Finding it too easy to hit your goals? Maybe you have goals that simply don't challenge you - and in this case, are they really goals at all?
When it comes to making goals that help you in the long run, it’s important to ensure that they are progressive. By this, we mean that they are steppingstones to greater success.
If you would like to embrace more progressive goals, take a look at this 5-Step process to ensure that your goal planning will result in the success you deserve.
Step 1. Think About What Matters Most
Before you jump into any huge goal setting strategies, it’s important to think about what matters most - to you, and no one else.
Many people start off by looking at their goals from a monetary perspective, only to find that when they get the raise they’ve been working for, it brings them no more success or happiness.
What’s most important to you? Structure your goals around this desire.
Step 2. Think Long-Term, Plan Short-Term
Thinking long term will allow you to see the big picture, but to a certain extent, you can never completely plan for a long-term situation or goal.
For this reason, it can be very effective to plan short-term goals that are centered around your long-term thinking. Each short-term goal, achieved one by one, brings you closer to what you want in the long term.
In this way, you’ve set yourself up for a complete and useful strategy for success.
Step 3. Use Key Results
No goal setting is complete without key results. Key results are steppingstones to your goals.
For example; if you have a goal of saving five thousand dollars - what are the actual key results? What are the moves you take? What do you do in order for this to happen?
Having a goal is great, but what are the steps needed to reach this goal? Each goal you have should contain key results. In this way, you can better fulfil your progressions towards a goal.
Step 4. Think 10x Bigger
Many people are so focused on the small details.
For example, you hear investment bankers talking about percentages - finding 1% better here, 5% better here - and it might work for them, but the average person may not see actual, measurable benefits from this.
Instead, think ten times bigger!
Each time you write down a goal, think to yourself, “Is this the best I can do?”
Step 5. Think Ahead
Making a progressive goal will always require you to think ahead.
Understandably, sometimes you cannot think about all the outcomes of a particular situation, but you can still plan for some events that can change or unfortunate possibilities that don’t benefit you.
Thinking ahead will allow you to account for specific situations that are not beneficial, and in this way, will help you to make more actionable goals. You can plan for likely obstacles and determine solutions ahead of time in the event the obstacles materialize.
Suddenly, such an obstacle isn’t an obstacle at all, but simply a Plan B pathway to your goal!
Let the Process Work for You
If you’ve been feeling stuck or downhearted by your lack of progress, follow these five steps to make more progressive goals that get you back onto a path toward the success you seek!