Forget SMART And Use These 10 Steps to Achieve Your Goals

Setting goals is the most powerful and self-engaging tool at your disposal.

GOAL SETTING

Harvard University conducted an experiment in the 1980’s. The purpose of this study was to check-in on the progress of former students, those who attended the university in the 1950’s. The experiment uncovered an interesting piece of data:

- 5% owned more than 95% of the total wealth acquired by all these former students.

This puzzled Harvard researchers, so they had to investigate further. So all former students, initially surveyed, were asked to answer additional questions to determine why so few students acquired so much wealth.

Can you guess what it boiled down to?

The study concluded one differentiating factor — the 5% developed the habit of setting regular goals in life.

Setting goals is the most powerful mind-engaging tool at your disposal. Anyone can do it. it’s a way of crystallising your aims and desires in life. Goal-setting opens a realm of potential in your mind … after which, your body will follow.

So setting goals is powerful, agreed? So what’s the best way to do this?

The first step you must take is to decide what you want.

Sounds simple, right? I agree. So why do so many of us go through life without a real sense of direction as to where we are going or exactly what we want to achieve in our life — I Include myself in this because like you I don’t always do it.

Most of us dream of a Walter Mitty-esque life — sailing into the sunset on a luxury yacht leaving our troubles behind; that or winning the lottery. These are day dreams, a starting point, but highly unlikely to unfold without an action-based goal plan.

I ask myself this question all the time — have you thought about what you want your life to be like in five years’ time? or even a year down the line?

What’s your answer?

Ambling from day to day and allowing chance or “life” just dictate what will happen to your health, relationships, finances, career is as good as the lottery in terms of getting what you really want.

Look, don’t worry too much, we all tend to meander from time to time — but it’s never too late to change. This article will equip you with 10 Steps, a model, so that you can set about making things happen that you really want.

What is goal-setting

The concept of goal-setting is not new, in fact every facet of business, sports and personal development applies goal-setting as the cornerstone for measurement and progress. Goals translate into success; everything else is just commentary, I’d go as far to say it’s one of the greatest discoveries in human history.

Your life only begins to become a great life when you clearly identify what it is that you want, make a plan to achieve it and then work on that plan every single day, no matter how small, do one thing that moves you closer to your goal.

The alternative is being a passenger in life linked to the ’cause and effect’ principle. You can choose whether you want to the ‘cause’ of your life experience or just the ‘effect’, by being a passenger.

“The primary reason for failure is that people do not develop new plans to replace those plans that didn’t work.”

-Napoleon Hill

Responsibility vs. Blame

I discovered that I was responsible for me, my life and everything that happens. It’s one reason why I wrote this piece, plus it’s something I wanted to do for a long time. Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing and you only get one shot — Seize it.

Blame is an interesting concept I feel compelled to address here, cherished by many. I’m guilty of it, we all are. The fact is blaming externalises responsibility by letting ourselves off the hook. It’s a band aid i.e. a temporary fix. Blaming is easy, blaming is a cop out, blaming is not taking responsibility, blaming is not an option when your goals are at stake.

Kaizen is a Japanese term for improvement or change for the better. Kaizen is recognised as the significant influence that led to the recovery of Japan after the Second World War. An evolved Kaizen model continues to be used today not only in Japan, but across the globe. Change begins with the self, it’s within you. Change is acceptance of personal responsibility — the starting point.

Even look at the word responsibility, it’s an action, response-ability…your ability to respond. After you accept complete responsibility, your whole mind-set and by default your life begins to change.

Also, you can learn anything you need to in order to accomplish any goal you set for yourself. This is actually something you have proven time and time again but sometimes forget. As a child you did it every day without a second thought, it’s a natural skill within all of us.

Everyone who excels in anything today was once weak in that area. The top people in every field were at one time not even in their field of expertise or didn’t even know that it existed. So, what hundreds of thousands of people have done before you, you can do now, if you choose.

The goal-setting process works like this:

First, decide exactly what you want in every key area of your life. Don’t hold back, think big, be outrageous — start by Idealising. In your mind imagine that limitations do not exist and you can be, have or do whatever you want. Picture that you have all the time, money, resources, contacts, education and experience that you need to accomplish any goal you can set for yourself.

Recall back to when you were a child, limits did not exist then, anything was possible. Now, if your life was perfect in each area, what would it look like?

• Income — how much would you earn?
• Family — what kind of a lifestyle would you have?
• Health — how healthy and fit would you be?
• Education — What field do you want to study or become a thought leader, an expert?

