7 Key Goal Setting Steps

What are the goal setting steps outlined here going to do for you?

"If you do not have a plan for your life, someone else has a plan for you."-- Jim Rohn

You want to have plan of action for your life. One of the most effective ways to do that is to activate the goal setting gene in your body.

The plan of action will get your momentum started if you follow these goal setting steps. It may sound simple.

However, in order to achieve your desired result, you need a roadmap and do a little every day to accomplish your goal.

1. Clearly define your goal. Think of goal setting step as marking a map to your destination. If you don't start by deciding where you are going, then you are what Zig Zigglar calls "a wandering generality".

The act of making a precise decision solidifies your resolve.

2. Decide what you are willing to do or give to achieve your goal. Not what you wish you could do, but what you intend to do. It may be time, money or giving up immediate pleasure for long term rewards. When you look at the goal, decide how valuable it is to you and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it.

3. Where are you in relation to your goal? Again, if you use a map to get to your destination, you have to know where you’re starting point is. Be very honest with yourself. Sometimes looking yourself in the mirror and admitting to what really needs to change may be the toughest thing you ever do.

4. What's been stopping you? Become clear of your barriers and make peace with them. Either you go into it full force, or you change your expectations. The learning process to success may be one of the reasons that this goal is not what you really want. There will be lessons, sometimes tough ones.

Reevaluate the goal if this is the case. If you want more money for your family and believe that the price you must pay is giving up time for them, reconsider your belief.

5. What steps do you need to take to get to the goal? Here’s the map. You know where you are, you know where you’re going and now you must map the route there. Remember, there’s a lot of different ways to get to from point A to point B. Some just take longer than others. Choose the path that fits you. If you want to fly to Chicago there’s a higher price but it’s quicker than walking. If you walk to Chicago it’s tougher and slower but you see more interesting sights along the road.

6. Break down the goal into small palatable steps you can accomplish daily. This is called "chunking". Create something you do each day to accomplish the goal. These small goal-setting steps add up and one day, you’ll look back and see how much you’ve accomplished with a little forward movement every day.

7. Have a system to track your accomplishments. You can keep it as simple as you want or as complicated as they get. Don't get hung up on the details. Whatever you do, ask yourself, "how is this moving me closer to my goal"?

One very simple way is to track your goal with a physical list. Some people think that they’ll simply keep it in their head, but unless you keep the list in front of your face, you replace it with other daily tasks. Almost magically, the more you focus on something the more you achieve it. This works both positively and negatively. If you focus on failure, sure enough that goal comes true also. Put your goal list up in several rooms and make a check mark on it when you accomplish a step. Make it the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night.

Each journey begins with the first step. Turn your dream into a goal and ultimately, a reality. Use these goal-setting steps to help you defining exactly what you want!