Achievements of goals. Goal Setting is the Most Important Success Factor (12 Steps)

At the end of December 45% New Years Resolution Statistics. people set optimistic goals for the coming year. But 25% It’s a week into January and a quarter of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions. They abandon the idea of goal setting during the first week of the holiday break. And only 8% . achieve what they want. This guide contains the quintessence of the experience of these achievers.

1. Choose the right goals

First, make sure the goal is yours. Not your parents, your partner, or you from ten years ago. Then check whether the path to your goal is connected with actions that please you. If you like making money, you won’t whine every morning: “Oh God, I’m going to go back to making as many damn millions as I can!”

Those who love physical activity don't need to kick themselves to the gym. They achieve many times faster than those who, with a sincere hatred of physical education, train according to the same program.

Set only one goal for each area of your life. Otherwise they may compete with each other. For example, it is better to space the opening of your own business and promotion in time. It is optimal to have two large goals at the same time. This way you won’t become fixated on just one goal or stupidly scattered across several at once.

2. Focus on the process, not the results.

Do you know why most dreams never turn into realized projects? The problem is focusing purely on results. It's one thing to want to be a rock star and stand on stage in the spotlight. And it’s quite another to want to rub your fingers bloody on the strings, rehearsing the same solos every day.

Ted.com

Study Setting goals around tasks, not outcomes, is the best way to improve performance, a study shows. shows that people are more likely to achieve their goals when they focus on process rather than results.

Formulate the goal as a process.

Not “publish a bestseller,” but “write 1,000 words every day.” Not “lose 15 kilograms,” but “work out three times a week and count calories.” This will have an effect, because everyday work on the path to the goal requires a detailed action plan. Plus, these actions will force you to focus and move forward little by little - instead of reverently looking at a lofty goal from afar and wondering how to approach it.

3. Connect the resources of the subconscious

You can set yourself the goal of earning 500 thousand rubles a month as much as you like. But if you have the belief “Big money means big problems” or “I don’t deserve big money” in your head, then your efforts will be wasted.

Before you start climbing a mountain, check whether you consider yourself entitled to stand on its top.

It will be awkward if you stop mid-climb and throw your equipment, deciding that this mountain is for climbers from wealthier families.

The likelihood of achieving a goal will increase dramatically if you replace beliefs that contradict it with helping ones. Write a list of all your fears and worries about your current goal, and then write an opposite statement for each of them.

For example: “I have a small salary” - “I am constantly increasing my income.” The formula should only apply to you, not your boss. He may not know that he should promote you. Dictate positive affirmations into the recorder in a cheerful and energetic voice and listen for 20 minutes a day.

4. Plan every day

Make plans for tomorrow in the evening. This way, in the morning, you can immediately get involved in the process, avoiding painful thoughts about where to start while scrolling through your Instagram feed.

Try to bring even small household matters under the denominator of your goal. For example, negotiations await you. When dry cleaning a suit, think about how it will help you make the right impression and add confidence.

Structure your to-do list in such a way that procrastination works to your advantage. Put the most frightening tasks in the first paragraphs. And at the end, add simple things that are also useful for the purpose. Thus, while postponing the completion of primary tasks, you will do secondary ones. And also move towards the goal.

5. Prioritize according to biorhythms

If your productivity peaks in the morning, which is typical for early risers, do the bulk of your important tasks at this time. Leave less energy-consuming tasks for the evening: answering letters, shopping, communicating. If you're most productive late at night, do your most important work at that time. And in the morning, while you are of little use, you can unpack your mail and do some simple routine work.

In pigeons, the time of peak productivity may vary depending on lifestyle. They will have to listen to themselves and track what time of day their energy, concentration and motivation are highest. You'll become an expert at what you do during your peak productivity much faster. And don't waste that time on YouTube unless you want to become an expert viewer of motivational videos.

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6. Use the paperclip trick

Story How to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy”. a young broker named Trent Dyrsmid forced the whole world to use this technique.

23-year-old Dirsmid got a job with no work experience at a provincial bank and soon achieved an income of 75 thousand dollars a year. In the morning, he placed two jars on his desk: one empty and one with a set of 120 paper clips. Each time he made a call, he transferred the paperclip from the full jar to the empty one. That's all the technology. 120 calls a day, one paperclip at a time. Visualize your progress!

Want to do 100 push-ups a day? Take 100 paper clips and divide them into 10 sets. Do 10 push-ups 10 times a day and each time transfer paper clips from one jar to another. Need to send 25 emails daily? Throw a paperclip into the target jar every time you press the "Send" button.
James Clear, personal effectiveness and self-improvement expert

7. Summarize

It's a waste of time if you don't take stock of your work. William Arruda, Forbes bestselling author and personal branding consultant, advises The One Thing Successful People Do Every Day.: Summarize the day's events. Many successful people do this.

