Goal setting is just a process - but it is a very important personal process that helps you get what you really want out of life.
Throughout ancient and modern history, there is a clear link between people that set goals and people that succeed, because people who set goals have a clear direction towards their chosen destination - people who succeed have goals, and people who have goals succeed.
Knowing about goals helps you:
Goals are well-defined targets that give you direction and motivation – they are your road map to success (that is, what YOU consider to be success), your life’s plan, your personal guide to the future. Goals can be focused on:
The key to goal setting success is to keep your goals 'personal' – they are yours and yours alone, although they may include aspects involving family and friends. The most common mistake people make when setting goals is using someone else’s goals as your own - don't fall into this trap and become someone you're not!
Why goal setting works
It’s like a map - people who know where they are going and how to get there are more likely to get there than people who don’t. Goals are like your target destination, and the Action Plans developed as part of the goal setting process are your map.
More specifically, goal setting works because:
Of course it will only work for you if you stick to the process and follow it properly [the 'How to Set Goals' tab on the NavBar will show you 'how'].
You also need to know where goal setting can go wrong so you don't fall into the same traps.
And if you do have a set-back, it is important to bounce back and persevere!
Failure to achieve a particular deadline or part of a goal shouldn’t make you throw up your arms and give up. Learn from your setbacks and failures – why did it happen? What can you do to stop it happening again? If you do this, you will be stronger and wiser and less likely to fail again.
Don’t see a setback as a ‘failure’, but rather a learning experience from which you can gain strength and conviction to continue.
Who should set goals?
It is well reported that …people who succeed have goals, and people who have goals succeed. Therefore, goal setting is for everybody who wants to succeed!
Despite this well-known fact, 95% of people on this planet don’t set or achieve goals and haven’t achieved what they really want to achieve – are YOU one of these 95%? Or maybe you fit into one of the following categories:
Whether you want to make more money, or have a more rewarding career, or lose weight, or quit smoking – the process involved to achieve all of these things is essentially the same. Goal setting is a proven system of identifying your goals based on your personal beliefs and needs and setting a course of action to achieve them.
Goal setting has worked for thousands of years – the ancient Romans, Napoleon Bonaparte and today’s military and business leaders – they all do it. Why else do you think they were and are so successful?
Putting it simply:
…people who succeed have goals, and people who have goals succeed.
It doesn’t matter what type of goal setter you are, the process used to set goals is the same for everyone - from stay-at-home mums to corporate executives - because the principles of goal setting are the same, its just the personal goals that are different.
Some final comments...
Have a look at the FREE Life Planning Program and TOOLS in the ToolBOX – some of these Tools you’ll think are pretty good, and others may not help you so much. The important thing is to pick out the tools and techniques that work for you, including ones you find from other websites, and add these to your goal-setting arsenal.
Some final tips before you go:
So, be prepared to reap the benefits of your efforts as you take control of your life and achieve goal setting success!
There are also some great articles on setting goals in the “Articles” section of the website. Or tell us about YOUR goals or great advice on setting and achieving goals and inspire other goal setters to achieve!
Also read this quick e-book or this one on “How to set SMART goals and get your mind focused into action”.
And of course, not forgetting the most important people in our lives – we’ve put together this section on teaching children how to set goals.