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6 Extremely Effective Goal Setting Techniques

By Operation Meditation

Have you set goals in the past, only to fall short of reaching them? Are you looking for ways to make sure that your dreams come true, once and for all?

Just saying you want something isn’t really setting a goal. It’s a mere statement without action. It has no passion and doesn’t ignite your fire long enough to ensure you achieve it. So, how you set your goal matters affects whether or not you reach it.

There are certain strategies you can use that will help you make your goal a reality. Ready to learn them? Good. Let’s take a look at six extremely effective goal setting techniques that all but ensure your sweet success:

Technique #1 – Be specific

This is extremely important. It’s like creating a map. You have to know exactly where you start and exactly where you intend to end up. If you don’t have any idea where you’re going, you’re just going to wander around lost. (Sound familiar?)

Make your goal as specific as possible. What exactly do you want? For instance, if your goal is to lose weight, what does that mean to you? What does weight loss represent? Is it greater self-confidence and higher self-esteem? Or, maybe you’ll be more comfortable with setting boundaries and sticking up for yourself?

Knowing your specific intended result is crucial to effective goal setting. If you’re having a hard time figuring it out, meditation helps. Spend some time in complete silence and just breathe. Once you clear your mind of all the clutter of day to day life, you’ll be able to focus on what it is you truly want.

Technique #2 – Make it measurable

You have to be able to measure your progress so you know when you arrive at your goal destination. Sticking with the example of losing weight, how much do you need to lose before you achieve your intended results? Ten, twenty or fifty pounds? Set a measurable amount.

Technique #3 – Keep it realistic

This trips a lot of people up because we, as a society, want everything now. We have a hard time waiting for anything. That’s why fast food places and scan-it-yourself lines are so popular.

However, if you set a goal that is over energetic, you are only setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. It’s great to want to achieve huge feats, but start with something realistic. Once you reach that goal, then you can go for something more challenging if you wish.

Technique #4 – Set a deadline

Having a due date is extremely important. If you don’t set a deadline, you’ll allow yourself to procrastinate, thereby never reaching your goal. You have to create an urgency to actually take action, so set a time frame that you commit to having your goal completed in.

Technique #5 – Create mini-goals

Once you know your final goal, break it into manageable pieces by setting mini-goals so it isn’t quite so overwhelming. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon in six months, break it down and commit to a schedule where you start out walking and slowly add more and more running into your schedule.

In addition to reducing the feeling of overwhelm, when you reach mini-goals it gives you a feeling of success and achievement. This motivates you to keep going, which is an integral part of the process.

Technique #6 – Have rewards in place

Just as reaching mini-goals keeps you motivated, so does having rewards in place. Celebrate your successes. If you reach a milestone, do something enjoyable. Just make sure it’s something that doesn’t hinder your future success. For instance, if you achieved a weight loss milestone of ten pounds, it’s counterproductive to celebrate by eating a cake.

Following these techniques will make your goal a reality. After all, that is why you set one, right?

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