Less than 10% of people have specific, written goals. Of the people who do set goals, 70% fail to achieve them. This means that less than 3% of people achieve their goals.
It comes as no surprise then that we often hear this: “I don’t have great experiences with goals, and I was never really taught what works and how to effectively set goals.”
So, here are four steps you can follow to join the top achievers who are 90% likely to achieve their goals and find great fulfillment in achieving their goals.
And, if your New Year’s goals fell through, this is a great chance to hit the reset button!
Achieve Your Goals (4 Steps)
1. Review Your Vision and Life Roles
Review your vision so that you can align your goals with your vision. This gives the goals purpose, motivating power, and direction. And, like you did with your vision, start by listing your life roles (e.g., personal, partner, professional, friend, coach). This is called “Roles and Goals,” and by setting goals for each role, you keep a balanced perspective on what matters most in life.
2. Develop Annual SMART Goals
For each life role, come up with one or two SMART goals (one or two goals are easier to focus on and remember). SMART is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-specific.
Avoid the words “more” and “better,” which are vague, such as in “I want to be a better spouse,” or “I’ll exercise more.” How do you measure success with that?
And, use the word “average” in place of “daily” or “weekly.” For example, if you say you’re going to “exercise daily,” you set yourself up for failure if you miss one day. Whereas, if you say, “Exercise on average 5x per week,” you give yourself wiggle room when life gets busy. Here’s one more example: “I’ll average 20 sales calls per week.”
3. Share Your Goals & Be Accountable
A Harvard study made clear that those who not only set goals, but also share them with mentors, advisors, or friends, are over 60% likely to achieve their goals. And, when they include a “report date” for when they will report on their goals, they are over 90% likely to achieve their goals. So, share you goals and set a date to report on how you did.
4. Post 'Em Up
Print those goals and post them in your closet, on your mirror, next to your desk, or wherever you’ll see them regularly. You can also include a copy in your planner (digital or paper), which you can reference when you pre-week plan. When you review your goals as part of your pre-week planning, you’ll find that you take your goals into your weekly and daily life. This drastically improves the likelihood of achieving your goals!
Wrapping Up
So, if you need a “reset” with your goals, set Roles and Goals. Review your life vision and key life roles. For each life role, set one to two SMART goals. Share those goals with others, and set a date when you’ll report on your goals. Then, post those goals where you’ll see them and include them in your pre-week planning.
Goals will then become motivating, fulfilling, and even fun as you achieve them and become your best as a person and leader! Welcome to the three percent! 🙂
“I share my goals with those who have been huge role models for me. Many times, when I sent my goals to them, it was obvious that the stakes were high. One reason I achieved those goals was that I didn’t want to embarrass myself in their eyes. Sharing my goals with them brought us closer, and it drove me to work toward my best.” – Steve Shallenberger
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