Don't try to do this in your mind, it won't have any effect. Only in writing. It is very useful to write down 5 achievements and 5 joys of the day. Let this be a list of steps, even the smallest ones, that you have taken today towards your goals. And also 5 things that inspired you or made you smile.

Positive emotions on the way to goals are serious motivators. When you re-read these posts in a month, you will find that step-by-step movement towards your goal brings a lot of pleasure. This will help you find a second wind in case of a decline in enthusiasm. In addition, the technique helps to quickly summarize the week and month.

8. Create a ritual

It's easy to waste your best years waiting for inspiration, especially if your goal isn't survival. Save time: train your body to enter a working state with the help of a ritual. Create a series of motivating actions that you will perform every time before starting work.

It doesn't matter if you make umbrellas or write code. Before sitting down at your desk, listen to a certain song every time or brew coffee according to a special recipe. The body will remember the ritual and make it a command to turn on concentration.

This technique has been used by many prominent people. Victor Hugo, for example, ordered his servant to take away all his clothes before starting work. This eliminated the temptation to leave the house until the quota of pages was written. Leo Tolstoy chopped wood and carried water from the well before work. Friedrich Schiller could not write until he filled his desk drawers with rotten apples. These tricks won't work for everyone, so come up with your own unique ritual.

9. Stop on time to rest

Many people believe that a large-scale goal can only be achieved through titanic efforts. Thanks to exhausting work to the detriment of sleep, food and the nervous system. This is wrong. Extra effort is appropriate only when you need quick results. But it is impossible to achieve great results quickly, and overexertion, extended over time, always leads to depression.

To achieve a super goal you don't need super efforts. Consistent daily actions are needed.

In 1911, travelers Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen set out to race to the South Pole. Amundsen had a rule: every day, in the sun or in a snowstorm, his team walked 20 miles. In clear weather, when it was possible to walk 30 or even 50 miles, Amundsen stopped people after walking 20 miles and made a halt. Eventually, every morning, his team members were ready to move on.

Scott's team hid in tents when a snowstorm began. And in sunny weather I tried to walk as much as possible - 30–40 miles. After such marathons, people collapsed, and a night's sleep was not enough to recover. Naturally, Amundsen's people came to the South Pole first. Robert Scott's group died on the way back.

Forcing yourself to do something when you don’t want to is not the hardest thing. The hardest thing is to stop when everything works out, when you... Direct all your willpower to stop on time. To only walk 20 miles when you can walk twice that distance. For every extra mile you travel, you will pay for it with two miles not traveled when your body gets sick from fatigue.

10. Create a helpful environment

Find people who believe in you, rather than skeptically telling you that you are suffering from bullshit. Life is too short to waste it on haters and armchair critics. It’s good if your loved ones go towards their goals themselves. The example of the environment is contagious.

If you get stuck, find a person who is moving towards a similar goal. Help him achieve it. Changing your perspective on a problem will have a huge impact on your productivity.

Reevaluate yours. Look at people 5-10 years older than you. Especially those with whom you see weekly: with a high probability this is your future. Are you satisfied with this state of affairs? On the way to new goals, the old, albeit beloved, environment is often eliminated. This is fine. Just go forward, your like-minded people are already there.

In this article we will look atmain rules for achieving goals. Let's highlight 10 basic practical steps to get what you want.

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We all see such a picture in life when some people have everything, while others have nothing. Often we think that there is a certain caste of people whom we call lucky. But is this really so? Do you know what path they had to go through to achieve outstanding results? Examples of the success of famous people prove that luck has nothing to do with it. This is hard work on yourself, your perception of the world.

If you follow the 10 practical steps discussed in this article, you will certainly begin to get what you want. So, let's begin.

Step 1: Define your goal

You need to understand what you really want. How bad do you want it and why?

“Understand: the more clearly you define what exactly you want, the easier it will be for you to achieve it.”

(Richard Templar)

Imagine that you have already received what you want. How will this change your life? Do all aspects of achieving what you want satisfy you?

For example, you wanted to get a higher position. Imagine that you received it. But at the same time, your salary was not increased or you will have to work 2 times more and bear more serious responsibility. Then can you say that you have achieved your goal?

Now give yourself an answer to this question: “Why do I want this?” Let's look at everything using the same example. Do you want this to make your parents proud of you or to make your friends respect you more? Or is this really an important point for you personally to become happier?

Get your priorities right. Sometimes when you achieve one goal, other more important aspects of your life suffer. For example, you dream of opening your own business, this requires a lot of work, but your family will rarely see you.

You must clearly understand what your main goal is and what you are willing to sacrifice for it. How strong is the desire?

