The Best Way to Set Goals and Achieve Them
What have you achieved with your 2023 goals so far? This is the point in the year where interest in goals starts to drop off, gyms become less crowded and you may start to lose faith in your ability to reach your goal. But don’t. Reaching your goal has more to do with the way you approach goal setting than your ability to reach the goal. Read on to learn how to set better goals.
There is a sad fact that a large percentage of people will not reach their goals. Year after year, we may set the same goal, and continue to fail to reach it. We then conclude that we aren’t able to reach that goal. Maybe we give up. But there is a scientifically best way to set goals so you are more likely to achieve them.
The science behind goal setting shows us that it isn’t our ability, but our process that hinders our goal achievement. We tend to have a shoddy process, but then attribute lack of success of reaching our goal to our ability to reach the goal, rather than the way we are going about it. We can fix our shoddy process for a better one.
Best Way to Set Goals: Goal Writing
What does a scientifically good goal look like? First, you need to make your goal specific and measurable. For example, I am going to apply for promotion by December 2023. This is easy to tell whether it was done or not, and whether it was done on time.
Breaking it into smaller steps is also key. That way you should know each week, each month whether you are on track or not. Inherent in this process is writing the goal and the corresponding steps down. It is helpful to work backwards from you goal, just like a project management plan. For the prior example, you may want to attend your first leadership training by June, your second by September, get a mentor who has been through the process by March, gather feedback from peers by May, support from your boss by April, and so on.
Next, you want to make your goal an approach goal, not an avoid goal. Paint a positive picture of what you should be doing, not refraining from what you don’t want to do. Applying for promotion is a good example of an approach goal. A very common goal is to lose weight, but rather than focusing on refraining from certain foods, it is easier and more achievable to turn this into an approach goal. Setting a goal of eating five vegetables and three fruits a day (as one example) turns losing weight into an approach goal and removes the willpower struggle of refraining from donuts.
Best Way to Set Goals: Goal Process
Now that you have a scientifically good goal, what does a scientifically good goal process look like? The third and fourth steps are to increase commitment and accountability. Research has shown dramatic increased attainment when you write a simple contract to yourself about your goal. Writing it down and signing your own contract helps cement your intentions. Sharing this with someone else who agrees to check in and keep you accountable further increases your chances of success.
The fifth and six steps are primers and rewards. Over 80% of our actions are on autopilot. Use primers (visual and auditory cues) to train yourself. These can be post-its, alarms, reminders and meaningful objects. For me, my primer is to put my goal first in the day. I schedule it in my calendar and make a habit of working on it first thing before the emergencies arise and sidetrack me. Don’t forget to build in little rewards for each specific and measurable step.
How do you get back on track with your goal?
Inevitably, we get off track with our goal. It is important to view this as normal. Progress is not linear. The important thing is to remain committed. In order to prepare for getting off track, create an implementation plan – what will you do when you miss the mark? Learn more about planning for obstacles in the next post here.
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