How To Set Goals and Achieve Them in 5 Easy Steps

These are 5 easy steps in how to set goals and achieve them. As all of the steps are truly important none can really be done and followed through without the other. Therefore none is more important than the other!


1)Set up to 5 at a time

2)Make them achievable in days/weeks NOT months or years

3)Be Positive, instead of saying "Don't" say "Do"

4)Post them for you to see every day

5)Assess your goals daily AND congratulate yourself even for the smallest achievement!


Set No More Than 5 at a Time

When looking at a list it's so much easier to cross off one of five items then one of 100. when you cross off one item of many it looks like you haven't achieved anything, even if you might have moved a boulder, or the largest part of the list.


You'll pat yourself on the back more often, feel more confident and reach your goals quicker when you cross off one item of a few. You can always add one more goal on, or extend your goal and make it cover a larger spectrum of time(this is the time where I have a caveat to item 2).


Make Them Achievable in Days/Weeks NOT Months or Years

We are all addictive thinkers! In "Addictive Thinking Understanding Self-Deception by Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. it makes a correlation to addicts not being able to think in terms of months or years, they only consider "time" as day to day. In this case You and I are the addicts, we are addicted to not making our goals! We need to change our thinking to meet them and follow the process of thinking day to day and celebrating each day we achieve our goals(see number 1).


Months are too long a perspective for the initial goal and goal setter. Once you accomplish the goal and if it's something you want to do long-term, then create a secondary goal. For example: I want to work out three time per week. I've achieved that goal now for a few weeks running, now I create a secondary goal: I want to work out three times per week for three months. I'm already achieving the three times per week, now I need to achieve it for three months...and each week I achieve it I celebrate it!


Be Positive, Instead of Saying "Don't" Say "DO"

The best way to achieve your goals is by being positive instead of saying "I don't want to eat as much" say "I want to eat less" When humans think positively they are more likely to feel better about achieving what they want! This is also a way to tell yourself to DO that item instead of Don't do that item. They always say it's easier to create a habit than to change one you already have.


Post Your Goals So You Can See Them Every day

Post them on your bathroom mirror, computer screen, refrigerator, on the milk carton even! Why? The more you see them the more it reminds you of them. This can be negative if you aren't achieving your goals, but it's extremely positive if you are achieving them. Remember your goals should be in small steps. This leads to the Last Step.


Assess your goals daily AND congratulate yourself even for the smallest achievement!

Once you post them you will see them every day, you can wake up in the morning and congratulate yourself that you got through one day of (put your goal here). You will see them when you get home from work and pat yourself on the back for achieving it. Go celebrate with friends, if it's paying your bills, don't do something that will accrue more bills, if it's eating less don't go to the all you can eat buffet. What you can do is go to the park or talk a walk, go to the library and get another book, paint a picture, take pictures. Even in the winter there are ways to get out, drive around town looking at Christmas lights! Whatever you choose, choose something that will continue to help you reach your goals!


Hopefully you've learned my 5 steps on how to achieve your goals:

1)Set no more than 5 at a time

2)Make them achievable in days/weeks NOT months or years

3)Be Positive, instead of saying "Don't" say "Do"

4)Post them for you to see every day

5)Assess your goals daily AND congratulate yourself even for the smallest achievement!


Feel free to visit my websites and share your comments with me on how they've worked, if you need a little coaching I'll be there!