There is a great "rocking chair" method described by Adam J. Jackson:

“This is a very simple exercise in which you imagine that you have lived your whole life and are now sitting in a rocking chair and reflecting on how you lived and what you achieved. What would you like to remember? Was there anything you were proud of? What kind of relationships have you been able to create with people? And most importantly, as you sit here in this rocking chair, what kind of person would you like to be?

Do this exercise as soon as you wake up, during the day and before going to bed at least twice a year. Write down all your goals. They are what give life meaning and become what makes us get out of bed.

Step 2. Understand how to get what you want

Once you figure out what you really want, start taking action. First, you need to make a list of how to get what you want. What knowledge, skills or means do you lack to achieve your goal? At this stage, you should think about advanced training, retraining, courses, trainings and seminars. Or engage in self-education, read the necessary literature.

Also at this stage, you need to think about which of your friends could help you on the path to realizing your desire. Or maybe you need to make new acquaintances and connections. Don’t forget, you are not alone in this world and you don’t need to shoulder everything. Think about who could help or assist you and how. Who do you need to attract to your side, who to interest.

Step 3. Divide the steps towards the goal into stages

If you have set yourself a global and, in your opinion, difficult to achieve goal, then divide the path to your goal into small stages. At every stage, learn to enjoy your achievements and celebrate success. Also at this stage, it is important to learn how to set time limits for yourself. They should be real, but not too drawn out so as not to lose motivation. Setting deadlines will help you decisivelystep by step closer to achieving your goal.

Step 4. Think positively and believe in yourself

You need to learn to think positively. And to do this, you need to stop listening to skeptics who will only sow uncertainty in you and undermine your self-confidence and success. You need to stop making up excuses. Be decisive, because even at the first stage you determined how important it is for you to realize your desire. You need to believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who can support you.

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player, said: “I haven’t scored more than 9,000 goals in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I was given the responsibility to score the winning goal and I missed. I failed over and over again, and that’s why I got so much success.”

Any defeat, loss or collapse should be perceived as experience and steps on the ladder leading you to success.

One of the best tips for believing in yourself is to “act as if”! Act as if you will succeed, act as if you are capable of achieving a goal, act as if whatever you do will be right. Act as if your efforts cannot fail. Then nothing can stop you on the way to achieving your goal, self-development and personal growth.

Step 5: Be prepared for ups and downs

One of rules for achieving the goalis readiness for anything. Yes, you can fail at something, and you shouldn't be afraid of it. Take any failure as an experience. Experience cannot be positive or negative, experience is a life lesson that you need to learn, draw the right conclusions and move on.

JK Rowling is an internationally recognized genius for her 7 books about Harry Potter, which has become a brand valued at 15 billion. This is the first case of a billionaire making money from writing. Her manuscript was rejected by 12 publishers!

The fact that a person did not give up after so many refusals, first of all, speaks of faith in himself and in his project. When you believe, then nothing can stop you from achieving your goal. Believing in yourself means acting as if your efforts simply cannot fail.

Rules for achieving the goal: engage in self-development

This step involves not only knowing yourself, but also understanding the psychology of other people. As well as the principles of successful negotiations, healthy communication and the basics of properly motivating people to action. You need this knowledge to achieve success.

So what should you definitely learn?

behave confidently;
speak to people in a language they understand;
think before you say something;
learn to defend your point of view;
control your emotions;
treat people with respect;
try to please, make a pleasant impression;
develop a sense of humor;
to be honest;
be grateful. Learn to express gratitude;
be attentive to others, praise and motivate;
learn to adequately perceive criticism and admit your mistakes;
make new friends;
learn to listen, understand, sympathize with other people;
be able to present yourself correctly;
work hard, share responsibilities and be part of a team.

Rules for achieving the goalcannot but include rules for relationships with other people. After all, the quality of life is determined by the quality of relationships with people. As Adam Railway Jackson said:

“Nobody lives on a desert island. Every person needs others. Close relationships make good times more enjoyable and difficult times easier. The joy that is shared is double joy; the problem shared is half the problem.”

Step 7. Attitude towards people

You need to learn to treat every person as if you will never see them again. What does this attitude imply?

You need to learn to listen to a person. Objectivity is very important. Any mistake or mistake can be justified. Try to understand the person, explain this or that behavior, put yourself in his place. Having understood the reason, help him cope with his problem.

You also need to learn how to properly motivate people and strive to be a good role model yourself.

When talking to people, choose your words so as not to hurt the person. If you want to ask for something, just tell the person directly what you need. Don't beat around the bush, don't give hints. Each person can interpret any hint in their own way. And then you will be dissatisfied with the result.

Feel free to ask questions. Questions are necessary not only to understand something yourself, but also to make sure that your interlocutor understands you well.

