3 Tips to Help You Set and Attain Your Goals

Most of us wait until the start of the new year to start working on our goals. When January passes and we’re in the same spot as we were in December, we tell ourselves we’ll try again next year. We aren’t limited to New Year’s Day. We can set new goals with new time frames any time we want!

If you’re looking for a few tips to help you accomplish your goals, you’re reading the right article. Here are three ways you can set up your goals for success.

1. Make a list
It’s easy to say, “I’m going to start doing A, B, and C to accomplish D.” But as you might have experienced (most of us have!), saying isn’t exactly the same as doing. In a study developed by psychology professor Gail Matthews, it was found that people who recorded their goals on paper accomplished more than those who did not.

By putting our goals down in writing, we turn an abstract idea into something concrete.  The goal is no longer intangible; it’s something real and attainable. Writing our goals down, though, is only one step of the process. This leads us to our second tip, setting a date.

2. Set a date
Setting a deadline helps us to prioritize what is critical to achieving our goal. Let’s say a goal is to meet new people. For a little cushion, the deadline is set for one month. What can we do in a month that would help us meet people? That’s easy-write it down:

• Join a recreational league
• Join a book club
• Volunteer for a local charity
• Participate in community events
• Attend workshops​

By writing down the steps we need to follow to meet the deadline, we’ve created a goal priority map. The priority map details what we need to do to meet the deadline. This makes the goal setting a cyclical process; when one goal has been reached, we start in on another!

3. Attend workshops
Sometimes, knowing where to start is half the battle. We know we want to do better, to be better, we just don’t know how to do it. This is where getting more active in the community comes in. Workshops, seminars, and classes introduce us to other people with similar goals and teachers who have been where we are now. Workshops like Dare to Dream and others provide perspective, introduce us to ideas and people, and teach us new skills or how to better use ours.

The lessons we’re given in these workshops give us still more ways to attain our own goals, and we meet people and get active in the process!

You don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to set your goals; you can start now. All you need are a pen, paper, and a calendar!