Setting and Achieving Personal Goals in Life: 6 Strategies for Success

How do I achieve my personal goals?

1. Take note of the things you are passionate about
2. Note down your goals and put them somewhere visible
3. Set goals you have control over: SMART goals
4. Sketch what you want your future to look like
5. Develop an actionable plan to identify potential challenges
6. Reflect and adjust accordingly

Often, we associate the word “goals” with an object, either physical or abstract, that has an intrinsic value. But are we able to define our own set of goals guided by that definition alone?

If you ask a person upfront what their goals are, you will receive an answer with a formula containing what and by when. Something like the words, “I will have my own property by the time I am 30” or “I should earn my first million before I turn 40”. While it is good to have a goal on top of your head, being able to point out how you will get there considering every factor relevant to your success renders you a better perspective and good grasp of direction.

The point is, if you speak confidently about your goals then you know you have embodied and taken into heart all the details, steps, and processes you must act on to reach the success you have envisioned for yourself.

In this article, we discussed 6 of the most important strategies you can take to set and achieve your goals.

Take note of the things you are passionate about

The first and easiest part is to determine the things you are passionate about. The process of setting life goals begins with deciding the physical and abstract objects that inspire you.

The goals you will set for yourself must have meaning and value to you. Something that will provide you with motivation, a sense of fulfillment, and pride once you meet them.

Note down your goals and put them somewhere visible

As cliché as it might sound, putting your goals on a piece of paper and posting it somewhere you can see every day should help you stay aligned and focused on your goals. A lot of people suggest sticking it in your vanity or bathroom mirror so that you can see it when you brush your teeth in the morning, in between hours that you use your sink, and at night before you head to bed.

Others go as simply as having it as their lock screens. You can get creative in this part of the process and as you do, you are slowly helping yourself to remember and maintain a vision of what your goals are.

Set goals you have control over: SMART goals

The most effective way to maintain control over your goals is to use the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Specific/Time-bound. Take note that setting your goal is like setting a vision statement for a business. Your goals should be the result of a carefully considered personal vision statement.

The next thing is that goals must be treated with great consideration of time. Breaking your goal-related objectives into smaller and shorter ones should help you be motivated. In relation to this, you must know that goals are indeed large in nature, and nothing can change that except how you tackle every aspect to help you achieve your main goal.

Sketch what you want your future to look like

This part of the process must contain a set of questions you will ask yourself to help you get a more detailed look at what you want your future to look like.

If your goal is to earn twice as much as you did last year by the next year, then you can ask yourself questions like “How much exactly do you ideally want to earn?” followed by “Can you achieve this number by the next year?” and “How else can you achieve it?” These questions already cover three of the SMART method – specific, time-bound, and attainable.

Develop an actionable plan to identify potential challenges

Once you have a well-laid SMART goal, devising an actionable plan should come easy. Naturally, if your goal is to save up to purchase a big asset or to plan your retirement, part of your objective is to allot a portion of your salary to savings. While this is the most common way to achieve that goal, there are other options and paths you can take to ensure you have enough or more than enough when the time comes. Take for example, an investment that can help you improve the value of your money saved in a bank account.

Remember, as you develop your plan, make sure that you are also considering the SMART method. As you apply this method in every detail and step of your plan, you will have a better overview of challenges that can possibly hinder you from achieving a short-term objective towards your goal.

Reflect and adjust accordingly

Often, our initial reaction to failing to achieve a personal goal we set and have looked forward to every day is to immediately give up on it. The harsh reality to it is that life is not perfect, and neither are you. It is okay to fail but it will never be if you end up giving up on a goal.

Yes, there are plenty of guides and how-to’s but we can never really take full control of what is to happen in the future. The absolute best we can do is reflect, devise, and continue innovating ourselves.

Rather than succumbing to the feeling of being defeated, take the precious time to review your mistakes and what could still be improved.

Set life goals, reflect on them, and act! The way you handle your goals will determine your success.

Now that you have a little bit of inspiration and drive to set that goal properly and devise an actionable plan, the next step to do is to start somehow. Remember, your goals should not be a resolution or an objective, nor a mission, but a vision of how you want yourself to be and your future to look like.