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I am writing this blog on December 31st, 2018. This is the last day of the year, and tomorrow brings a brand new one. There are many resources out there that talk about goal setting, but today I want to help you set goals that you will actually achieve.

I don’t want 2019 to be like all of the years before it. I don’t want you to quit by January 20th. What I do want is for you to set goals and at the end of the year, look back and realize that you’ve achieved them all!

It is possible, so read through this blog post and get started by setting your goals!

 

4 Tips to Set Goals You’ll Actually Achieve 

Develop Accountability

One of the number one reasons people fail to reach their goals is because they don’t tell anyone that they have them! When I gave up rice and gravy, I told my wife. She would know if I ever made it in the house, so she was able to keep me accountable to my goal. If your goal is to lose some weight, then ask if you can find a friend who will go to the gym with you!

When you tell people what you want to do, they can check in and make sure you’re still working at it. They can also provide much needed encouragement during the times when you feel like giving up.

Action Step: Think of a goal you want to achieve in 2019 and tell someone! You can tell your spouse, your family, or even post it on Facebook! Ask someone to be your accountability buddy.

 

Add to Your Routine

Developing new habits can be hard, but when you insert new habits into activities you are already doing, it makes things a lot easier. For example, if your goal is to learn something new every day, you can start listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or audi0 teachings on your drive to work! You already have to drive each day, so listening to teachings while you’re driving isn’t too difficult to implement or remember to do.

Another example could be drinking more water. Whenever you go to fill up your coffee maker each morning or night, grab a glass and fill it with water. You’re already there for the coffee machine!

Action Step: Write down or look at your goals for 2019. Choose one you can insert into your daily routine and start implementing it!

 

Be SMART

I’m sure everyone has heard of the SMART method for setting goals. I actually have a full blog post on it here, but I will summarize it in this post.

Specific – You don’t want to just set a goal to improve your business because you have no actionable steps to take from that goal. Instead, say that you want to improve sales in your business by $10,000 this year. From this, you can build a plan.

Measurable- If you can’t measure your goal, how are you going to know that you’ve achieved it? If you want to be more fit, set a measurable goal to lose 20 pounds, or run a 5k.

Achievable – It is so good to have big dreams, and I believe God will fulfill those for you, but you have to be realistic. Don’t try to run a half marathon tomorrow if you’ve never ran a mile in your life.

Relevant – We only have so much time in a day. Make sure your goals are relevant to what you actually want out of life.

Time Sensitive – Give yourself deadlines. Lots of people work well under pressure, and having a deadline pushed you to actually accomplish a goal.

 

Track Your Progress

Another reason why most people fail to achieve their New Years resolutions is because they aren’t keeping track. I have found that marking off days on the calendar when you practice your goal is another way to keep yourself accountable.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you can check off the number of days you go to the gym. If your goal is to learn a new language, you can cross off the days when you practice. When you see you have gone too many days without practicing your goals, you will feel motivated to get back on track!

There are other ways to track your progress like writing in a journal.

Action Step: Buy an agenda or a calendar. On the top of every month, write down your goal and start tracking days you have taken steps towards achieving it!

 


 

What are your goals for the new year? Practice step one and write them in the comments below!