Don't be afraid to tell the person that you need them or need their help. Everyone appreciates sincerity. You, in turn, try to give the person what he needs in return.

Step 8. Accept responsibility

“Our only responsibility on Earth is our own evolution. In other words, the ability to make choices, make decisions and be responsible for their consequences. As long as you have doubts about taking responsibility for everything in your life, you will not be able to transform it. You must understand and accept that only you are responsible for your life, for your success, for your health and well-being. If you don't like the outcome of a decision you made, reconsider and make a different decision. No one can live for you. Likewise, you don't have to be held accountable for the consequences of other people's choices. If someone in your environment feels unhappy, then your mood should not deteriorate and you should not have a feeling of guilt or pity. The more joy and happiness we bring to others, the more we gain ourselves. Every day you can create your own happiness by finding ways to give it to others. Do you feel the difference? To give happiness and joy, and not to feel sorry and perceive everything as if we are responsible for someone else’s life.”

(Liz Burbo)

Step 9. Ability to negotiate and negotiate

Prepare for the conversation. Choose the right moment, make an appointment. Practice your speech and think about your interlocutor’s response. What could he say to you and how would you react to it. Write down the main points that you would like to discuss. If you want to ask for a favor, be as specific as possible. If you offer your services, then initially ask for more than you would like to receive. Set a lower bar for yourself and learn to stop in time. No matter how the negotiations progress, be confident in yourself. Do not stoop to the level of threats, aggression and negative emotions. Be prepared for the fact that you may need to make a quick, drastic decision.

Step 10: Don't give up

The difference between those who achieve their goals and those who fail is persistence. Such people never give up. Despite refusals, failures and defeats, they know exactly what they want and continue to pursue their goal.

Sometimes we are all afraid of failures and lose faith in ourselves. But the main thing to remember is that failure is an important component of success. The more failures along the way, the more experience you have and the more success you can achieve. Failures are stepping stones on the way to a goal.

“Don't give up!

When everything is going badly, as it sometimes happens, when it seems to you that the road you are dragging along is always going uphill, when there is little money and a lot of debts, and you want to smile, but you are forced to sigh, when worries are pressing on you, rest if you need it - but don't give up!

We all know what twists and turns life sometimes throws at us, and if we persevere to the end, many defeats will turn into victories; don't give up because progress seems slow - the next blow may bring you victory...

Success is the other side of failure, a silver lining on the clouds of doubt - and you never know how close you are to your goal, maybe much closer than it seems from afar; and the more difficult it is for you, the deeper you plunge into the struggle, no matter how bad things get - don’t give up!”

(Edgar A. Guest)

A person cannot live without a goal, just as he cannot live without water and food. Everyone has a goal in life. Even for someone who sits on the couch and drinks beer all the time. It’s just that his goal or “meaning” of life is to grow old on the couch with a close friend with cirrhosis and surrounded by bottles of girlfriends. The outcome of any person’s life depends on how goals are set. It’s about goal setting that I would like to talk to you about today.

Before we talk about goal setting, let's find out what a goal is. We all know what it is, but we can’t clearly formulate it. This may be due to the fact that each branch of science has its own definition of the term “goal”. People often confuse concepts such as goal, dream and desire. They can be closely related and depend on each other. But these are still different concepts.
Desire creates a goal and forces action. But the desire can remain only the phrase “I would like..”, while the goal is always supported by actions.
A dream can consist of a chain of sequential goals. A dream is something big, sometimes non-specific, so to speak, abstract and magical. But the goal always has a specific and clear formulation.
Setting a goal is an important moment in the life of every person. Imagine that your life is a train that is rapidly rushing along the rails. But where is he going? If you don’t give him a final destination, he will continue to go nowhere until he exhausts his resources. And it turns out that his entire path will be empty and meaningless. However, if the train has a schedule and a clearly defined destination, then the entire journey of the train makes sense. But for this to happen, the correct goal setting is necessary. Because even if a goal is set, but not clearly formulated, actions aimed at its implementation can lead to a completely different result than you expected.

You can learn how to set goals so that they work towards your dreams in this article.
The importance of goal setting lies in the fact that if you have correctly identified and set goals for yourself, they will enter your subconscious and program your brain (in the good sense of the word). Thanks to this, on a subconscious level you will choose the right decisions and attract the right people to you. In other words, setting goals will help you choose the right direction in life that is right for you and will guide you along the right path in life.
It is not for nothing that we focus on the subconscious, because unlike consciousness, which sees the world in a narrow spectrum, it is able to more fully perceive information from the surrounding world.

