Setting goals is actually a game of psychology.
Our brain plays tricks on us as we are so clever at not listening to our own inner dialogue. How well do we know how our brain works and the way we think and respond to things like goal setting.-
- Know yourself and how you think.
- Find the strategies for goal setting that suit you and nobody else.
Once you have this self- awareness established, here are a few tips curtsy of The Springboard Series.
1.Be grateful for your progress so far!
How does this help? because the negative emotion (subconsciously) associated with not achieving things we set out to do, end up eroding our confidence in the long term. Create a daily habit to express gratitude for the progress you achieved so far, even if it’s for a couple of minutes, your confidence will improve greatly.The trick is powerful because you can’t be grateful and feel negative emotions at the same time.
- You will start to see progress with your goals, even if it’s only part way.
- Your desire to set more goals will increase as you gain confidence in your ability and enjoy the reward of achieving. .
2. If you set fewer goals, you will achieve more in the long term
Sometimes in a goal setting flurry, we set ourselves 5 or 7 goals, all for different parts of our complex business and personal lives. Some are short term, some are long term.
The TRICK? – Focus. Set yourself three clear goals only, and your chances of focusing without being scattered, are greater.
3. You don’t need a detailed plan, you only need to know the next actionable step
How does your brain prefer to think? – are you a micro person or a big picture person. Be aware of your preferences. If you tend to live in the detail, make sure you don’t become exhausted with all the minutia of an action plan rather than just the big steps you need to take.
A simple question to ask yourself –
What is the next Bold step that I can take to advance this goal?”
Try to create one or two action steps for each goal.
4. Work with a goal buddy
It’s much easier to have someone else hold you accountable for your progress than it is to hold yourself accountable. We all like to do the right thing by others and a gola buddy can help us stay accountable as don’t want to break an agreement we have made with someone else
5. Review your goals once per week and revise them every three months
The secret to sticking to goals is checkin in on your progress. Small steps need monitoring and weeks can fly by and nothing achieved. Lastly, things change. In 3 months time, you will know more about your goals than you do right now. And when you have more information, you might want to change things around. So it’s useful to sit down each quarter, take a couple pf hours and think deeply about the goals you have set and why they are still important to you.
