how to set and achieve your goals, a 4 step process
in an attempt to write more, here are a few tips I use to set and achieve my goals (and feel good about it!)
(1) I print out this habit tracker every month:
(2) I grab a separate piece of paper and write down/brainstorm what I want to get better at.
For example, a few things I wanted to start doing more were:
- to take my vitamins every day
- expand my network
- read a few books by year-end
- to write more frequently
As you can tell from the above list, nothing is specific, quantifiable, or trackable. In contrast, I would challenge you to think about your goals as something you would present in a professional setting. For example, at work, you might track your progress and milestones in a quantifiable way. Instead of saying, “let’s increase sales”, you might say “let’s increase sales by 10% in the next quarter through X, Y, Z.”
With the above in mind, I hope you can see the value in making tangible, quantifiable goals. By making your goal tangible, you can actually measure your success towards it.
(3) For example, some of my quantifiable goals:
- read for 20+ minutes every day
- write for 5+ minutes every day
- do 20+ minutes of outreach every day
- etc
I personally track myself towards tangible goals by filling in the blocks on the habit tracker every time I finish one of these tasks for the day.
I did this for a while but realized that I would often go through stretches where I wasn’t motivated to do any of the quantifiable goals I set out for myself (as you can see above). Thus, it’s good to keep this habit tracker within eyesight so you are reminded of it. But even then, sometimes it isn’t enough.
(4) What has been the best revelation for me is the practice of setting a weekly check-in.
At this check-in, I can track what I’ve done in the week… i.e. did I really read 20+ minutes every day or did I only did do it 5/7 days? And if I did it 5/7 days, is that an improvement compared to last week or not?
By reflecting week-to-week, I have tangible metrics to track my tangible goals (if that makes any sense LOL).
For example, last week I read 7/7 days. But the week after I only read 6/7 days which is 86% of the days (a 14% decrease). I record weekly trends like this to improve my personal performance for the next week. Additionally, recording trends shines a light on where I am slacking week-to-week (and which habits require the most willpower to do).
so tl;dr my tips:
- print out that habit calendar
- think about what you want to do more/be better at
- make it tangible, quantifiable
- do a weekly check-in with yourself to see how you are tracking towards your goals
Good luck :)