Consequently, you get more useful and relevant information that will help you achieve success and goals. For example, passing by an advertisement “jobs for young and promising people,” our consciousness may say: “networkers again...”. But the subconscious, having assessed the information not only from the post, but also, perhaps, by the “smell” of the advertisement, its color and aura, will push you to dial the mysterious number. You, obeying your intuition (your inner voice, the call of the subconscious, the voice of the universe, etc.), dial the indicated phone number, and there really is a job that you need and is right for you. So consciousness is only the primary processor of information coming from the outside world, and the bulk of the work is done by your subconscious.

The second important aspect in setting goals is faith in the result. If you don't believe in what you are doing, there will be no results. Because in the absence of faith in the result, your subconscious will ignore the goal, since this goal will be perceived as something alien, false. You must believe in your success and in what you are doing. Only in this case will your subconscious mind be able to help you choose the right decisions and follow the right path.

American multimillionaire Andrew Carnegie said: “To become happy, you need to set yourself the most cherished goal, which will completely and completely take over all thoughts, free up energy and give hope.” Napoleon Hill, Brian Tracy and many other successful people also claim that only clearly defined goals will lead to success, wealth and fulfillment of desires. Is goal setting really the main ingredient in the formula for success?

Why are goals needed?

A man without a goal is often compared to a ship set out on the open sea without a crew or captain. How far can such a ship sail? The chance that he will sail to another port is zero. The best thing that awaits him is to run aground. It’s the same with a person: he’s floundering, floundering in place, but he doesn’t know where to swim, because there’s no goal, it’s difficult to get to a destination that’s missing.

Why are there no goals?

Goal setting is a kind of art that needs to be learned. There is even a theory of setting goals and objectives outlined by Edwin Lok. There are several reasons why people don’t plan anything or set goals:

How to set a goal correctly?

The stages of goal setting are as follows:

Determining the main goal and large-scale goals that you want to achieve;
Breaking down large goals into small ones that will help achieve the final goals;
Work according to the plan to achieve your goals.

Stage 1: Selecting Big Goals

Correct goal setting is already the first step on the path to success; the fulfillment of desires and the realization of dreams depends on this. The first thing you need to do is determine your most desired goals. The most important thing is that these goals should be exclusively yours, the most cherished and intimate. Not imposed by parents, relatives, friends or the media. First you need to choose a long-term dream goal. What you want more than anything in the world, what you dreamed about. Such a goal is chosen with the heart, even thoughts about it fill with extraordinary excitement, it should inspire.
Having decided on the most important goal, you need to choose other, no less important life goals that relate to family, career, finances, society, health, and hobbies. Before you set a goal, you should ask yourself 5 questions:
- Who I want to be?
- What do I want to do?
- What do I want to have?
- What happens when I receive this?
- Will achieving my goals give me satisfaction?
All goals must be written down, otherwise they will remain just desires and dreams. Correct wording is very important. It is correct to write about what you want, and not about what you don’t want. “I will be rich”, “I will be slim”, “I will buy an apartment” ─ this is the correct wording. “Avoid poverty”, “get rid of extra pounds”, “I don’t want to live in a rented apartment” - this is an incorrect formulation of your goals. Words such as: “must, must, should” must be replaced with: “I want, I can, I will.”
Goals must be specific. If you plan to improve your financial situation, then the phrase “I want a lot of money” does not convey any specifics. You must indicate the exact amount you want.
Goals must be realistic. If you set a goal that in a month I should receive 500,000 rubles, and at the moment I earn 50,000 rubles, then it is very doubtful that in a few months I will be able to increase my income 10 times. They get to big money gradually.
It is necessary to set deadlines for achieving goals.
When setting goals for yourself to achieve a goal, you need to rely only on your own strengths, so that in case of failure there is no temptation to blame others.

Stage 2: setting subgoals

Once the goal is set and there is a list of large-scale goals, it is necessary to create a plan for the next few years. Large goals are divided into small ones, small ones into stages. It is necessary to clearly describe every step, every action that is planned to be taken. Setting goals and objectives will help you properly organize your time and resources to achieve the desired result.

You need to complete all the sub-goals to get to the main one

For example, the goal is to buy a new apartment. It is necessary to determine its cost and set the period for its purchase. Then soberly assess your income level and ask yourself what you can do to get closer to your goal. You need to write a clear and detailed plan of your actions on how to achieve your goal. How can you increase your income? Find a part-time job, learn another profession, get a promotion, etc. You may have to attend courses or trainings. This is breaking big goals into small ones.

Step-by-step instructions for achieving your goal

Setting goals and achieving them is beautifully described by Brian Tracy in his book The Psychology of Achievement. Just 12 steps that will allow you to achieve any goals. The effective technology has already been tested by several thousand people; even ardent skeptics, having tried it, became adherents.

