Definition Goal Setting
Definition Goal Setting: The Power of Language
What is Goal Setting?
The word “goal” is only one piece of language that describes goal oriented behaviour. The definition goal setting, is not clear cut in my books.
That is, there are many different ways to think about what goals are.
I’m afraid though, that for a lot of people, the term has negative connotations. People think of deadlines, time committments, and last but not least – the idea that failure is possible.
So, to help move away from this typical way of thinking about goals, I want to provide several pieces of language, or other ways of thinking about goal setting. There is obviously more than one definition. Goals can also be thought of as:
- Intentions
- Aims
- Desired Changes
- Dreams
- Hopes for the future
- Wishes
- Manifesting what we want
- Focus
Do any of these words or ways of thinking speak to you? If so, then I want you to think about one of these particular words as your definition.
Goal setting is most effective when you have a way of understanding what works for you!
Or, you might want to begin with a more holistic goal-setting program where you can begin the brainstorming process of what you want out of life. Try it now!
[tags] definition goal setting, what is goal setting, goals, personal development, motivation [/tags]
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Importance of Goal Setting
The importance of goal setting is a very hot topic these days. We are always told to set goals if we want to be high achievers.
In fact, I’ll bet many people even take this advice for granted. After all, we hear it so much that we don’t know what to do with it.
If you want to start setting goals, but you are having difficulty getting motivated, then you need to the reasons for goal setting. Without knowing the benefits of setting a goal, you are unlikely to engage in any efforts or actions past the ‘dreaming’ stage.
This principle by the way, applies to any thing in life that you want. If you are lacking motivation, not following through, and not being persistent enough, than you need to step back, and write a list of all the benefits and positive consequences you will experience as a result of committing and working toward your goal.
Now you can see why a discussion on the importance of goal setting would not be complete without a list of the goal setting benefits! So, without further ado, here is a list of the benefits you will receive by setting goals.
Benefits and Importance of Goal setting
You’ve probably heard of the motivational quote, The road of ‘someday’ leads down the path to nowhere. Well, until you turn your dreams into smart goals, you are most likely headed down the path to nowhere.
And as the saying goes – that is not a place where you want to be! Especially if you are reading this website…
So, one way to think about the benefits of goal setting is that it gives you a clear, specific focus. The benefits of smart goal setting involves creating specific goals!
You cannot arrive at your preferred magical destination if you didn’t define one in the first place!
Think about all the important accomplishments that you achieved in your past. How did you achieve them?
I’m guessing that any important accomplishment first involved you identifying and getting specific about what it was that you wanted in the first place! You cannot take action steps toward any goal without first having a goal! Are you starting to see some of the benefits and importance of goal setting?
The Importance of Goal Setting and its Benefits
1. So, the first benefit of goal setting then, is getting clear on what you want. Here’s how and why this works. There is something in our brain, called our reticular activating system, and every time we write down a goal that we want to achieve, our reticular activating system creates an impression of this goal in our mind. This impression signifies the importance of the goal itself.
Then what happens is our brain does everything in its power to find evidence of this impression or goal in reality. Our brain begins to pay attention to information, resources, opportunities and people who can help us achieve this goal! Now we’re talking about the importance of goal setting…!
Think back to the last time you identified the new car you wanted to buy. After you went to the dealership to identify this car, and sign some papers, what did you notice next?
You probably became hypersensitive to noticing this car everywhere on the road! This is your reticular activating system hard at work!
The point of this, is to write down smart goals, so that your brain takes your goal seriously. Use the power and leverage of your mind! I love using this example to demonstrate the importance of goal setting and its benefits.
A similar example to illustrate the benefits of goal setting, is to think about your career development. As you moved through college or university, did you start to feel as though everyone and their brother was in your profession?
Did it seem as though everyone was after the same opportunities that you were?
Once again, this is because your reticular activating system is paying attention to all the resources and people that can potentially help you achieve your goal.
It’s not that everyone is in your profession, but rather, finally – you are paying attention to anything that can help you succeed in this profession.
The same will happen with goals in every area of your life. As you begin to work toward, and achieve new goals, you might begin feeling as though “so many people” are doing the same. Un-unh. No. You are just tapping into the power of your subconscious mind, and having it go to work for you!
