How to Set Better Goals

When it comes to New Years, there are two things that synonymous with the date on the calendar – the big ball dropping in Times Square, and the New Year’s Resolutions that many make and break within days of starting. People often have great intentions when it comes to resolutions or goals, but they often don’t know how to actually achieve them. Today we will talk about how to set better goals, so you have a chance at seeing them happen.

Understand the Mistakes of Goal-Setting

One of the most common resolutions that people set for the New Year is to lose weight. While that is a great goal, why is it so hard to see it happen? The biggest mistake in goal-setting is to set unrealistic goals from the beginning. For example, some people say they’d like to lose 50 pounds. For most people, it may take longer than 12-18 months to lose that much weight on their own. If you set a goal that has a timeline that is unrealistic, you are more likely to get discouraged and quit.

Another mistake that is often seen with setting goals is that goals are left too vague or broad. Here are some examples of goals that are too broad: save money, quit smoking, eat healthier, read more. While these are all common goals with good intentions, they are too broad so it is hard to measure whether you are actually achieving any of those goals.

How to Set Better Goals

Today we are going to take an approach given by Brian Tracy and his “30 day challenge.” This is how you can use his system to set better goals:

1. Write your top ten goals for the year (you can use the next 12-18 months as an option)
2. For the next 30 days, write your ten goals once a day.
3. Write them in the present tense
4. Write them down each day without looking back to what you wrote the day before. If you can’t remember what you wrote the day before, that’s okay. It just means that not all of them were that important to you. Stay focused on the ones that capture your imagination and motivate you to achieve.
5. Use a notebook

Ideas for Goals to Set

Since we know these concrete steps we can take, it’s time to start writing down your top ten goals for the year. Here are just a few examples of ideas to get you thinking. Your goals can be anything from physical health, spiritual growth, relational depth to the everyday practical things.  

• Read one new book a month
• Do a service project with family once a month
• Add one vegetable to every meal
• Pre-plan my funeral
• Journal every day
• Join a book club or church small group to meet new friends

Once you have written your goals down, try writing them down every day for 30 days and see how it works for you. This process should help you pare down what is most important to you, and will help remind you of the resolutions you have made. We’d love to hear about your goals and how this article has helped you to set better goals. Share with us below in the comments or on our Facebook page!