Anthony D Carter . comSuccess and Achievement Through Personal Development

Setting goals is the foundation to success. The high achievers always have goals. However the process of goal setting is sometimes confusing. Here are 5 steps to successfully setting your goals.

Step one- Write your aspiration down on paper. Get clear on what you want and why you want it. Brainstorm all of the reasons behind the dream that you desire. Then write out a clear statement of what you want. Next, write down what you intend to do to in order to have what you want.

When going after your goal set realistic expectations. This will protect you from unnecessary disappointments. So often we unintentionally sabotage ourselves because we set the bar so high. A goal should be believable and measurable.

Break it Down

As you map out your plan you should be able to break it down into baby steps or bite sized-parts. Once you have it broken down then you set out working from peak to peak at a quick pace. Speed matters but consistency is more important than speed.

Goals are powerful tools that you can use in order to realize your dreams. The act of setting goals is good but you can increase the effectiveness by writing your goals down. Here are reasons why it is important to write your goals down.

1-Eliminate Distractions. Written goals help you to stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish. You will succeed to the degree that you can stay on track towards achieving your goals. A written goal is like a road sign which guides you and keeps you on track. When you look at your written goal you can quickly assess your progress. You can determine if you are moving in the right direction or if you need to readjust.

In order to succeed with goal setting it is vital that you know what you want. Once you know what you really want then you are in a great position for hitting the goals that you set for yourself.

Have you ever been in a restaurant and overheard a person at a table unable to place an order because they don’t know what they want? Maybe you have done this yourself. You may ask the waitress for suggestions and she ends up helping you to pick an item that will satisfy you.

Without goals you are essentially dead in the water. You need to have goals in order to obtain your dreams in life. Here are four reasons why you need to have goals.

Direction

“A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder.” ~ Thomas Carlyle

If you do not have goals then you have little control over where you eventually end up. It could mean that you end up stuck in a unhealthy relationship or a dead end job. Most people end up stuck in a rut because they have not taken the time to set concrete goals for themselves. And by goals I do not mean dreams. You can have dreams but you need to set goals in order to make those dreams come true.

After setting your goals the challenge has just began. You are susceptible certain pitfalls that can cause you to miss your goal entirely. Here are 3 common mistakes that you need to avoid:

Not Writing Them Down. Not writing your goals down leads to you getting off track. So often we don’t really fail to hit our goal we simply forget what the goal is and then we move on to something else.

Solution: Write your goal on cards and place them in places where you will see them regularly during your day. This helps to keep them on your mind. Goal cards keep you focused on what you are trying to achieve.