Now, use the Quick Goal Method — for the next 30 seconds write down three of your most important goals in life.

Do it now, write quickly.

Whatever your answers are using this quick method will most likely represent a true picture of what you really want.

How to set Goals

To expand on the process (having first completed the quick method) the following steps are very effective in manifesting your goals:

1. Write it down.

Writing down your ideas and goals will accomplish two things, the first is that you kinaesthetically (tactile learning, by touch) signal to your brain that this is important. The second is an autopilot function of your mind whereby your subconscious mind begins to process your kinaesthetic instruction done in the first place. George J. Ziogas shared a step-by-step guide — How To Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind.

You must write down your goals in a clear, specific, achievable, detailed and measurable way. Think of it as placing an order for what you want from the goal factory. Be clear, descriptive as detailed as possible. Sadly, only 3% of adults write goals.

A great example of this step in action was shared by Dean Rocheleau about his Goal to Write 1000 Posts in 1000 Days. Not only did he write it down, but he went as far as to share it on Medium for the benefit of others.

2. Set a deadline

Your subconscious mind already uses deadlines to operate your body and drive you. It does so consciously and unconsciously in achieving your goal on schedule. If for some reason you don’t achieve your goal by your elected deadline, not to worry, set a new deadline, but start with a deadline. There is no such thing as unreasonable goals, only unreasonable deadlines.

3. Identify the obstacles

There will be obstacles. Challenges or roadblocks that you have to overcome to achieve your goal, that’s guaranteed. The Theory of Constraints states that there is always one limiting factor, known as a constraint that sets the speed at which you achieve your goal. Tiago Forte illustrates it as a bottleneck.

Similarly the Pareto principle applies according to Jari Roomer. This is also known as the 80/20 rule. 80% of the reasons that are holding you back from achieving your goals lie within you. These are represented by a lack of a knowledge or skill. The other 20% of the reasons you are not reaching your goals are external, outside you. The message is to always start within yourself. When you overcome internal reasons the odds are soon stacked in your favour, 20% is hardly an insurmountable obstacle.

4. Identify knowledge, information and skill required

Some of the internal obstacles are knowledge, skill or even information you will need to achieve your goal. So identify the skills that you need to develop to reach the top 5–10% of your field. Tim Ferriss discusses this in The 4-Hour Work Week. It’s not that difficult, trust me. Work on the one skill that is holding you back more than others. Again, whatever it is, write it down, make a plan and work on it every day.

5. Identify key people, partners or affiliates

This is easy. Ask yourself whose help you’ll need in achieving your goal. Even make a list of every person that can work with you or support you to achieve your goal. Start with your family, friends, boss, colleagues or acquaintances. Don’t forget, only 20% of the reasons you are not achieving your goals are on the outside.

To achieve goals you should seek the help and support of others. A key person or mentor at a certain time and place in your life can make all the difference. Successful people are those who have learned to build and maintain a large network of people with whom they have an interdependent relationship, whereby help is reciprocated.

6. Make a list of milestones

Combine the obstacles, the knowledge and the people whose support and cooperation you will require and make a list every single step that you can think of that you will have to follow to achieve your goal. Identify each milestone. Your list is dynamic so feel free to add, change or delete as appropriate. When you complete your list it becomes clear that your goal is far more attainable than you initially thought, certainly not rocket science, essentially the sum of individual parts.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

— Lao Tzu

7. Create a plan

Start by organising your list. Arrange each step you’ve identified by priority. Create a sequence so you know what to do before you can start something else, an order hierarchy. Priority is the starting with the most important task first.

I might remind you here that the ‘Pareto Principle’ principle applies again, this 80/20 Rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your effort. So the first 20% of time that you spend planning your goals will be worth 80% of the time and effort required to achieve it — Planning is key.

8. Follow your plan

When your plan is created organize it into a series of steps in terms of priority from the beginning through to the completion. Statistics show that when you create goal coupled with a plan you increase the likelihood of achieving it tenfold. Some useful time management tools to help you follow your plan and stay on track are:

• Plan each day, each week and month in advance
• Plan the month at the beginning of the month
• Plan your week the weekend before
• Plan your day the evening before

The more effort and attention you apply when planning the more you will accomplish within the allocated time. I once read that every minute spent planning saves 10 minutes in execution, not a bad return on your investment. Select your number one, most important task for each day. Set priorities on your list using the 80/20 Rule. It’s really a process of elimination after that, just ask yourself this:

Q1: If I had to do only one thing on my list, what would it be, which is the most important?

