Tips for Setting Realistic Goals

What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher or an actor. And then an archeologist and a horse trainer, but not all simultaneously. What about you? What we thought about as kids, daydreaming about our future careers, was a form of goal setting. We need goals to look forward to, things to work for, and desires to fulfill. How we go about it can be a bit challenging, though, so here are some of my top tips for setting realistic goals.

Why is Goal Setting So Important?

Before diving in, you might wonder why goal setting is so important. Goals help mobilize our creative energy toward an outcome. I mean, what good is putting a bunch of effort into something with no rewarding conclusion? And when we accomplish a goal, it boosts our mental health - it feels really good to hit the mark and get the dopamine hit in reward for completing our goals.

This works for personal goals as well as professional goals, by the way. So, whether you want to set goals for learning something new, like how to throw pottery, or for something in your business, like signing 10 new clients before the end of the year, these strategies will help you with your goals and motivation.

How to Set Goals

Let’s talk about the difference between attainable vs. unattainable goals. Attainable goals are those that are realistic and achievable within the time that you want them. For instance, an attainable goal would be to make it to the gym three times a week for the next six months. The beauty of this goal is that it’s focused on a measurable amount of sessions each week, for a measurable amount of time (six months).

Unattainable goals, however, are the least effective goal setting approach. Unattainable goals are outlandish and too hard to accomplish. For instance, if you’ve got a goal to write the Great American Novel in six weeks, you’re not likely to achieve that. Now, in six months? Maybe.

One of my favorite goal setting techniques is to make sure your goals motivate you. Is the goal something that you want, or something that you only think you want? Unsure about how to tell?

Try the 5 Whys approach:

Start by asking yourself why you want the goal.

Then ask yourself why again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

You should ask the question “why?” five times. By the time you get to the answer to the fifth why, you’ll know the real motivation. If it’s something you truly desire, it’ll be obvious.

Goal Setting Tips

Here are a few more tips for setting realistic goals.

• Set long-term goals and short-term goals. Your short-term goals can be in service of the long-term goals, meaning that as you hit the short-term goals, you’ll be making your way closer to the long-term one.

• Write your goals down and display them where you can see them. Move that list to another location in your home or office each week, so you’ll be less likely to ignore it.

• Reward yourself for hitting your short-term and long-term goals. The brain focuses on what we haven’t done yet, leaving us with a sense of non-accomplishment. Celebrating your achievements helps counteract that process.

• Don’t be afraid to adjust your goals as needed. Sometimes, we set unattainable goals that we don’t realize are unrealistic.

What do you think of these tips on setting and achieving goals? I hope they have inspired you to rethink your goal setting strategy.

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