Earlier this year I published a post about my personal goals and I received a lot of lovely feedback about my willingness to place my goals in public. Before I give you my 5 tips to setting goals that you’ll actually achieve, here’s a quick update on my goals.
Everyone has heard the phrase “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”, right? I am a big believer in this saying. If I don’t see it, I don’t actively remember it. I had a friend a couple of years ago who had one critical goal for the year. She wanted to write a check for $5,000 to an animal organization that was near and dear to her heart. So, you know what she did? She literally wrote a check to that animal charity for $5,000 and wrote the date on it for when she wanted to achieve the goal by. She then taped the check to the mirror in her bathroom where she saw it every day before work. By the time, the goal date had arrived she was able to take that same check and give it to the charity. She was successful because she saw that goal daily and was able to think actively about it handing the check over to the charity.
Action steps are smaller goals that are set up to achieve the bigger goal. I gave you an example earlier, my action goal for this month is to be halfway to $3,000 in my savings. I have to save $300 this month to achieve my action goal. It helps take a bigger, more daunting goal and give you something more tangible to focus on.
Letting others know is a way for you to stay accountable. If your goals are a secret, and there is no chance for anyone to ask you about how they’re coming along would you be less apt to want to achieve them? Heck yes. I know once my husband or father know about my goals they’ll ask me about how they’re progressing. They keep me accountable by knowing.
There is a reason you want to achieve this objective. A lot of my goals and reasons why are focused around Baby Shuman. I want to be in a better, more stable place financially. I want to have a stronger marriage before her arrival. Write down the whys’ to your goals so you remember why it is you set it in the first place and what makes it important.
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If you had a goal to lose 50 pounds or a goal to lose 50 pounds in four months which do you think you would you be more likely to achieve? 50 pounds in 4 months, right? That’s because it had a definite end date for completion. If your goal has an end date, you can’t procrastinate forever – simple as that.
I have attached a free printable for you to start working towards your own goals. Remember to post these goals where you’ll see them every day and don’t let them be a secret. What’s your advice on setting and achieving goals?
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Download the free printable!
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I love your tip about letting others know about your goals. Have you read Gretchen Rubin’s book Better Than Before? It’s about habit formation and I’m definitely one who needs external accountability when I’m forming habits/sticking to goals, so keeping others in the loop is a must for me!
No, I haven’t heard of that book. I’ll have to add it to my reading list. Thanks for sharing!
Great goals and great advice. I’m a realy goals girl and I think you’ve got it spot on when it comes to setting yours. Good luck.
Thanks Wendy! I use to not be a goal setting kind of person until a couple of years ago and now I’m obsessed.
I keep my goals inside my journal because I journal every day. Every time I open to a new page I see them there and am reminded of them. 🙂
Karin | truncationblog.com
I do the same thing, Karin. Every time I review my to-do list or write a note I see them. Good job! 🙂
this is really helpful! i have goals but i never go to the trouble of writing them down or keeping them visible. i think this will be the push forward that i need to actually start doing things like that!
Yes, I was the same way! The goal tracker will really help you, not only see it often but stay accountable as well.
This was so helpful, Amanda!! It is so easy to make goals, but so hard to follow through and this definitely helps!
-Olivia
Miss Olivia Says
Thanks Olivia! I hope the Goal Tracker printable helps as well. It’ll keep you focused and on track.
This is so very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I really struggle with sticking with goals – especially long term ones. This list is definitely something I will come back to
Long term goals are hard to stick to because they seem ssooo far away. That’s why action goals are so important – they help keep your eye on the prize!
I love the part about telling other people! It seriously is so helpful and makes you feel so much more accountable! I also love what you said about creating an end date. I have never really done that before and I think that would be so super helpful!
I didn’t know how helpful setting end date would be until I started to do it myself!
I would love to be in your ‘Newly Married’ class. That sounds amazing. I wish my parish would do that for us sweet newlyweds. It’s great you’re reaching others about the goodness of marriage 🙂
Tomorrow is our first real class and I’m excited to see what’s in store for us!
These are great tips for achieving goals!! 🙂 I really needed to read this post today!
Thanks KP! I hope that printable goal fracker really helps you stay on track and keeps you motivated.
Thanks KP! Hopefully the printable helps you out.
I agree with these helpful tips, action steps are so important in reaching goals! I also like the tip to keep your goals written down in a place you’ll see, that way you can’t hide from them!
Laura | Laura Aime Vous
Thanks Laura. If I don’t see something, 99% of the time I’ll forget about it. Writing it down and placing it somewhere to be seen keeps me accountable.
I needed this! Recently I have been getting into these printables. I think writing it down and having it somewhere visible daily helps.
I literally have a binder that I carry about with me that is filled with printables. I’m old school and like to write everything down.
Having action steps is so important!
Amen, Chelsea. I think they are the most important part of goal achievement.
Yes! Yes! Yes! These are so key – I am especially an “out of sight, out of mind” person so I’m very conscious about making sure my goals are visible and present! I have some goals for work that I have literally in my line of sight 100% of the time in my office, and I have a visual of my blogging goals directly to my right. It is SO helpful for me to have those surrounding me and keeping me on track!
I love it! I’m so glad you agree. Hopefully the goal tracker free printable will help you achieve your goals faster!
Yes! Downloaded that printable because I know I have tons of goals I need to achieve this year.
Swwweettt! Can’t wait to hear how it helps you, Adriana! Keep me posted.
Yay-I love it! Keep me updated on how it goes.
Love! I’ll be using this for the near future of going forward in education.
Awesome! I’m glad to hear! Keep me updated on your progress.