2. Here is another great benefit that shows the importance of goal setting again. When you are actively writing down goals, it gives you a sense of control.
You are telling yourself, that you are actually committed to achieving this goal. Pardon the pun, but you aren’t just telling ‘yourself’ this, you are programming your brain, and putting in an order to make sure your goal becomes a reality! So, how can you not feel in control of your life when you do this?
3. Of course, when you feel in control of your life, your self-esteem is also likely to increase. How can you not feel good about yourself when you are in the driver’s seat turning your dreams into reality?
4. The importance of goal setting and its benefits, is that it gives you a LOT of momentum in your life. Like a snowball getting larger and larger, you begin to accumulate more and more accomplishments. This in turn creates a lot of unstoppable energy and leverage for you to begin taking all sorts of new actions.
If you are feeling a bit stuck in your life, and don’t know where to begin with your goals, you might want to start with your health goals. Many of my clients have found that moving their body and eating healthy has helped increase their energy and clarity. I’ve put together an excellent health and weight loss/maintenance program that encourages you to keep excellent habits. This is not just for weight loss – it is for healthy eating AND exercising. Everyone needs this program.
Begin the health and weight loss motivation program!
5. Overall, you will feel a greater sense of passion and excitement in your life. It’s sort of like being on a roller coaster ride, but you are in the driver’s seat making things happen! As you set and write down your smart goals it should make you feel thrilled that you are beginning a new commitment to what is important to you. You might have heard of the saying – half of success is simply showing up. Well this reminds me of my personal advice to you – half of success is writing down your goals!
I know in my own personal experience, simply identifying my goals gives me a lot of passion, zest and confidence. It sort of makes me feel like I am living on the edge. Yes, – again, sort of like riding a roller coaster non-stop!
Now, who wouldn’t want that kind of fun in their lives? Call me crazy but…
Here is my piece of advice to you!
Live on the edge, or go hide in the hedge! It’s your choice, but I’d rather live on the edge, and begin reaping the benefits of setting smart goals!
6. Last, but not least – the importance of goal setting can also be found in some classic research studies. Read these now!.
If you are smart, you will try to remember all the benefits you will reap if you set goals, because, as I said, the more positive reasons you have for doing something, the more likely you are to do it!
Goal Setting Activities
My goal setting activities will help you program your subconscious mind to make your newly chosen affirmations and beliefs, a reality! Some of these exercises will also help you gain clarity on which goals you should focus on.
I love these exercises because they are so easy, and they help to really increase confidence at the same time.
1. Try journalling. Journalling is one of the best goal setting activities I’ve experienced in terms of gaining clarity on my goals. Go out and buy a nice hard cover journal with lines. Get a spiral bound cover since it is easy to fold and adjustable to different sitting positions that you may prefer. Here’s a great experiment.
Give yourself up to an hour each day, and simply write whatever comes to mind. Don’t judge the process. You can write about random thoughts, concerns, inspirations, etc.
Just get into the habit of expressing yourself on paper, and soon, you’ll begin to clarify which goals you’d like to focus on now, or prepare yourself for focusing on in the future.
I will never forget the time I tried this doing this in my own life. I was in my early twenties, and had just finished reading the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She talks a lot about the morning pages, and the benefits of doing this type of free-form journalling.
To make a long story short, within several weeks I realized that I had a major desire to design and deliver motivational speeches to the community. I immediately developed these workshops and then cold called elementary schools and social organizations. I also later spoke at a financial corporation. Out of all the different goal setting activities, this one has done so much for me in my life.
If I hadn’t journalled to discover and then express this desire through my writing, it never would have become a reality for me. So, go buy a nice journal, and then find a time when you do this regularly. Give it some time.
Just begin writing about whatever is important to you. See what happens!
2. Another one of many goal setting activities that will help you, is my free, online goal setting program which helps you prioritize your goals.
3. Post all of your goals on a bulletin board above your desk so that you can see them all the time. As you read your goals each day, you will get a real sense of which goals are truly in line with who you are right now. And when you read those important goals, you’ll be motivated to continue taking action steps to achieve those goals.
4. Put your goals on wallet-sized ‘business’ cards.. Carry these cards in your wallet wherever you go. Then when you have a few moments, you can pull out the card and read it. You might even want to keep that card in the window of your wallet where people typically keep their driver’s license. You also easily make your own wallet-card templates as well! Whatever will help you remember what your goals are, will help you take action toward your goals! Remembering and reminding is often half the battle!
