How to set Goals and actually achieve them?

Have you ever asked yourself about what you want from your life?

Have you ever thought about what you will be doing in next five years?

Do you know the purpose of your life?

These questions are not to make you feel bored or scared...

Many people feel like they don't know in which direction their life is going... Generally they feel lost in this huge world!

People offen do so many things, they work like anything but they don't know when and where to stop. They don't know what they want from their life. The only thing they know is to get successful...

Every person has to understand that the word "success" is not pre-defined for anyone. Only you can define what will make you Successful. Don't forget this important point that - to be successful, you have to plan. You need to set goals for yourself.

From the sources it is found that the people who set proper goals and work on them have 85% more chances of being successful.

It is also found that only 3% people in the world create some goals for them and out of those 3 percent people, only 8% are the one who actually complete their goals.

Understand this with basic maths. Out of 1000 people only 30 people set goals and from those 30 people only 2 to 3 people actually achieve them.

Isn't this amazing? You want to be at better position in your life... If you'll set the goals and will be consciously making effort working towards them then you will be already standing out from the crowd!

At this point of time you already know why you have to set Goals for yourself! Now Let's figure out the "How" to set and achieve them! Let's dive in... This blog will cover the following topics - 3 How's of setting and achieving your Goals:

• How to identify your goals?

• How to set the goals in order to make them achievable?

• How to track your goals and actually achieve them?

Let's understand each point in detail!

1. How to Identify your Goal?

Let's breakdown this point into two further parts, first you have to identify the random (unstructured, uncategorized) goals and then you will move to the second part where you will organize these random goals into proper structures.

Step 1: Identify them broadly

A. Braindumping Method

Braindumping is derived from two common words, i.e. Brain+Dumping. From the name itself, it's clear that it is the brainstorming session in which a person has to write down all the thought they have in the mind. It is a solo activity where a person write down all the things they want to do in life, ideas they have, random thoughts they have etc. It simply helps to clear out the mind.

B. Prompts Method

In this method, people can ask some prompts already available on the Internet to identify their goals. Some of the prompts can be:

• What do you wish to do in next 5 years or in next 1 year?

• Is there something which is holding you back to do what you want? What can be done for that situation?

• What are your strongest personality traits?

• Whom you follow on digital platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, etc.

• What kind of content you consume on Social Media/ Television or on video platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.

• Who inspires you the most?

• Is there something you want to learn?

• How do you want to feel?

• Some best places to visit in your life? What is stopping you? What can be done?

• What kind of activities you like to do?

• Is there something for which your friends or family members come to you for any help?

• What things excites you the most?

• What are your top 3 wishes in life?

• What kind of work you enjoy doing without any pressure?

• What kind of lifestyle you want?

• How much do you want to earn to live that lifestyle?

• How do you feel with your body? Do you wish to work on specific thing?

• What kind of food you like?

• What is the one word you would want people to describe you?

This list is huge!!

These prompts are just some of the examples to make you think. Discover the prompts according to your life.

At the end of these two methods/ activities, you have a basic idea of what you want to do in your life/ what you want from your life.

Step 2: Organize them in a structured way

In this step you have to structure your list in terms of types of Goals.

Divide your entire list according to the type. These can be:

• Lifestyle Goals

• Financial Goals

• Physical Goals

• Emotional Goals

• Learning/ Education Goals

• Career Goals

• Relationship Goals

• Personal Development Goals

• Hobbies and Interests

Once your list is ready, ask these questions to build the foundation of your goals:

• What do you want from your goals?

• When do you want it?

• Why you have selected these goals for yourself?

• What are you willing to give up getting it?

• Are you willing to fail if something goes wrong?

By these questions, may be you wish to cut some things from that huge list. Go for it. Don't get overwhelmed by too much goals. Prioritize them. After done, Now your goals are divided into types of Goals. It's time to structure them in the way that they are visually clear for you.

Mindmapping can help you to visualize your goals in proper structured manner.

Know more about this concept here. This link will redirect it to the Instagram post where author has provided everything about What is mindmap, why you have to create it, where you can apply this concept, how to create the mindmap and it's different structure types. Do check this link.

