How To: Set Better Goals

TL;DR:

Four strategies to set better, more realistic goals that you can actually achieve.
A bonus fifth step with a review of SMART goal setting.

We hear a lot about setting goals. “It’s important to have goals.” “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re already lost.” And the quotes go on and on. So we set goals. Sometimes we hit them. Sometimes we miss.

I’m fortunate to have a lot of conversations with people about their goals, and what I’ve found is, we all tend to miss more than we hit. Of course, we could chalk this up to setting lofty goals and challenging ourselves. And that may be the case. But I’ve found that often times, it’s because the goals we set aren’t the right ones for what we really want. They’re just goals that sound good.

We know we need to make ourselves uncomfortable and set lofty goals. And we know they need to be SMART Goals (quick refresher on that below), but how do we increase the likelihood that we meet those goals? How do we make our goals BETTER?

The only goals you truly never meet, are the ones you never try for. Click To Tweet

Be clear and concise.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is goals being too broad or general. “Make more money” is not a goal. “Make $125,000 per year” is a clear and concise goal. Whilst it might not be the easiest goal to achieve, it is something that people can work towards. There are a lot of ways for people to try and make that sort of money these days, such as by investing in Bitcoin. Nowadays, people Bitcoin mit Paysafe kaufen kann (can buy Bitcoin with Paysafe), so it’s a lot easier to get ahold of. Bitcoin investments normally increase over time, so people may be able to make a profit eventually. That’s just one method, there are many more.

Find an accountability partner.

When it all falls down, it’s going to come back to holding yourself accountable, but having someone else checking in on you can be the difference between success and failure. Reach out to your family, your colleagues, or your PLN on social media. Find someone, or a group of someones, who can support you along the way, but who will also call you out if you start to allow excuses to stop you.

Be transparent with your accountability partner. Be clear and concise (see above) about what your goal is, and when you are attempting to achieve it by. And then ask them to actually hold you accountable.

Reflect.

Whether you meet the goal or not, reflect on it. Look back on what worked, what didn’t, how you felt, how you grew, and where you’re at now in comparison to where you started.

If you did NOT meet the goal:

Reflect on the process of creating the goal. Were you concise enough? Was it a SMART goal?
Does the goal still matter? Should you try again, or is it no longer relevant or important to your plan? Goals change, and that’s okay.
Where did you go wrong? Was it the strategy? Did it turn out to be unrealistic? Did something out of your control stop you?
Even though you missed the goal, did you grow? How did you grow? Can you celebrate the little bit of growth you did have? (Yes, yes you can!)

If you DID meet the goal:

What were the key factors that lead to your success? How can you put these in place for future goals?
Did you meet the goal because you planned and executed a solid plan with a strong effort? Or was it just an easy to meet goal? (Easy to meet goals aren’t always bad, but being honest with yourself is important.)
What’s the next step? How do you grow from here? What has this success set you up for?

The point here is simple: No matter what, reflect. Reflect on what went wrong, what went right, and how you can grow from either or both.

Be ready to adapt.

The most important piece to goal setting is to understand that GOALS CAN CHANGE. You may get 30 days into a 90 day goal and realize it’s far too much of a stretch goal and you need to be more realistic, or it’s going to be way easier than expected and you need to start planning to extend it. You might get halfway to your goal and realize it’s no longer relevant to your longterm vision, or it’s no longer important to you because your circumstances have changed. There are a million and one reasons why goals my change…and that’s okay. Adapt your plan, and adapt your actions.

You may also hit unavoidable roadblocks along the way that make the deadline you set impossible. That’s okay. Adjust it. Be real and honest with yourself, though. I’m not telling you to adjust the deadline because meeting it will be hard. I’m saying be ready because sometimes life happens and we need to adjust for that.

Sometimes we need to adapt our strategies. Maybe you’re not progressing as quickly as you thought, even though you’ve stayed true to your plan. Adapt. Shift your plan to draw more from you, so you can get on track and meet the goal. Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

The bottom line is this: Accountability, reflection, and adaptability are all part of the process of meeting your goals, so they all need to be included in the planning process. None of them are effective if you’re not clear, concise, and honest with yourself when planning. Take the time to assess your goals. Reach out to an accountability partner (or partners), and make sure you’re ready to adapt. The only goals you truly never meet, are the ones you never try for.

BONUS: In case you need it – Make sure your goals are SMART.

Specific: Don’t be vague. Exactly what do you want?
Measurable: Quantify your goal. How will you know if you’ve achieved it or not?
Attainable: Be honest with yourself about what you can reasonably accomplish at this point in your life while taking into consideration your current responsibilities.
Realistic: It’s got to be doable, real and practical.
Time-Based: Associate a time frame with each goal. When should you complete the goal?

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About Jeff Gargas

Jeff Gargas is the COO and co-founder of the Teach Better Team, and co-author of the Teach Better book. Prior to co-founding Teach Better Team, Jeff was the owner of ENI Multimedia, an online marketing firm, where he worked with entrepreneurs and small businesses, assisting them with web design, social media, content marketing, and brand awareness.

Prior to all of this, Jeff was an adjunctive professor at Kent State University and spent 10+ years in the music industry. He has spoken at conferences around the country, and has successfully promoted more than 500 events and launched 7 businesses in a variety of industries.

Jeff is passionate about music, and enjoys spending time with his family as often as possible. He is also a member of the Teach Better Speakers Network.