5 Steps to Goal Achievement
Goal setting is an incredibly rewarding, but often times nerve-racking experience. You set up goals and then stare them down with fear of failure until one day you may give up, or one day you finally knock it down. Why hasn’t someone made a step-by-step sure fire way to make sure goals are realistic and manageable? Well, now I have!
I have always encountered anxiety when trying to fulfill my personal missions, often times being overzealous or maybe even underwhelming. BUT NOW… I follow this brief, five-step process each time I set a goal and since I have started everything has changed. Give it a shot!
1. Define the goal
What is it that you are trying to achieve? What is the definition of success in regards to this goal?
Take a notepad or journal and dedicate it to your goal-setting processes. When defining your goal be as specific as possible. Write a clear definition of what would be the exact definition in achieving your goal. You want it to be measurable and specific so your later steps can be catered to your specific outcome.
2. Give yourself a timeline
Decide whether this outcome is a long-term (6 months to a year) or short-term (1 week to a year). If you can, try giving yourself check-point and due dates. Keep yourself on track by providing deadlines so you can avoid procrastination or rushed work.
3. Break it down
Don’t look directly at the outcome, there is a lot of time and land to cover before the final result will appear in good quality and with success. Allow yourself to relax by breaking down the process and taking the journey step-by-step. I usually recommend making a broad, major-step list. Then breaking that list into a piece-by-piece process timeline.
4. Eat the big frog first
I read once in a book that if you eat the biggest and most disgusting part of the day before anything else, it makes the day and rest of the journey pass with ease. Take the most time consuming project pieces and do those first… then the rest is east as pie.
5. Give yourself some slack, but be diligent
If the deadline is fast-approaching, but the remainder of your list is too much to complete on time… relax. It is okay to push the deadline a bit, but don’t let it extend more than a quarter of the over all journey time. You’ll be ready to wrap it up, breathe and pick up the pace and you’ll get it!
