want to eat better, start by locking away any tempting snacks so you can have them less often. Once your beginning goals are in place, write down small goals that are increasingly challenging to obtain, these are your stepping stones on the path to success. For example, a prospective runner's first goal may be just to run, but their next few steps could be to run 3 miles, then 5 miles, then 8 miles and so on. Laying out these small goals helps you develop a timeline for how long it will take to accomplish your dreams and helps you stay on track. As you reach these smaller goals you’ll be rewarded with a new boost of motivation and the confidence that comes from achieving something - showing you really can be successful.

 

3) Be realistic

 One reason that some people don’t accomplish their goals is that they were not realistic when setting them. Usually, our big goals are obtainable and it’s the smaller achievements along the way that are the problem. Having smaller goals that are simply unattainable destroys motivation, fills us with doubt and often leads to giving up.  An example of this can be seen in weight-loss goals. If an individual is overweight and decides they want to lose 20 pounds, they probably can (assuming they have no health conditions preventing this). If they decide they want the first ten pounds to be gone in one week, odds are they are setting themselves up for disappointment. Do some research when determining what you want to accomplish. If you want to lose weight, find out how many pounds a week is healthy for you. Want that promotion? Make sure you know about how long everyone else had to wait for there’s.

 

4) Yes, you can

Don’t be afraid to turn your dreams and desires into goals with a plan. It may take time, you may have to change a few steps along the way, but with realistic expectations you really can accomplish anything you set your mind.