Achieving goals is super powerful and definitely affects our feelings of success in life. When we dare to dream about what we truly want and set goals in that direction, a powerful shift happens.

Once those goals are achieved, confidence is boosted and not only do we feel a sense of accomplishment, but we want to succeed even more!

We are so much more likely to achieve our goals if we have them written down properly.

Set Goals with the Greatest Positive Impact

We are often pulled in many directions, which makes it hard to accomplish even one small goal.

To prioritise your goals, look at all areas of your life including your family, health, career, finances, and hobbies. Then decide what goal in each area truly motivates you and will most positively impact your life.

Make SMART  Goals for Best Results

To make goals that are focused and achievable, they need to be S.M.A.R.T., an acronym that typically means:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-limited

For example, instead of saying, “I want to start my own business,” a SMART goal would be: “I will start my own dance company that teaches people various different styles of dance by September 1, 2022.” Anyone can determine whether or not it has been completed, which makes it measurable, and the time-limitation helps create the motivation.

Also part of the SMART criteria is to make sure that the goal is achievable and realistic. When we set ourselves up for potential failure, it can be disempowering and motivation can be lost. We do need to stretch ourselves when goal setting to maximize our potential, but the goal should not be so far out of reach that it is impossible to achieve.

Writing Goals Down Is Essential

Writing goals in a daily planner, a journal or even on sticky notes, helps focus our attention on them and makes them more real. It narrows your focus and provides motivation as well as excitement. Having this clarity will also help you to filter out things, activities, and people that don’t support your goals.

Think of Potential Obstacles and Real Solutions

Successful people fail more than unsuccessful people simply because they keep trying no matter what obstacles they come across.

Obstacles to achieving your goals can include fear of failure, fear of success and lack of self-confidence, or imposter syndrome – this is a huge one! An obstacle can be less threatening if there are potential solutions. So think about some real solutions to help overcome roadblocks in the path to your success.

Focus on Goals Everyday

Focusing daily on our goals helps us succeed in reaching them because it’s a constant reminder of what we desire in life.

Two good ways to keep goals present in the mind are:

Think from the end. Imagine what life will look like once the goal is realised and the joy and satisfaction you will feel!

Visualise. Create a vision board with pictures, symbols and words relating to goals, or start a simple daily visualisation practice where you imagine yourself having achieved your goal.

Achieving important goals in life can truly be difficult yet so rewarding. Enthusiasm, self-discipline, commitment, and perseverance are needed to get the results. Once a goal is realised, and a dream is turned into reality, we gain acknowledgement that through hard work and passion nothing is impossible.