Tips for Setting Goals

Quick Tips for Setting Goals:

1. Make sure your goals fit in with your values. Re-evaluate what your Values are and line them up with your goals.  
2.  Do not make “should” goals as these rarely succeed. Should goals are those you think you should be going for, because others have said so. Never live your life based on what others think. 
3. Design goals that you want so badly  you will do whatever it takes to meet them. 
4. Be willing to take full responsibility for the goals you set. Don’t rely on others.  
5. Reward yourself when you attain your major goals. Celebrate with friends or family. Have a special dinner. Buy yourself something you have been wanting.  
6. Prioritise your goals: Decide which goals are most important and number them from 1 – 10, then you know which ones to work on and which to leave if you are overwhelmed with too much to do. 
7. Write all goals down on paper: This seems obvious, but having those goals in black and white really does help. Reading them regularly helps too. Some goals should be written and stuck in prominent positions like on the fridge, so you can be reminded regularly. 
8. Resistance is common: Once you write down your goals, guess what will happen? You will find excuses for not fulfilling them. It’s human nature to resist change. Be aware of this and push through it. Say to yourself: “I know this is a bit of resistance, so let’s just keep pursuing this until it is achieved.” You will get there with the right attitude. 
9. Use Mental Pictures: Create a picture in your mind of the final result and keep referring to this as you work on your goals. See yourself once the goal is reached. See the smile on your face, feel the sense of accomplishment, experience the excitement.  

When creating goals, there are 3 important things to remember:

1.      What change do you want to bring about in your life? Remember this is about changing you and your life, not someone else’s. Think about the things you are dissatisfied with in your life. What are you focusing on right now? Is there something you want or need that you are not currently getting? Choose one aspect of your life that holds the most power and start with that.  

2.      How will you go about achieving this change? What could you do differently? What would need to happen for you to feel better about this aspect of your life?  

3.      When will you achieve what you want? What will your life look like when this aspect is changed? How long do you want to give yourself for this change to happen? 

Goals must be:            

1.Clear and specific: What exactly do you want? Start each goal with a verb: Give, Earn, Achieve, Learn, Make, Write, Practice, Join, Ensure. Be specific with dates, times and amounts (if applicable). Think about the what (use those verbs!), why (why is this goal important to you?) and how (how are you going to do it?) of your goal as you write it.  

2.Results oriented: Goals must be measurable and time-framed. For you to know that you have reached your goal, it must specify: How many? How often? How big?  

3.Achievable: Create goals that provide a challenge but make sure you know you can achieve them. What are the odds of you achieving what you want? If they are better than even, you have a chance at success. If the odds are fifty-fifty or worse, you may be self-sabotaging.  

Another common way of thinking about goals is using the SMART acronym:
S: Specific 

M: Measurable 

A: Attainable 

R: Relevant 

T: Time bound (in a timeframe) 

Goal Setting Form 

Immediate Goals: Try doing at least one goal each week. It doesn’t have to be big. 

This years top ten goals: 

5 Year Goals: These are goals you want to reach in the next 5 years! 

Life Goals: These are goals that are important to reach in your life. These could be lifetime dreams that you want to achieve before you die. Or they could be long-term goals that you have always wanted.