5 Rules to Help You Set Achievable Goals

We all have things we want to accomplish, just like we all probably have experience failing to meet those goals. Failing to meet our goals can leave us frustrated and discouraged or make us feel like we lack the capability to achieve what we want. Using a few rules to frame how we set our goals can help us make sure that our goals are achievable and that we’re set up for success. 1) Set Realistic Goals While following your ambitions is a great thing, you might be setting yourself up for failure and frustration if you make too big a leap. When you are setting goals, you may find that your excitement leads you to setting goals that are outside the scope of your capabilities. You may be dreaming about writing a novel and decide that you want to have a finished novel within three months. You may have heard of a writer who has done something similar, but you may not have as much time to devote to the endeavor as other people. Instead, you may be better off setting a goal like, “I want to spend at least ten hours each week working on a novel.” This will still hold you accountable without forcing you to stress out about a goal you might not be able to accomplish despite your best efforts. 2) Set Goals That Depend On Your Actions One of the keys to meeting your goals is to set goals that depend on you. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to create goals that depend on the actions of others, not yourself. This rule means not setting goals like “I Want To Fall In Love,” as this goal depends on events you can’t control for success. Instead, set a goal like “I Want To Meet More People,” which you have more control over (and who knows, could help you find love!) and can achieve. You could break this down further into action items like “I will sign up for a book club so I can make new friends.” 3) Set Specific Goals One of the biggest rules when it comes to setting an achievable goal is to set out to do something specific within a set amount of time. Instead of setting a goal like “I Want To Cook More,” you could set a goal like “I Want To Cook Dinner At Home At Least Three Times A Week.” The specificity of this goal will help you hold yourself accountable and encourage you to achieve it.  If you aren’t specific about your goals, you may not hold yourself accountable and not get the results you’re after. 4) Put Your Goals In Writing If you’re serious about achieving your goals, putting it in writing is a great idea! You can write out your goals and break them down into smaller goals and benchmarks that will help you stay on track. Using a planner can help you stay organized and help you work your goals into your daily plans so you always make time to achieve your dreams! (Be sure to check out our Compass Books - we've designed the a combination of a motivational journal and planner with your inspiration and goals in mind!)  5) Celebrate Your Success Ambition is great and involves a lot of looking forward to plan next steps. But remember to stop sometimes, smell the roses, and give yourself credit for how far you've come. Also, assess what is working well, and what isn't supporting your goals so you can optimize as you go! Want more help achieving and managing your goals? Check out our tips, tools and resources on the site!