Did you know that for all the goals that are set every year, only around eight percent of people achieve their goals? With such a small percentage like that, it makes you wonder what so many people are doing wrong.
There are many reasons why people fail to reach their goals, including not following through and losing interests. When it comes to personal goal setting, taking certain steps helps you reach your goals. Read on to learn more and discover three tips for successful goal setting.
Why Do People Set Goals?
People set goals for a variety of reasons, it’s so common that making New Year’s Resolutions has become an expectation. While everyone’s goals are different, many require a change in behavior, habits or even their whole lifestyle. Often, the everyday stress of work and family life gets in the way and the old habits reign.
3 Tips For Successful Personal Goal Setting
To be successful, the setting goals step is as crucial as the follow-through. Three helpful tips include:
1. Setting SMART Goals
When setting a goal, using the SMART process is an effective method. SMART stands Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely and having a goal with these attributes makes it more likely you’ll reach it.
For example, instead of saying you want to live a healthier lifestyle, say you want to lose 20 pounds or lower your blood pressure 15 point by the end of the year. SMART goals make it easy for you to check in on your progress and adjust the goal if needed.
2. Have Someone to Hold You Accountable
While you certainly have the right to keep your goals to yourself, there are benefits to having someone keep you accountable. First, if it’s someone with a similar goal, the two of you could provide support for one another, especially when it feels like the goal isn’t on track. Also, if you find self-motivation difficult, having someone else fill the role is helpful.
3. Have Milestones on the Way to a Goal
Even if a goal is reasonable, it can seem daunting with just the end in mind. A method to combat this is having mini-goals or milestones to reach along the way. Returning to the example of losing 20 pounds in a year, setting milestones for losing 5 pound increments can keep you motivated and encouraged as you reach them.
Getting Professional Help
There could be a point where you need professional help. This help can come in the form of a life coach, such as Cindy Tsai, who is a licensed medical doctor. These professionals can review your lifestyle and offer advice to keep you on track.
Are You Ready to Set Some Goals?
Now that you know more about personal goal setting, are you ready to get started? Having SMART goals, someone to hold you accountable, and smaller milestones can all help you be more successful. If you need additional help, hiring a life coach is a possibility.
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