Step One: Create Desire

A strong and irresistible desire is the most powerful incentive. If there is no desire, then nothing will happen; it is not typical for a person to take any action if he does not want it. A strong desire will help overcome all the fears that prevent people from realizing their dreams. It is very important to remember that everything we think about has the ability to increase. If we think about fear, it will completely consume us. If we want to achieve our goal, we will definitely do it.

The first step is desire

When setting a goal, you need to think only about your desires and your dreams. The dream should be yours alone. You need to know absolutely exactly what you want, who you want to be. You need to determine the most important goal that can make you incredibly happy.

Step two: become confident

Only 100% confidence that achieving the goal is possible will be able to engage the subconscious and make it an ally. You need to be confident and firmly believe that the goal will be achieved because you deserve it. The only condition is that the goals must be realistic. You should be aware that it is almost impossible to increase your income several times in a month, but by 20-30% in six months is a completely feasible desire.

The second step is to gain confidence.

Achieving global goals takes a lot of time, so you need to understand that you will need perseverance, perseverance and patience. For example, you need to lose 15 kg. Theoretically, this is possible, but the damage to health will be very noticeable. And if you set yourself a goal to lose 2 kg monthly, then such a goal is easily achievable and the subconscious will believe in it. Goals should be challenging enough to force us to work and use our full potential. And at the same time, they must be real and believable so that one can believe in them and be absolutely convinced of their achievement.

So, everyone knows that a successful person is a purposeful person who sets and achieves certain goals and objectives. He is always in the process of achieving a goal, and therefore in the process of self-development. A successful person cannot live aimlessly - aimless existence is not at all what nature created man for. Man must live with a purpose; this is what distinguishes him from the instinctive thinking of animals. Therefore, setting goals is very important. The goal must be formed very clearly; the clearer and more specific it is, the better. In general, specificity and clarity are very correct, necessary qualities of a successful person.

The goal should not be vague. It should be very specific, for example: “I want to earn 100 thousand dollars a year,” or “I want to improve family relationships with my household within 3 months.” Therefore, set realistic deadlines for completing your goal.

To successfully achieve a goal, it is important first of all to believe in its implementation, to be confident that you will achieve it, to see the results of achieving your goal. Without this, the target will just hang in the air, and the process will not start.

Now let's talk about the so-called “12 stages of achieving a goal,” which Brian Tracy mentioned in his book “The Psychology of Achievement.” So, every healthy goal necessarily goes through 12 stages:

1st step. Wish. It is very important to really want your goal to be fulfilled. Without this, the process of achieving the goal will not move forward. Therefore, create goals that you really want to achieve.

2nd step. Faith. Belief in a goal is evidence, something without which the goal cannot exist. Believe in your goal, believe that you will achieve it, and then the process of achieving your goal will start at cosmic speed.

3rd step. Writing down goals. Just like a time plan, goals need to be written down on paper. When you write, the goal is firmly lodged in your subconscious and you will always be aware of what goal you are achieving. In addition, a goal written on paper already takes on material forms - when you see your goal on paper, read it, you speed up the process of its implementation.

4th step. Decide what benefit achieving your goal will bring you? You cannot set goals for yourself that do not bring any benefit to you. Such goals are groundless and have no serious basis for existence. Keep this in mind when setting your goal. Also, imagine what fruits will achieving your goal bring you?

5th step. Analysis of the current situation. When setting a new goal, ask yourself: what have I already achieved so far? Make a plan of your achievements, write it down, attach it with some material objects. For example, if you graduated from university, you can attach a photocopied diploma so that it serves as a powerful reminder of what you have already achieved. Without a serious analysis of the current situation, it is impossible to move forward with confidence.

6th step. Setting a deadline. I think it’s clear that a goal cannot live on its own in a temporary thread. Determine the boundary, the deadline for completing the goal, set, as I already said, realistic deadlines. Obviously, you won't earn a million dollars in 1 hour, or improve your relationships with your work colleagues in 1 day. Therefore, I repeat once again, set realistic deadlines.

7th step. Identifying obstacles. Any goal is not complete without a natural process of overcoming obstacles. But it's better if you know about them in advance. As they say, “forewarned is forearmed.” Therefore, identify the obstacles and write them down on paper. This way you will better understand what you will have to face on the way to achieving your goal. You will be prepared, which means you will be ready to move forward, overcoming obstacles.

8th step. Determine what knowledge is required to achieve the goal. As with the goals and obstacles themselves, write them down on paper. Make a list of the knowledge that will be useful to you. You may lack knowledge, but you will know exactly which ones and will be able to improve them to achieve your goal.

9th step. Determine a list of people and organizations whose help will help you achieve your goal. Sit down and seriously think about it, be sure to write down a list. During the achievement process, it is likely that you will need help from people and organizations unplanned on the list - with the help of a list on paper, you can easily make changes and clearly identify your assistants in achieving the goal.