5. Many goal setting activities are carried out online now. Try using some online goal setting software such as these programs here. These are very functional, easy to use programs that give you an interface for setting and monitoring the progress of your goals, as well as others! Why not join with a friend and keep each other accountable!
6. Be sure to use the power of other self-help resources that will help inspire you into action, and over road blocks. Cinematherapy involves watching movies for some therapeutic use.Review the categories of movies here, and see which topics might be relevant to the achievement of any of your goals.
Also, bibliotherapy is another great way to keep yourself motivated with your goals. By reading books on other real people or characters, you will relate and learn from other people’s experiences.
7. Some people will even record their own goals on a digital recorder and then play them back to themselves each day. Use an mp3 player, iPod, or your own computer program.
8. Try spending a few hours in a local coffee shop or bookstore that has comfy chairs available. Bring your journal, and re-write your goals down. By doing this, you are experiencing the importance of your life goals. Also, you are giving yourself total concentration by being outside of your home and your regular distractions. It can be a very uplifting experience.
I’ve had a few friends who even spent a full day and night in a hotel to focus solely on setting and revising their life goals. Again, by doing this, it demonstrated their committment to their goals. Also, being in such a novel, or even an extravagant environment (depending on where you go or what type of room you get) can be uplifting, and infuse you with hope for the future.
9. Try joining a mastermind group, or creating your own mastermind group. Get together with like-minded people who want to discuss their life goals, and their goal progress.
Try the website MeetUp.com if you don’t of anybody. Sometimes being surrounded with like-minded people can make a world of difference in achieving your goals. Like attracts like! Why not find people engaged in the same goal setting activities that you are?
Law of Attraction
What exactly is the Law of Attraction (LOA) all about? It’s not just about asking, believing and receiving.
Don’t get me wrong, those are important steps, and they have their place in how achievement works, however, they are pretty general steps to give someone.
In fact, many people simply think of the LOA as really hokey. However, I’m certain that I know what the Law of Attraction is really about, and it’s quite powerful. Here it is…
Law of Attraction Boils Down to Action
This principle is simply another way of understanding that, in order to achieve success, one must consistently take actions to continue “attracting” their good fortunes.
With each action step that you take toward a goal, you get feedback from the universe. Your actions tell you what is working, and what is not working.
There is always some trial and error involved, and in doing so, you learn new, practical information that assists you in achieving your goals.
You learn things that you didn’t even know that you didn’t know. You come across new resources, you meet new people, and discover new opportunities.
Essentially you find, or rather, “attract” tons of little gold nuggets in disguise along the way.
Attracting success is simply a matter of being so focused on our goal-oriented actions that we can’t help but notice all the things along the way that will help bring us more success.
When you know what you want, and you take action and go after it, you constantly “attract”, notice or stumble upon the opportunities that will be valuable to you.
As you take action and unlock one door, a few more new and undiscovered doors open for you. Every time you take action toward your goals you gain clarity on what your next step might be.
Your focus and your committment to action are the driving forces behind the LOA.
Develop Systems, Habits and Routines for Action
So, your job, is make sure that you have consistent actions in place to work toward your goal.
Develop a system, a routine or a habit that will make taking action easy and automatic for you. This is the key.
If you build this momentum, then you will have the Law of Attraction working like crazy for you.
My advice to you, is the find the lowest common denominator of action that you can take every day, week, or month, that will move you closer to your goals. Start anywhere. Jump on the bandwagon and get some momentum.
Develop a schedule of actions that you can stick to. This is no different than the habits you put in place for your fitness goals, your health goals, or your financial goals.
Slow and steady does it – consistently putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward bit by bit.
My saying is: One step a day is the only way!.
So, there you have it, the Law of Attraction demystified. If you want to attract your dreams, goals and desires, it all boils down to taking action.
Take action. Do something. Keep doing it. Move yourself forward and get the law of attraction in full gear for you!
Don’t delay, start today! Learn more about The Science of Getting Rich, with Jack Canfield and Bob Proctor. These two men have been studying The Law of Attraction longer than anybody else. I highly recommend the principles that they teach.