Whatever you choose put number “1” next to it.

Then, ask yourself:

Q2: If I could only do one other task on my list, which one task would be the most valuable use of my time?

Then write the number “2” next to that task and so on. Continue down your list asking which tasks represent the best use of your time today. A good number to work with is “7”. Seven tasks a day is 35 completed per week over 5-days and you’ll soon notice the fruits of your effort if you stay on track.

A concentrated focus is vital to the success of your planning and activities. By focusing you know exactly what it is that you want to accomplish, the concentration requires that you put effort into doing only those things that move you toward your goal.

9. Make it a habit.

Habits are created and instilled by self-discipline. When a habit is formed it becomes an autopilot function, good and bad. Habits are therefore acquired behavioural patterns, followed regularly until they become almost involuntary.

The steps to forming new or breaking old habits are:

• Make it daily
• Start simple
• Commit to a timeframe — 30 days (21 minimum)
• Stay consistent
• Be persistent
• Never quit
• Reward yourself

Your ability to select the most important tasks and then work on them single minded, without distraction, can double or even and treble both the quality and quantity of your output and productivity. When you start with a task be in the mind-set to form the habit by avoiding all distractions and stay with each task until it’s done. Once you have developed this habit you will earn more from every aspect of your life.

10. Visualisation

Right, I’m going to go out on a limb here and throw this in, but trust me, it works. The habit of visualisation programmes your subconscious mind to meeting your goals. In contrast to your conscious mind your subconscious mind is not logical. Your subconscious mind takes instruction. It does not question but rather goes about making what you visualise become your reality. To carry out effective visualisation you must engage all your senses.

“You see things and say ‘Why?’ but I dream things and say ‘Why not?’”

- George Bernard Shaw

Engage your senses:

• Visual — What do you see?
• Emotional — How do you feel?
• Auditory — What do you hear?
• Smell — What smells do you sense?
• Taste — What tastes can you sense?

When practising visualisation, take a few moments to create the emotions that accompany the successful achievement of a goal. The clearer, more vivid, exciting and emotional mind-movie you can create intensifies the accuracy of it in reality. Practicing Mindfulness, discussed by Brian Pennie, can further enhance visualisation.

By seeing your goal as though it were already achieved your subconscious mind actually accepts it as being real. By engaging your imagination you are tapping into the realm of accomplishment. Visualisation is perhaps the most powerful faculty available to each of us to help in achieving our goals — faster than you ever thought possible.

A combination of clear goals powered by visualization mind movies access a part of your subconscious that is also known as your super-conscious mind. This super-conscious mind goes about solving every potential problem on the way to your goal.

Your super-conscious mind is the Law of Attraction at work and begins attracting, by creation, people, circumstances, ideas and resources into your life to help you to achieve your goals.

Goals for beginners

Okay, having read through the concept and actions above let’s work through a Goal-Setting Exercise.

First, take a clean sheet of paper and write the word “Goals” at the top of the page along and today’s date. Write down at least 10 goals that you would like to accomplish this next year. At the start of each goal use the word “I” — own it. “I” is an action verb commanding from your conscious mind to your subconscious mind.

Second, when describing your goals use present tense, as if they you have achieved them already. For example, if your goal is to earn say €100k this year write: “I earn €100,000 in 2020.” You can do likewise for a job, weight loss, quitting smoking … you get the picture.

By stating your goals as if they were reality you activate what I described earlier, your subconscious or rather super-conscious mind — To change or improve external reality you must be consistent with your inner commands.

Great, now you have a list of 10 goals, well done. Follow the 10 steps learned in the previous section and watch you desires unfold — be patient and persistent.

By following the 10 steps giving up is no longer an option — Persistence is self-discipline in action. Each time you persist and overcome inevitable failures and disappointments, which will happen and you will experience this I guarantee it, you become stronger and better equipped.

Final Thought

Remember failure is simply feedback so learn from it, in doing so you will develop a stronger, deeper character governed by a trusted moral compass. Your self-esteem and self-confidence will also flourish in the process. Your ultimate goal is to eventually become “Unstoppable.”

Decide exactly what you want, write it down, make a plan, and work on it every single day. If you do this over and over again until it becomes a habit, you will accomplish more in the next few weeks/months than many people accomplish in several years. Begin today, begin now.

Remember this folks, discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. The best time to set up a new discipline is when the idea is strong, fuelled by a strong emotional desire — one discipline always paves the way for another.