After reading everything about mindmap, create one for your goals. It will help you to visualize your goals.

Congratulations! You have successfully identified your Goals! Let's move to next step where you'll set the goals.

2. How to set the Goals in order to make them achievable?

The first step was to identify what you want. This might be a case that you have thought of so many different goals.

For Eg.: The goal is to buy a XYZ product which costs 50 lakhs. This is a very random goal. Ask yourself according to your current state what you have to do in order to make that money.

Another example can be, you have a list of 50 books to read. You can't read all the books in one go, right? Divide this goal into some time lapse. Ask yourself how much time you can devote to read in a day? On an average what time you take to finish 1 book? Answering these questions will help you in setting the goals which are actually possible.

Remember only 8% people are able to complete their goals? The reason not only they work harder, but smartly too. These people divide their goals in different time phrases as well as they make smart goals. Create your goals in two formats:

A. Timely Goals

In timely goals you have to divide your goals into 3 formats:

1. Long Term Goals : These goals are the ones which you want to achieve in next 5 years.

2. Medium Term Goals : Medium term goals are the one which you want to achieve in next 1 year.

3. Short Term Goals : Short Term Goals can be further divided into 4 categories: Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly and daily goals.

• Quarterly Goals: Quarterly goal are meant to be completed in next 3 months time. eg. January to March.

• Monthly Goals: These are meant for a month time. eg. Goals for January.

• Weekly Goals: These are a kind of very elaborative goals according to weekly basis. In January - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and so on...

• Daily Goals: Your daily To-Do List.

This is how you can break down your big dream into mini actionable steps.

"Break down your Big Goals into Small Plans and achieve them one by one without feeling overwhelmed."

B. SMART Goals

Despite of the fact that you have divided your goals, still they should have proper characteristics. Your every goal whether it's big or small should be SMART:

• Specific : What is the goal?

• Measurable : How will you measure it?

• Attainable : Do you have the skills and resources for it?

• Relevant : Why is that goal important?

• Time Bounded : When you will be achieve the goal that you have set?

For example: You want a better job. It is very generic goal, let's make it SMART.

• Specific : You want a job in the domain of Graphic Designing. To whom you want to work with?

• Measurable : In order to get that job you want a basic knowledge of Designing concepts and Tools. Once you know that the concepts are clear, some certification courses are done, atleast 2-3 tools you know, 1-2 projects you have worked on then you are ready for that job.

• Attainable : Figure out the tools you might require for hands-on, resources you have to look, roadmap you have to follow.

• Relevant : Understand why the goal of landing into Graphic designing with this particular company/person is important for you?

• Time Bounded : You have to achieve this goal by the end of 1 year. Structure your learning and work methods according to the time frame of 1 year. It can be 3 months of learning, 3 months of self projects and 6 months of working with any client or in an internship.

This is how you can create SMART goals for yourself. By this time you know what and how to do!

3. How to track your goals?

As found through generic research only approx 40% people make goals. Out of them only 8% complete their goals. It means out of 1000 people only 400 make goals and only 32 are able to finish them.

Why those 400-32=368 people are unable to reach their goals?

The reason is simple. They do the tasks for 3 days, 4th day due to some reason things get messed up. They stop tracking. Few such incident happen and they completely stop tracking their goals. This makes them to quit.

It's ok to get out of track. It's perfectly fine if you are unable to do the tasks that you had planned. It is not the problem if your daily/ weekly or monthly goals are not 100% complete. It's completely fine. Thing that seems incorrect is not tracking your goals. It's not ok to Quit. That's why it is said, Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

Use these things to track your goals:

1. Keep a planner : Generally they have all options to keep the track of daily, weekly and monthly plans. It can be used for the duration of entire one year.

2. Do it digitally : You can use some very cool apps and websites to track your goals. Some of them are Trello, Notion and ClickUp.

3. Do it with White Board : Perfect for monthly goals. See here (Instagram highlights)

Now you know how to identify what goals you have, how to set them and also how to track them! Go and get your dream life! Sending you power and good wishes to achieve them.