My Fool-Proof Method for Setting Goals
Set actionable goals that get you where you want to be.
By Jade Kühn · 2022/02/07
In this post, we'll be tackling the very well known topic of setting goals. We've all heard about setting smart goals and focusing on the bigger picture and about a hundred other tips and techniques. My goal isn't to say that one person's way of setting goals is wrong and another is right. I'll share my process with you and the tips I've learned that have worked for me over the years.
Gather Some Enthusiasm
Most of us fall into the same trap of setting goals in the new year, and then when we haven't achieved any of them in a week or two, we're hit by a goal-setting slump. Sometimes that slump can be so overwhelming that we don't find the courage or enthusiasm to set goals again for almost half a year, and by that time, most people will say that it's too late to start and that they'd rather wait for the next new year in hopes of getting another fresh start.
In truth, the idea of "starting fresh" is absolutely ridiculous. There is no perfect time to start. If you wait for the perfect time, you'll be waiting for the rest of your life. So instead of being discouraged, be excited. Setting a goal at any point in time (whether that's the first of January or late July) is an exciting thing. You can have as many "fresh starts" as you want, but if you don't take action on them, you'll never get where you want to be, and that is the harsh truth of the matter.
So gather some much-needed enthusiasm and start getting excited for all the goals you're going to achieve.
Start Big
Yes, you read right. Usually, when people tell you to set goals, all you hear is: "Start small." Well, I guess I'll be the contrarian and tell you that you need to start big when you are setting goals. Achieving goals is a different matter altogether and not at all what I'm referencing in this post. This is about setting goals.
My first piece of advice to you would be to get out a pen and paper (or tablet/laptop if you're a more digitally oriented person) and write down your biggest dream. What is it that you would most like to achieve in your life? This would be the one thing that all your other smaller goals are leading up to or the thing that you are the most passionate about.
Keep in mind that you can have a multi-faceted dream. For example, your dream doesn't have to be the same for your personal life and business life. Your dreams can have multiple layers.
The Next Step
Now that you have your dream written down, take a long hard look at it. In what way can you break that dream down into goals. When you set these goals, keep in mind that although they shouldn't be as big as your dream, they should still be things you'd want to achieve on a more long-term basis. You'd then have about 5-10 goals left that would put you one step closer to your dream when you reach them.
The next part of this process is breaking those big goals down into smaller ones. For example, if your big goal is buying your favorite car, then your smaller goals would be steps that you can take in the next 1-2 years that will get you to that goal, like determining how much you would need to put away monthly to save up for the car and then taking actionable steps to do so.
Finish Small
Now that you have your goals broken down, it's time to figure out what you can do daily to speed up the process of achieving those goals. An example of this would be if your big goal is to run the Comrades Marathon, your smaller goal will be to get fit and build up your endurance to run 90km. If you break that goal down, your daily tasks can be:
1. Get up at 5 AM
2. Go for a Run
3. Go to the Gym every day
Therefore you are taking actionable steps to get yourself to that goal, and as a bonus, you are creating healthy habits in the process.
Why Follow This Structure?
When you are done with this whole process, you will be left with daily actionable steps to take, a bigger goal to keep in mind and a dream that you are working up to. This means you have no doubts about the steps you need to take, no excuses like not knowing how to get to that big faraway dream, and an actionable plan that you can measure the results for. Remember setting a timeline for each of these steps will increase your commitment and give you a solid deadline.
This process is so great because it gets rid of hesitations and excuses and leaves you with a clear goal that you can achieve if you put the time and effort in. I learned to set goals from Dr Hannes Dreyer from The Wealth Creators University. His book on Power Goals changed my whole outlook on the goal-setting process. If you want more information on setting powerful and achievable goals, click here.
