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I’m sure that you already realize how important the relationship is between setting goals and achieving success. Many of our readers have told me that they set lots of goals. They like to set big goals, little goals, short-term and long-term goals.
Is that true of you also? Are you a goal oriented person? If so, then you likely have a pretty good understanding of the basics of goal setting. You’ve probably learned to write down what you want to achieve, and the reasons why. You also know about motivation, obstacles and challenges, time lines, a plan of action, visualization and persistence.
So, with all this knowledge at your disposal, let me ask you this…
How many of your goals do you actually achieve?
If the percentage is not as high as you’d like it to be, don’t feel like you’re all alone. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “I’m doing everything right and I still can’t accomplish my goals.” Have you ever felt that way?
So, what’s the problem? First of all, let me say that all the steps you’ve learned actually do work. Unfortunately, there are other necessary factors involved in being successful at goal setting. And it’s not so much that these important factors have been left out, but for some reason it seems like their value is not clearly communicated most of the time.
5 important elements of successful goal setting
1) Mindset. Your mindset and self-image need to change with regard to, and in conjunction with, your goals. If somewhere deep inside yourself you don’t feel confident about your ability to succeed, that core belief will sabotage your efforts.
To accomplish big goals you need to be able to truly identify with what it will be like to really be there. When you absolutely know deep down that it will happen, then your identity becomes tied up with that vision, and you are on the way.
2) Perspective. You need to develop the ability to mentally shrink down the size of your challenges in your mind. Your internal view of how big or small the challenge is will have a direct influence on your confidence. Your brain can make any task look big and impossible, or it can make it seem totally doable. It’s the same task but a completely different feeling. When your confidence is high, even a difficult challenge will seem fun and exhilarating.
3) Your view of obstacles. When setbacks and problems come up you need to view them not as walls or roadblocks, but as part of the growth process. You will meet unexpected challenges along the way, how you view them will determine whether you keep moving forward or abandon your goal. Make up your mind beforehand to allow yourself to embrace the opportunity to solve any unforeseen problem. I promise you, your untapped abilities will surprise you when the time comes.
4) Desire. Develop a burning passion for the results you are about to create. Fall in love with both the benefits and the process. Become intimately acquainted with the feelings of accomplishment and the satisfaction of reaching your goal. Knowing the benefits of reaching a goal is not enough. Get your emotions involved so you will stay motivated and focused.
5) Commitment. Make an unbreakable commitment to see it through clear to the finish line – no matter what. That might be a huge commitment so it’s important to ask yourself beforehand, “Do I really want it enough to make that kind of commitment?” You need to be sure before you start. If you bail out part way through, it will have a negative effect on your self-confidence and make things harder next time. If you see it through to success, your self-confidence will soar and it will be much easier the next time around.
Successful goal setting is an advanced life skill
If you want some practical help with achieving your goals in record time, my book TRUE SELF lays the whole process out and walks you through it. There are several written exercises to help you get crystal clear on who you really are, and where you really want to go with your life.
Rest assured, no one is born with the ability to achieve success utilizing and executing an effective goal setting strategy. And for some unexplainable reason they don’t teach these things in school. But anyone can learn these skills and use them to achieve success in every area of life. It’s just a matter of understanding the process.