If you are looking for more cool articles are the Law of Attraction in the Real world, be sure to read Jeanette Maw’s blog, which will blow you away with more ideas on implementing the law of attraction.
Procrastination
Is procrastination a problem for you? If you’re like most people, then it probably comes and goes…
I am going to give you a very powerful technique you can use to drastically reduce the number of times that you put off important actions.
Essentially, you need to learn how to motivate yourself. Do you know what motivates you?
In fact, there is one psychological tool that everyone can use to motivate themselves into action, regardless of what their goal is. Are you ready for it?!
It’s called the Pain and Pleasure Tool. It’s a simple, yet powerful transformational exercise that you can start using today!
The key to this exercise is that people do whatever they can to avoid pain, and they do whatever they can to experience pleasure.
So, if you can attach pleasurable associations to achieving your goal, and painful associations to not achieving your goal, then you will be more motivated to take action. You’ll want to avoid the pain, and experience the pleasure!
Until you take the time to focus on what is painful about your current state, and what would be so wonderful if you achieved your goal, then you’ll walk around unconscious, lazy and you will procrastinate.
Try doing the following exercise, as it will create a state of urgency!
Pain and Pleasure Exercise
Here is how you use the pain and pleasure tool.
1. Pull out a sheet of paper.
2. On one side write the title, “Pleasure I Will Experience from Achieving this Goal”.
3. On the other side of your sheet, write the title, “Pain I Will Experience if I Don’t Achieve this Goal”.
4. Make each list as long as you can!
The more strong reasons you have behind achieving your goal, the more likely you are to take your goal seriously.
The more you think of how your current state is a let down, then the more motivated you will be to move away from “inaction”.
Procrastination or Lack of Passion?
It could be possible that you are putting off activities simply because you are forcing yourself to do something that you are not passionate about.
Find out if your problem is a lack of passion or simply a procrastination problem!
Visualization
Visualization need not be complicated, artsy and all creative. Many people including myself find it too tedious to do the traditional imaginative exercises in our heads.
We lose concentration, we fall asleep, or for some other reason it just doesn’t appeal to us.
So, here are some great ideas for the logical person who still wants the benefits of visual exercises, without having to imagine pictures in one’s head.
PRACTICAL VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
1. Print off a nicely organized list of your goals, or action steps for a particular goal, and then put your goals in a nice picture frame!
Place this frame somewhere that you will see it every single day. How’s that for a nice visual?
Rather than having your goals written on some piece of paper or notebook shoved in a drawer, now you have them up on display! You can get as obsessed as you want with this technique.
You might have several different frames up, each entailing a list of action steps for your various goal projects. Or, you might have several frames up, each with the big picture objectives of your various goal categories.
2. Buy a really attractive or appealing greeting card from your local store. Inside that card, write out all your goals, or again, the actions steps for a particular goal.
Keep this pretty card sitting on your night table, on your desk, or even posted on your fridge, wall or bulletin board. Whenever you have a spare minute, read through your goals and action steps.
By writing your goals and action steps in a beautiful card, it ensures that you don’t shove the card in a drawer where it will get lost.
So since you write your goals down on something that you paid several dollars for, you are more likely to keep that card in an easily accessible, visible location.
3. Put your goals and actions onto your computer’s screen saver or regular desktop background. How’s that for a constant visualization reminder?
4. Program one of your big goals onto the face-top of your cell phone!
5. Forget showing off your driver’s licencse picture in your wallet. Instead, use that visual space to insert a printed version or a picture of what is most important for you to focus on completing right now! Maybe, you might even put a motivational quote or reminder in there.
6. Use Post-It sticky notes to write down all the action steps needed for one of your current life projects. Post it right beside your desk where you work most often. This way, whenever you encounter a lull in motivation or a barrier, you will constantly be reminded of the steps that you need to execute to continue on with your goal.
Often, when people run into barriers with their goals, they become foggy-minded, fooled, and disillusioned about their reality of what is happening. Soon, their fear and negative emotions paralyze them. Then, they forget what they need to do or try next to get started again. Don’t let the bumps in the road cause you to forget what to try next. Have this post-it of action steps on your wall so you are always have a visualization to remind you of what you need to do.
