Setting and Meeting Your Goals

Being on autopilot is only beneficial if you're flying a plane. It's important in life to evolve and grow; goal setting is a significant way to ensure you're doing that. Goals not only allow you to push yourself while you're working towards them, but they also create a tremendous sense of accomplishment when they are met.

Here are a few additional benefits of goal-setting in areas of your life:

Improves Motivation

No matter what area of life you want to improve, goal setting can be a helpful way to increase motivation, which we all know can waiver from time to time. If you have an end goal, it's easier to keep the momentum of working toward it than if you have no goal.

They Give You A Clear Purpose

Goal setting is a powerful tool that can help you focus on what's important. Why did you start this project? What are you hoping to accomplish? With a purpose in mind, it can clarify your "why."

Turn Big Goals Into Manageable Steps

Taking a step back and looking at the greater picture can seem overwhelming. Especially when you've set some lofty goals. Properly assessing and planning goals enables you to achieve them in manageable steps. Breaking down action items into small steps to accomplish the greater goal will feel less daunting.

To ensure you meet the goals you set, it's essential to follow the SMART criteria:

Specific

Get detailed! The more specific you are about what you want to achieve, the more intentional you can track your goals, making monitoring progress easier. The more specific, the more likely you will meet your goal and be happy with the result.

Measurable

Make sure your progress can be measured and is tangible. For example, you don't want to associate your goals with a feeling but more with something you can track, like "completing XYZ by a specific deadline," instead of determining your goal is reached "when I feel accomplished."

Achievable

Make sure your goals are realistic. It's easy to get ahead of yourself or dream big about goal setting, but you'll be much more likely to reach your destination if you consider your resources when setting them. Working with what you have, is your goal achievable?

Realistic

Is the goal you are setting something you can truly accomplish? Ask yourself a few questions when goal setting: Is this a good time for me to set this goal? Is this worthwhile? Am I the right person to be working on this particular goal? Setting goals can be motivational, but not reaching them can be demotivating. Set yourself up for success.

Time-Bound

Goal-crushing can require a lot of time and patience. Make sure you have the time necessary to achieve the goals set. First, look at the firm end date you hope to accomplish the goal and plan from that point. Allowing yourself the proper time to achieve your goals will ensure less frustration.

You can set goals in any area of life, really, but here are some of the most popular goal-setting areas of life:

Career and Business

Setting goals surrounding where you want to be in your career, how you want to grow your business, or where you see yourself in X amount of years can be a powerful driving force to move your career forward.

Finances

Setting financial goals is one of individuals' or families' most popular goal-setting areas of life. Wanting to set yourself up for retirement at a certain age or wanting to have a specific number in your savings account in a certain timeframe can all be a financial goal. Even having a certain amount of money in a vacation fund is a financial goal! Setting financial goals can create a healthy structure for a savings plan and get you ahead or ensure you have the funds for fun adventures.

Health

Whether it be to get out and be more active each day, lose weight, or hit specific blood pressure/cholesterol numbers, you can set realistic health goals to improve your quality of life. Small steps to a greater goal can go a long way in this category.

Personal Growth

Take it personally! Some of the most important goals are ones you set to improve yourself.

Relationships/Family

The goals you set for your relationships or family can make a difference and pour positivity into other aspects of your life. If you plan to do date nights at least once a week, host Sunday dinner for your family once a month, or just connect on a zoom call; it can make all the difference. Especially with so many schedule challenges and life happening fast, sharing a common goal can really bring everyone together.

Goals can look however you'd like them to. You can set long-term or short-term goals. They can be considerable goals to be accomplished years from now or small ones that will just change your day-to-day, but they all have something in common: goals can keep you on track and remind you of your purpose. The Shift Spot community can connect you with like-minded business leaders allowing you to brainstorm goal ideas or see how others' goals have encouraged them. Let us know how we can help shift your goals.

SETTING AND MEETING YOUR GOALS

AREAS OF LIFE WHERE EVERY LEADER MUST SET GOAL

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SET GOALS IN LIFE?