How to Set Goals that Encourage Positive Results

Easy tips for setting goals in a way to encourage positive results and follow-through. Set life goals the successful way –  use this simple, smart plan for setting goals and achieving them.

Setting goals and  achieving them is easier said than done, right? The reason for  failing to reach those milestones might be the way you form and think of those goals, not because you are lazy or a quitter. So give yourself a break and follow these simple ideas for successfully setting goals for the timeframe you want that you will actually achieve.

Tweaking the way you initially set your life goals will dramatically improve your chances of actually achieving those goals.

Stop wishing for the things you want and start making them a reality. After all, as someone wise said, if it is something you really want, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.

To help you find a way, these points will definitely make your goal-setting journey a little easier.

Be true to yourself.

Forget everyone else’s opinions and really think about what you want for a second, OK?

All the people in your life inevitably have an opinion of how you should look, live, travel or work. That’s just human nature. But if those opinions are the foundation of your goals, you are setting yourself up for failure. The simple truth is that you cannot truly commit to something that does not originate within your own mind, out of your personal needs and wants.

If you want to lose some weight this year, that’s a great goal as long as it’s because you want to have a healthier body. However, it is a crappy goal if it’s because someone else is unhappy with the circumference of your thighs.

If you are in fact not that bothered about your weight, you should not give a hoot about someone else’s thoughts on your body and focus on setting goals for things you want to change in order to make you happier.

Make it positive: you’re not just stopping negative behavior but starting a new positive trend.

Whatever you do, don’t make a foot-long list of things you have to quit, let go of or stop doing.

If you make your goals feel negative, the whole process will feel negative. Instead, find the opposite, positive way of describing your goals: I will replace unhealthy snacks with veggies & fruit (instead of “I will stop eating junk food for a snack”) or I will go for a long walk three times a week (instead of “I will quit being a couch potato”).

If you focus on the positive, new changes in your life instead of denying yourself something, you will feel more enthusiastic about the entire goal.

Define the actual steps.

A plan without execution will never amount to nothing. You have to have actionable, reasonable steps planned out for the timeframe you have in mind.

For example, if you plan to get more exercise, set weekdays and times for the sessions and try hard not to ever compromise them. If you just make lofty mental promises of joining a gym in the near future, it most likely will not happen.

Instead, look up the gym online, decide on the actual classes you will participate in or check out the different types of gym memberships. This way the goal will start to feel real and you will have a set amount of time allotted to achieving your goal each week.

Another example is always keeping healthy snacks in your home so you always have the option of doing the right thing with your plan. You know what you want, and now there is a concrete plan to actually get what you want.

Make a plan for weak moments.

Those moments will come, but what matters is how you deal with them.

We’ve all been there: you miss one time of exercise, then another, and soon you realize you haven’t worked out in months. If you don’t have a plan ready for these situations, it is easy to slide down that slippery slope of failure and call it quits when you run low on motivation for the first time.

For each goal you set, think of the possible problems or moments of weakness that might come along and then decide on the best possible solution for each problem. This way you will not feel defeated if you momentarily slip off from the plan, but will know exactly what to do to correct the situation and move on.

For instance, you could promise yourself to get x hours of exercise each week, so if for some reason you skip one session, you will make up for it by working out enough on the other days to keep getting the x amount of exercise per week. Or if you couldn’t resist those Pop-Tarts calling your name, you will burn those plump pockets right off by power-walking or decide to not buy junk food for the rest of the month. We all fall; what matters is getting right back up again.

Set a deadline with mini milestones along the way.

“This year I will be skinny again” is bad goal setting; “I will lose x pounds by March and X pounds by July” is good goal setting.

Setting a date with smaller milestones on the way is a great strategy for following through with your plans, because it makes the whole process seem more attainable and easier to control. It is also easier to grasp the timeframe if you have specific dates to work towards. For example, you could set monthly mini-goals which will break the plan up into smaller pieces.

This way you will have a series of mini victories at the end of each month instead of having to slave away for the gigantic final goal that is months and months away. Mini milestones help you keep your motivation up and will encourage you to keep going.

Recap time!

A simple 5-point goal setting plan to maximize results & achieve those goals!Click To Tweet

1. Make the goal your own

2. Make the goal positive

3. Define the steps

4. Plan ahead for weak moments

5. Set deadline with mini milestones

This is actually a way of my own to set goals that are actually enjoyable to achieve – I sincerely hope you found some inspiration for setting goals that turn out successful! Visit the comments and let me know what you think!

Go get ‘em,

Sera xx