7. Use the power of email! Email yourself and in the subject title, simply write an action step or goal. Don’t ever delete this email until you have completed the action or achieved the goal. Every time you log in to your email, you will be reminded of your goals or action steps!
8. Create a vision board! Buy a bulletin board from Walmart, and hang it somewhere visible. Then, cut out pictures that symbolize what you want to do, be and have in your life.
You can even post real pictures of you that show you achieving your goals. Keep on the look out of inspirational pictures in magazines, the newspapers, etc. Clip them out and post them on your board.
9. Use a whiteboard! using the dry erase markers that easily are wiped off, you can write your to-do list on here for the day, week, or month. Organize it however you want, but keep it somewhere you can see every single day.
10. Use a scrapbook! If you want a more private medium, then you can store all your visuals in a book. However, keep this book right by your bedside table. In the morning and/or evening, pull out your scrapbook, and flip through all the pictures as reminders.
11. Buy a hardcover, spiral bound journal of medium size – one that is really beautiful with nice designs on the pages. Buy a nice bookstand or picture stand, and place your journal on it.
As your goals or to-do lists change, simply turn the page, update your list, and put back on your display stand! I love this one, and I keep mine sitting right on my desk by my monitor.
So, now you have a good handful of visualization techniques that do not involve lying down and listening to relaxational music. These are practical, and tangible strategies that are guaranteed to boost your productivity, keep you focused, and give you all the benefits of traditional visualization!
Here are some questions to leave you with:
1. What other visual symbols or tangible items could I put in my environment to remind me of my goals and required action steps?
2. What visual strategies have motivated me, or kept me focused on my goals in the past?
3. What do I have the most difficulty imagining or ‘seeing’ in terms of my success? How can I find a real visible snapshot of this?
Tips on Setting Goals
Who am I to be giving you tips on setting goals? After all, there is advice all over the internet on how to set goals…
How are my tips on setting goals any different or unique? Keep reading…
You might have learned in the past that you should write your goals down in the present tense. Now, I’m not against this at all, however I believe there is a certain way to do this.
Let’s say your goal is to build your business revenue from $60,000 per year to $100,000 per year.
If you follow the traditional advice of writing your goal this way, it would read as: I am currently earning $100,000 per year. What is the problem with writing your goal this way?
If you haven’t guessed, let me give you another example that might really help you understand the problem. Let’s say your goal weight is 130 pounds, but you currently weigh 160 pounds. So you write down, I am happily enjoying my weight at 130 pounds.
Along the same lines, let’s say you look into the mirror and say out aloud, “I am feel so attractive now that I am 130 pounds”. We’ve all tried the mirror strategy before haven’t we? Anyhow, back to my point here…
When you state your goal in the present tense, and you haven’t actually come close to achieving it yet, it can create a negative feeling. This is because you are aware of the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be.
So, what is the solution to feeling negative you say? Here is one of many tips on setting goals that you need to be aware of…
First, continue stating and writing your goal in present tense. This makes your goal more real and easier to visualize in the mind. The unique piece of advice however, is in how you state your goal.
It’s best to state in your own words that you are in the process of achieving your goal. I learned this technique from Micheal Losier’s seminar and book called The Law of Attraction (this is an amazing book with great tips on setting goals!). Here are some of my own examples:
- I am in the process of of earning $100,000 a year
- I am working toward my goal weight of 130 pounds
- I am taking actions each day and subsequently building my income to $100,000 per year
- I am currently utilizing all my knowledge, resources and efforts to weigh 130 pounds
Do you see the difference in how you feel when you read these aloud? If these were my goals, I would feel more motivated, optimistic and positive, because it is more real. You are stating your goal in present tense, and saying that you are already doing what you can to make it happen.
You see, if you feel negative when you read a goal that is stated as if it’s already achieved, than you are unlikely to take action. If this traditional approach feels too hokey, then toss it out. State your goal in more real terms.
If you begin to do this, then regardless of how big your goal or objective is, – you will feel a sense of empowerment that anything is possible! Also, for those people who don’t have a clue how they are going to achieve their big dreams, stating goals this way is much more “believable” to them.
So, that is just one of many tips on setting goals that I am going to share with you.
My website is in it’s infancy, so stay tuned, and look out for my ezine and blog which are coming shortly. I promise to always keep you up to date on the latest, cutting-edge, and unique ideas around goal setting and motivation. So, for now, bookmark me and come back soon again!
