Goal Setting: How to get what you want

Goal setting. Many attempt it but few are able to do it. This post is all about demystifying the process with clear tangible steps that you can take now. 

Figuring out how to get what you want in life can either be super exciting or uber terrifying. And the only way you know if you didn’t do it right is if you never end up achieving your goal. But who wants to spend time working towards something and then never getting it? This is why goal setting is completely imperative.

As someone who has set up a ton of goals for themselves, some failed and some succeeded. I’m able to distinguish what kind of goal setting is actually needed to get what you want.

These steps are all you need to get the perfect plan ready for you.

This post is all about goal setting and how to get what you want.

Goal Setting

Define what you want

I don’t care what anyone says this is one of the hardest questions to answer in life. It may be because we’re constantly bombarded with it. After all, it’s the number one question children are asked – what do you want to be when you grow up? And from that moment you have a responsibility to figure out how you’ll fit into society.

But let’s say you’ve done the necessary work on yourself and you truly know what it is you want. Then perfect. That is the first step in goal setting.

Seriously many people just work towards goals with no understanding of what they want. How many people go to college for the sake of it? And get a degree just to have it? Also, some people get a degree just to better their situation, like me, not necessarily because it’s what they ultimately want.

So create a vision/ mission/ dream statement that fully encompasses what you want. Once you’ve done that hooray! You’re done with step one of goal setting.

Define exactly what that looks like

Okay now that you have this beautifully powerful statement, look at it again and decide what your life would look like.

Sometimes this may make you realize that your goal is nothing more than a pretty idea and not something you’ll actually enjoy. For example, if I said I wanted to help people with their health and for them to feel their best I might think ok I’ll be a doctor. But then I realize it’s after a million years of schooling, I don’t like blood and emotional people give me anxiety. So maybe I can take care of people and their health another way, as a nutritionist or physical trainer.

It’s very easy to fall in love with ideas but you have to ensure it’s not just an idea. For example, I’ve been taking French classes because I love the idea of being trilingual and speaking a beautiful language. But I don’t like what my life actually looks like – being disciplined enough to go over grammar and practice reading and writing daily.

Save yourself time and energy by deciding what you want your life to look like before establishing a goal. Make sure that what you want is something you’ll enjoy working towards.

Break the goal into parts

So I have a goal and I know what I want my life to look like, what’s next?

You figure out how you want to get there by breaking the goal into parts. Maybe your goal is to become great at something, like a sport. Well, make peace with the fact that there’s a beginner and intermediate level before becoming advanced.

Your goal may be to build or create something, well that also takes time and patience. Like a house, a foundation needs to be constructed.

No matter your goal, there is a journey you need to get on to get from where you are to where you want to be. So break that goal down into some manageable parts.

Create a Path

So you have a bunch of puzzle pieces and desires that you need to accomplish in order to make it to your ultimate goal. So let’s place these steps into order.

Don’t stress! This is a matter of laying down the tracks.

We’re looking to create a direction, a guide, a path before getting on the train. There are still a few items to complete before starting but for now, that blueprint is what you need to focus on first.

What resources or skills do you need to get there?

Yes, there is a process and steps you need to take to create a goal setting plan. But before taking one step you want to make sure you’re well equipped to head into battle. So you have a destination and a plan to get there, now you have to look at what resources you need to get there in the first place.

Are there classes you need to take? People you need to meet or network with? Maybe you don’t even know what resources you need.

Give yourself the time to first decide what resources you need and then discover where they exist.

Update your personal calendar

Now you have a goal, a direction, and the resources you need to get there. Let’s take all that information now and make it active. Get out your calendar and create a schedule.

You may think to yourself – hey I don’t need a calculated schedule, a to-do list will work fine enough. That’s where you’re wrong.

Having a schedule that details what you’re doing at different times of the day is the only way to hold yourself accountable and measure how much time something actually takes you to do. Without this, your time will quietly be taken away from you.

I mean how many times have you said oh I’m just going to check my email or Instagram real quick and then an hour later realize you haven’t been able to put the phone down? It happens all the time and we give ourselves permission to do this when we’re not intentional with our time.

Also if this is something you don’t do, believe me, it is an easy habit to adapt. Once you’ve done it a few days in a row and see how productive you’ve been, then you’ll become obsessed with scheduling your time.

Motivation

We all go through it. A moment where you start to lose the desire for the things you want because the result is nowhere near.

I beg of you, find the time to identify for yourself what motivates you. After you found that, find someone who inspires you, preferably someone with a social media presence, so that you can leverage their content to encourage you to move forward.

I’ll be frank, I lose the desire to write this blog all the time, but between my brother pushing me and a few bloggers I follow on YouTube, I always find my way back to it.

And if you lose motivation it does not mean you don’t want to do it. It means whatever you’re doing is hard and the harder the work, the sweeter the result.

Enjoy the process

Besides motivation, another thing you want to keep in mind as you work on your goal and follow your blueprint is to find ways to enjoy the process.

It’s important to have a good work ethic and it’s ok if the work is hard but you also need to be aware of what moments you enjoy. And when you face those moments then you need to completely relish them.

Also when you reach little milestones take the moment to celebrate them and congratulate yourself. Don’t be so tough on yourself and believe that the finish line is all that matters.

As the old adage says – it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. We spend 99% of our time working on a goal and the last 1% is when you finally really that goal. Don’t allow 99% of your time to be completely gruesome.

Also, I would like to think that whatever your goal is, it’s actually something that you want and that you have agreed this is what you want your life to look like as you’ve previously decided. So it shouldn’t be too hard to enjoy.

Become Obsessed

Ok so we’re motivated and we’re enjoying the process, now give yourself permission to become obsessed with your goal. This is the only way to give it all that you got.

And when you give something everything you have, then you’ll have no regrets and get what you want sooner. Believe me, if you try to be lax about it, you’re only doubling the amount of time and energy it will take to see the results. You’ll lose heart and you’ll quit.

Don’t let this happen to you. Become a genius at what you’re trying to accomplish. It’ll make the ride a whole lot more fun.

This post was all about how to get what you want through the art form of goal setting.