10th step. Gather all the details of the previous nine steps and make a detailed plan. Of course, write it down on paper. Give it some serious thought. Take this step very seriously and responsibly. This may take some time, but a competent and detailed plan is an almost 100% guarantee of a successful result.

11th step. Creating a picture of the goal achieved. Visualize achieving the goal, play in your mind the picture of the goal already achieved. Try it, it's very interesting. I am sure you will enjoy watching such “films” over and over again. Create such a picture, clear, clear - and then everything will work out.

12th, last step. Reinforce your plan to achieve your goal with determination. It is safe to say that this step is the most important and most responsible. Many people overcome the first 11 steps, but cannot complete this - the main step. Don’t be one of them, don’t be afraid of achieving your goal, don’t think about the difficulties that you have to overcome, because if you have completed all the previous 11 points, which means you have drawn up a detailed plan, then you are already prepared and will be able to overcome all the difficulties. If you are ready, then tell yourself that you have started to accomplish the goal, that you are determined to complete this task. This will be the last step towards achieving the goal.

With this I would like to finish the conversation about goals and goal setting. I hope my tips and tricks will help you.

Anyone who achieved the goals they set for themselves, whatever they were, inevitably went through three stages on the way to the desired result. These steps are universal:

Accurate goal setting.
Developing a plan.
Activities to achieve the goal.

No less significant are the main components of achieving the goal:

Having a goal. Before you begin making changes, clearly state your goal, which includes a description of the end result you are striving for. The goal must be formulated positive, present tense and first person. Ask yourself the question: “What will I get when the goal is achieved?” The answer to this question will help you evaluate the significance of this goal for you. The more benefits you can name, the more important it is to you.
Flexibility of behavior. To achieve a goal, it is not necessary to follow a strictly defined route. It is better to move along a shorter and more convenient path. You can change your actions as long as you move towards your cherished goal. Corresponding to this principle is the following golden rule: “If what you do doesn’t work, do something else.” Why break through a wall if there is a door somewhere nearby? And if the door does not open in one direction, try opening it in the other. In order not to make the same mistakes, it is important to be able to change your behavior. The person who is most in control of the situation is the one who has greater behavioral flexibility.
Touch Sensitivity. You should learn to see, feel, hear this world, the signs on your way, and not think about what could have happened “if...”. It is important to learn to see obstacles and go around them.
Personal power. You need to have confidence that you will achieve what you want.

Stages of achieving the goal

First step. Analyze your goals. If the goal is formulated in general terms, vaguely and imprecisely (“I want to be happy”, etc.), ask yourself: what will change in my life when I achieve it (become happy)? How exactly can this manifest itself? Of course, general goals are also good, since they give meaning to our lives and our affairs. However, in order for them to become really effective, they need to be transferred to a more specific level. The difference between the effectiveness of general and specific goals is approximately the same as between understanding the meaning of electricity and replacing a burnt-out light bulb when it is necessary to make it light.

Second step. Assess your internal potential and external conditions. Assess and write down where you are now in relation to achieving your goal, that is, evaluate your inner potential: what you already know, know how to do, what you can do. You probably already have the basic skills, otherwise you simply wouldn’t want it. Assess the external conditions: particularly favorable circumstances, the help of specific people in achieving results, how you yourself can change in order to receive this help. The list should be as large as possible. Now you should have a better understanding of what skills you need to develop to achieve your goal.

Third step. Create a bright and clear image of yourself in the future. An additional test of your goal will be to engage sensory experiences by creating a vivid and clear image of yourself in the future and what you want to have. Answer the questions:

How will I know if I have achieved the desired result?
What will I see, hear, feel when I achieve my goal?
What will my behavior, thoughts and feelings be like when I achieve my desired state?

The more specific, brighter and more sensual your image is, the faster your unconscious will begin to work to achieve what you want.

Fourth step. Determine the time and place of fulfillment of your intention. Your goal should have a specific context: when and where you will achieve the goal. This is necessary to ensure that your intention comes true at the right time and in the right place. For example, a person who has rented an apartment for a long time is more likely to buy a home after some time if he formulates such a goal for himself, rather than want to own real estate someday.

Fifth step. Check your goal for sustainability. The end result must be accompanied by positive effects, that is, it must not be harmful. You need to determine how the desired result will affect your life and the lives of other people. Make sure your desire is in harmony with you and the world around you. When we achieve a goal, we pay for it. Are you willing to pay a certain price? Ask yourself the question: “What might be required of me to achieve my goal, what am I willing to sacrifice?” This could be a waste of time, abandonment of other aspirations, monetary expenses, etc. You must be aware of the positive and negative aspects of achieving your goal. Determine for yourself what you gain and what you lose. To make your future different from your present, you need to take some action. The answer to the question “Do I agree to the possible consequences?” helps you take responsibility for fulfilling your intention and ultimately for your life.