A Theory of Goal Setting: Sports Psychology Contributions
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND THEORY OF GOAL SETTING
When it comes to finding a theory of goal setting (well there are many of them!), I decided it’d be smart to turn to sports psychology and examine the research. In sports, people are aiming to achieve goals they’ve never reached before. Also, their goals are very easy to define and the results are easy to measure. This is why I’ve turned to the theory of goal setting in sports psychology.
So, whatever principles or theory of goal setting and motivation that are increasing their athletic performance,- should also increase the every day person’s performance in life, if the same principles are applied.
Just as Olympians want to break new world records, we as individuals want to reach new performance records within the different areas of our own lives.
As you increase your knowledge in sports psychology and its theory of goal setting, remember that your sport is simply whatever goal you are working on. All of our goals involve us performing, or behaving and thinking in certain disciplined ways to reach those goals.
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND THE POWER OF ROUTINES TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
A majorly important lesson on the theory of goal setting that you’ll want to take away from sports psychology, involves the power of implementing routines in your life. Who would of thought that such a basic principle could be so powerful?
Here’s a quick exercise for you to try. Think about anything in your life right now that gives you a consistent source of pleasure. How does this become so? There is probably some routine behind it.
If your career gives you pleasure, it’s because you have a routine or habit in place of going to work several times a week. If your relationships with others consistently gives you pleasure, then you probably have a habit of making plans and seeing them regularly. If your health and fitness levels give you joy – well it’s obvious that you have a routine behind that as well.
Here is a very powerful quote that I want to expand on:
“Routines are one of the most effective ways to systematically plan for success. Routines have been shown to be invaluable in helping athletes achieve their competitive goals.” (Schack, Whitmarsh, Pike & Redden, 2005, p.138).
BREAKING YOUR GOALS DOWN INTO A ROUTINE
We often hear that we should break all our goals down into a series of actions. Well, on a parallel note, another great theory of goal setting is to break your goals down into a series of mini routines.
In other words, what routines do you need to get into the habit of following on a consistent basis if you are to achieve your goals?
For example, if you we take our common pursuit of wanting to eat healthy, this is easy to think of in terms of routines:
- Routine of scheduling in and reminding one’s self of when one will buy their groceries
- Routine of planning one’s meals and snacks ahead of time
- Routine of making a detailed grocery list ahead of time of what groceries are needed
- Routine of knowing a consistently good time to go grocery shopping, i.e, each Monday morning
- Routine of washing and chopping up vegetables as soon as groceries are bought
- Routine of leaving a half our each evening to put together a salad for the next day at work
- And so on!!!
So you see how the seamingly simple goal of eating healthy foods requires a lot of planning and action steps? Well, if you can use this theory of goal setting and make these steps part of an automatic routine then you will have a lot going in your favour for you.
By the way, might I throw in that research shows that one of the top reasons that people don’t consistently eat healthy is because they lack a concrete structure in their eating habits? In other words, they fail because they have no consistent eating routine that works for them (Gullo, 2005).
BENEFITS OF HAVING ROUTINES FOR YOUR GOALS
According to the theory of goal setting in sports psychology, routines have helped athletes to cope better and reduce external stressors/distractions when they are at an important competition.
If we apply this to our own lives, every day there are external distractors or environmental influences that can lead us away from our goals. So, I think we can take a few lessons away from how athletes use routines to increase their performance at competitions.
Based on this, there are few key benefits of having a routine to help us perform better with our own goals:
BENEFIT #1
1. A sports psychology theory of goal setting might offer that When you are focused on your routine, you are less likely to be distracted by pursuing other activities that you don’t value. In other words, a routine is a powerful and hopefully ‘soon to become’ automatic way of staying focused on your goals.
For instance, when atheletes prepare for a new competition in a new location, if they focus on the routine of stretching, they are less likely to pay attention to external environmental distractions such as arriving a bit too late, the extra cold or hot weather, the fact that their fans are “booing”, etc.
We can also learn a lesson from this. As the saying goes, it is not what happens to us, but it is how we respond to what happens to us. There will always be external variables or what seem to be ‘road blocks’ that come up during the pursuit of our goals.
