Five Personal Goal Setting Tips to Improve Your Life

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

Personal goal setting is something that all of us could do more of. Having concrete goals and working towards those goals will give you a better sense of purpose in your life and it's certainly an effective use of your time.

So, why is personal goal setting so hard for us?

As odd as it sounds, for some people it's just easier to coast through life with no goals. I'm not trying to be harsh...well, maybe just a little bit. I've suffered with this problem myself. It's so easy to get caught up in routines that are comfortable. The problem with this is that at some point in the future you may realize you're going down a path that's not right for you. Maybe you never set any financial goals for retirement and now it's quickly approaching and you have no money in the bank.

Ever try starting a a new fitness program only to quit a few weeks later? Setting and achieving goals is much more difficult if you don't have proper personal goal setting strategies. Don't take the zero to one hundred route in your personal fitness routine. Take the time to set goals.

Maybe you've spent ten years in the same position, but you have no desire or motivation to advance in your career. Is it even something you want to do? Is it maybe that you're just so comfortable in your current position that even the thought of doing something different or learning a new skill seems like too much work for you?

In the end, maybe you just don't know where to start when it comes to personal goal setting. Here are my top tips on setting and achieving goals.

Top 5 Personal Goal Setting Tips

1. Write your goals down. This has been greatly effective for me. New personal goals come up all the time whether they're big or small and if you don't have a proper system for capturing these goals they'll either be forgotten or no action will be taken on them. It's good to review this list at least once annually.
2. Set timelines to achieve success. Instead of a broad goal like 'I want to become a better cook,' set a more specific goal like 'I plan to improve my cooking skills by year end so that I can throw a great dinner party for all my friends on New Years Eve.' Or even more general - instead of 'I have a goal to travel to Australia,' say 'I have a goal to travel to Australia before I turn 30.' If you write the goal down and set some sort of timeline, you are much more likely to act on it and achieve success in your personal goal setting.
3. Don't set yourself up for failure. Maybe you want to start a blog, but you have no idea how to go about doing this. Ok, this is a great goal, however, if you know nothing about building a website or starting a blog you may just look at this goal on your written list and tell yourself 'oh, I don't know how to do that,' or 'that's just too hard to do.' BAM - you've already set yourself up to fail. Instead, break broader goals such as this into more manageable goals that will enable you to reach the end goal of building a successful blog. Think only of the absolute next action you have to take in order to get started. For example, it could be 'e-mail my favorite blogger and inquire how they got started,' or 'research topics for the theme of my blog.' Breaking down larger goals that may seem unreachable into smaller, more manageable short-term goals will make it much easier for your to succeed.
4. Share your goals. This can be very difficult to do, but I think it gives us some accountability when we include our loved ones, friends or colleagues in our personal goal setting. Having extra support and encouragement will improve your confidence, giving you the extra 'kick in the butt' to go out there and achieve your goals.
5. Dream big. This is the exact opposite of what many people will tell you. You'll often hear that your goals need to be 'realistic.' What the heck does that mean? Ok, you're over 50 and you want to be a doctor. Most people would say, 'that's an unrealistic goal.' That's BS. Don't let other people set you up for failure. I read an American Medical News article about a 61 year old man who graduated from medical school. He had a background in spine research and wanted to get his doctorate so he could treat back pain. This is a direct quote from him: "My definition of retirement is doing what you want to do, and this is what I want to do." This is what I'm talking about! Shun the so-called societal norms. Personal goal setting should be about going after your dreams and going after them with passion!

So, are you living the life you want to live? Are you just coasting by? Personal goal setting takes time and dedication, but it's a worthy time management exercise that will help you become a time management ninja. Are you aiming too low? If you're like most people, you likely are. Have confidence in yourself. There is only one you and you have the skills and qualities to achieve whatever you dream of doing. The only one holding you back is you. Once you realize this and let go of your self limiting beliefs, you'll be well on your way to abundant success in all areas of your life.

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