Sixth step. Determine the necessary resources to achieve the goal. Determine what resources (necessary character traits, people) you need to achieve the desired result. Remember a situation when you had these qualities and transfer this state into the future. Remember: every person has the necessary resources to achieve their goal. The power is always contained within us, and the fulcrum is in the present moment.

Seventh step. Identify barriers to achieving results. When implementing your own decision, you often have to face difficulties that are expressed in inertia of behavior, when habitual forms of behavior are carried out almost automatically. Consequently, in order to behave differently, this automatism must be overcome. And this is quite difficult, especially considering that the usual action is carried out faster. Therefore, you should always take into account inertial resistance and think about ways to overcome it. It's important to determine what the barriers to achieving your goal are before you take concrete steps. This will allow you to warn them in a timely manner.

Ask yourself questions:

What can stop me from achieving my goal?
What difficulties and obstacles may arise on my way?
Could something unfavorable happen to me if my wish comes true?

Having discovered negative beliefs and attitudes, replace them with new, positive ones that will bring you closer to your goal. Changing ideas and beliefs makes adjustments to our original goals and plans, which is often accompanied by the awareness of new opportunities that previously may have seemed like a pipe dream. The main condition for achieving the final result is to constantly keep your goal in sight. Think about what you want, and not about what prevents you from having it. By focusing on the difficulties that arise, you will inevitably slip into acting “because.” Therefore, determine which thoughts need to be changed and new ones created in order to get closer to the goal.

For example, you want to buy something, but at the moment you don’t have the money for it. Frame the thought like this: “How can I afford this?” Your unconscious mind will begin to select different options to achieve your goal.

Eighth step. Determine the first steps and start acting. After setting a goal, proceed to planning specific steps to achieve it. If the goal is too large and it may be difficult to achieve it right away, break it down into smaller, easily achievable ones. Ask yourself what is preventing you from immediately achieving what you want. The listed answer points will most likely turn out to be separate goals. This process can be continued until you get goals that will not be difficult for you to make a plan to achieve. This will give you a list of specific actions you can take. Your actions should be like internal(getting rid of aggressive emotions, working with negative thoughts and beliefs), and external(specific physical efforts, meeting the necessary people, etc.).

So, decide what you need to do, what you plan to do to achieve your goal. Write a list of simple actions (steps). The first step is to launch a basic program of action. It is advisable that your actions are subject to verification and control on your part.

Ninth step. Specify each action and the entire goal in terms of timing. It is always useful to set a time frame: the period within which you need to achieve the final result. Specify each of the actions and the entire goal, correlating with the amount of time required and the maximum allowable period for its completion. If the period is too short, then, feeling its unreality, you may not take action at all. On the other hand, too long a period of time does not motivate immediate action: it will seem that there is enough time, and you will constantly put off specific actions until later. In addition, if in the end you cannot meet the set deadlines for some reason, instead of abandoning your goal, it will be enough to reconsider them and still achieve your goal.

Tenth step. Carrying out what you set out to do. It happens that a person starts to do something, everything goes well for a while, until he fails, breaks down, or finds himself at a dead end. Nothing is getting worse, but nothing is getting better either. Then the main task becomes to find the strength not to give up on achieving your goal.

You need to understand: this happens to everyone, this is a mandatory stage, which indicates that the plan needs to be adjusted in some way. That is why you should not treat the drawn up plan as something unshakable: change and adjust it. Consider and make other, alternative decisions that may lead to the desired goal. It happens that over time plans to achieve it change. Often new opportunities appear or, on the contrary, unexpected obstacles arise. Analyze what caused the failure, what is the reason, where is the error that can be identified and corrected.

The same goal, as a rule, can be achieved in different ways. There is only one important condition: changes must lead to the goal, that is, be actions, and not thoughts about why it will not be possible to achieve it. Choose different options and act. It is important to understand: mistakes are inevitable along the way. The problem is not not to make them, but to have the right attitude towards them, in which mistakes are analyzed and used to move towards the goal.

When we quit doing something after failure or refuse to take action out of fear of making a mistake, we accumulate experience of failure. And when we actively act, try, make mistakes, correct them, we gain important experience - the experience of action. This experience is more important than the experience of achievement. Napoleon said: “There are more surrenderers than losers.”

To keep your goals in mind, you can use the following technique: write yourself notes and place them so that they often catch your eye. You should write in them the goal you are striving for and the simple action that you will take today for the sake of this desired goal.

Write down your goals. Re-read them. Speak them out. Browse them. And you will see that they are realized in your life.

Source - Elitarium