However, if we have a solid, strong routine that feels good to us, we’ll have that as our foundation to fall back on. If atheletes use this concept to perform and focus to break new world records, then there is no reason that we can’t also apply the power of routines into our own lives as well.
So, what routines do you have in place? Do they lead you and guide you? Do they keep you focused on what is most important? Do they lead you through uncertain or stressful times? Do you have a habit of ‘falling off the boat’ with your goals when you face barriers? You can see how important the power of routines truly are…
BENEFIT #2
2. Another similar benefit is routines can give you a sense of “familiarity” and “comfort” as you pursue your performance goals in life. Routines are a series of behaviours that ARE IN YOUR CONTROL.
When an athlete arrives at a new location for a performance, the one thing in their control is that they havea series of mental and physical warm-up routines to follow. No matter what else is happening in the external environment, they do have something in their own control – their routine.
Apply this same principle to your own life. No matter what comes up in your life – stressors, barriers, or any other challenges, – you can control the fact that you can implement routines that not only allow you to ‘survive’, but rather routines that will help you ‘thrive’.
Routines are the building blocks from which we can create an ecstatic life, and strive for our lofty goals. As the saying goes, you cannot build a house on a rocky foundation, and the same is true with your life goals. You cannot achieve greatness without a solid foundation of strong routines that support you through out all of life’s challenges.
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND ROUTINE OF SELF-EVALUATION
Here is yet another powerful theory of goal setting that we MUST take away from sports psychology. Athletes implement “post-competition routines” so that after their important performances, they take time to evaluate the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of their performance.
We also should do the same. We are constantly performing day in and out with many goals. We must take time to evaluate what is working, and what is not working.
In the case of athletes, they do an inventory for both successes and failures. They might examine how variables such as their nutrition, mental preparation, stretching routines, or equipment contributed to their performance.
So, here is our job. We need to recall our successes. What variable and factors contributed to our successes? Simply make sure you implement these actions or variables again in your future! Once you make a point of understanding ‘what works’ in your life, then you need to keep on doing it!
We also need to keep a record of so called ‘failures’ or instances where things weren’t working in favour of our goals, so that we can LEARN from those mistakes. We need to evaluate both our successes and ‘failures’, to make sure we know the recipe to build more successes in our lives, and decrease our those instances or situations that are considered less than favourable.
It’s about making continual adjustments in our lives. So, while atheletes use post-competition routines, we can regularly evaluate our weekly, monthly or yearly performances with our life goals in general.
Want to Set Smart Goals and Achieve Unstoppable Success?
If you’ve done a search on smart goals, than I think I already know a few key things about you. Are you the type of person who wants to know how to set goals, and how to utilize specific steps for goal setting?
Well, guess what – you are further ahead than 95% of the population! Most people in life aren’t interested in the details of how to set goals. No, they are too busy watching reality television and simply dreaming about other people’s successes. This is definetely not you!
The fact that you are researching smart goals on the internet tells me how badly you want to achieve your goals, and more importantly, that you are the type of person who is truly committed! Well, you have come to the right place, because I am going to share a few secrets on this topic that can literally change your life.
Let me ask you, – how many times have you ever set smart goals, but then not followed through to take the necessary actions? Did you get frustrated? Of course you did! Who wouldn’t?! And, let me tell you, – you are not alone.
Perhaps one of the most common goals I hear people talk about, is their desire to lose weight, eat healthy, or simply stay in shape. Losing weight and staying healthy is one of those goals that most, if not all people struggle with. It is a classic example of how people lose their motivation, their persistence, and their ability to follow through with what is truly important to them.
Smart goals MUST address how you will stay motivated. How can you promise yourself, and guarantee that you will follow through with the necessary steps for goal setting?
How do you know for sure that you can achieve your goals? This is the type of question that keeps me up at night! This is what makes me tick – because if everyone was super motivated and always persistent, everyone’s lives would be so much more fulfilling.
Are you ready to learn and apply my fresh perspective on setting ‘smart’ goals? I guarantee this formula is a great place for us to start! Remember, if you want to be successful, you must model others who are successful.
Have you already read about smart goals before? Do you think you already know it all? Well think again! You cannot afford to NOT read about my fresh perspective on smart goal setting and the importance of motivation. What have you got to lose?
Without further ado, let’s look at how to set smarter than average goals!