by Nicole Paulie, Psychologist and Co-Founder of MyMoodandMe
We all want to be successful, right? No one wants to fail. But sometimes we can feel stuck, like we’re just drifting through life with no direction. You might feel like you’re working hard, but don’t seem to really get anywhere. Is this you? If it is, chances are you probably haven’t put enough time into thinking about what exactly it is you want from life, and that’s where setting goals and reviewing them becomes really important.
I can say, “My goal is I want to get fit,” and that’s a great goal! We should all want to be healthier, but what exactly does that mean… getting fit? For one person it can mean being able to walk up the stairs without being winded, for another person it could mean being a certain size, while for someone else it could mean being able to run 5k in a certain time period. And if you aren’t entirely sure what “getting fit” means to you, how do you know you’ve reached your goal?
So, to make things easier I am going to show you the 5 ways setting goals makes you more successful.
Make them Measurable
Goals need to be measurable so you can monitor their progress. By determining your current measurement and comparing it with your starting point, you can see you progress.
Ensure it’s Still Relevant
Goals are set based on YOUR situation at the time you set them, not someone else’s situation. Making sure your goals are still relevant to you helps ensure you keep making progress. Goals must be relevant or you won’t have the motivation to keep working towards them.
Write Them Down
Once you’ve reset your goals, write them down! A classic Harvard study found that within a class of graduate students, 3% of them wrote their goals down, 13% had goals that were not written down, and 84% identified no goals at all. The 3% who had written goals were earning 10x as much as the other 97% of the class combined.
Overcome Procrastination
Once you set a mini-goal, keep yourself accountable to finish the task. Following your benchmarks to your ultimate goal can help you overcome procrastination. The more you stick with them, the more you remember.
Live Life to the Fullest
Setting goals really helps you make sure you’re getting the most out of every moment. This helps you make sure you’re focusing on the things you really want.
About the author
Nicole Paulie (Reg. Ps.S.I Psychol.) is a Counselling Psychologist and Co-Founder of MyMoodandMe, an online corporate wellness programme aimed at helping employees to Move, Nourish and Inspire.
