This Simple Goal Setting Trick Makes Progress Finally Feel Clear and Doable

Want to try this at home? No worries! Download a copy of our SMART Goals PDF Worksheet.

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You may be surprised to learn that research has that found only 3% of the population set goals and aspirations for themselves. New Years eve is probably the most popular time of year for new resolutions; however most of them never become fulfilled with the majority being dropped after only two weeks.

In our original roundup of next-step fixes, we called out this goal-setting article as a strong read for turning vague intentions into something more solid, and now we’re looking more closely at how it makes progress feel clearer, more structured, and much easier to follow through on.

Need some in depth help with goal settings, motivation or productivity ? Drop on by our directories choc full of productivity coaches,accountability coaches,and goal-setting coaches, and start reaching those goals! Or click here to have us match you to the best.

Not achieving your goals? Why goals fail

The reason for these failures is that people often don’t set proper or realistic goals. Goals that fail are usually not specific or do not have total commitment to their success. They may also require you to take on too much, leaving you feeling overwhelmed with the enormity of the task.

Not having goals to achieve can lead to:

• Lack of motivation
• A sense of failure
• No incentive to achieve
• Bumbling along without direction in life

Setting goals on the other hand gives us:

• Direction and motivation
• A success mind-set
• Something to aim for
• Self confidence
• A thirst for life

Having a goal to achieve can be the difference between staying in your comfort zone or pushing your boundaries. Creating realistic goals is crucial to their achievement. So how do you create effective goals?

1. How to achieve goals: Decide

• Decide what you want to achieve.
• Write it down so you can explore it in detail and be specific about all the details.
• Write the goal in the present tense as if it has been achieved.
  • For example; I am a healthy non-smoker and I enjoy life to the full with the extra money I have saved through making productive life choices.
  • Or, I make £100,000 a year which enables me to holiday with my family every year somewhere really fantastic.
• Create a compelling future for yourself that is more inspiring than your current reality.

2. How to achieve goals: clarify

Ask yourself some questions to clarify your desired outcome and to establish what it will mean to you to achieve this goal.

• Why do you want to achieve this?
• What will it mean to you to achieve this goal?
• What differences will it make to you and others in your life?
• Is it realistic?
• What benefits will it bring?
• Are you committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve it?
• Do you have support?
• Do you have someone to hold you accountable?
• Will you take it seriously?
• Do you need someone to bounce thoughts and ideas off?
• What obstacles are in the way of achieving this goal?
• How will you get round these?
• How will you stay motivated and on track?

Identifying the answers to the above will help you to understand the reality of where you are now, where you want to be and the committment you need to make to getting there. I see this step as the cement that puts the dream into action.

3. How to achieve goals: time frame

Decide on a time frame that you would like to achieve your goal by.

• Setting yourself a time frame helps to keep you on track, and motivated to complete it within the time allocated.
• Sometimes there are hinderances along the way. Just adjust the time scale accordingly: Add any extra steps that may need to be included and carry on as planned.
• Your goal may be taking you from one reality to another one so there is bound to be some unforeseen challenges along the way.

4. How to achieve goals: break it down

Break the goal down. If you have a three month goal to stop smoking, break it down into logical weekly or daily bite sized steps and identify what needs to be done first to get things moving.

• For example; go to the stop smoking clinic, remove anything from the house that relates to smoking, find a new hobby, get friends on board to support you…
• Carry on in this way to identify all the steps you need to take to make this goal possible.

5. How to achieve goals: review

Review your goal weekly, write down what you have achieved and what needs to be done next.

• Many times the goal will take on its own momentum with many things being achieved quite quickly as a knock on effect from one step being taken. At other times it may feel like things are stuck and not moving forward.
• Ask yourself what else you can try or whether you need to enlist help with this area?

6. How to achieve goals: celebrate

It is always a great idea to celebrate each success along the way. Mark your achievements in some way that has meaning to you.

Goal setting can be a lonely and challenging journey. It is not uncommon for ‘things to get on top of us’ and for thoughts to turn to giving it up. It is important at these times to find allies, a good friend, a qualified coach or someone you trust to help you work out a way forward.

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If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.

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I am more than happy to talk through any of these steps and assist you on your journey to creating a better life for yourself.

The New Year Mindset Shift: Before You Set Any Goals

Before writing goals or filling out worksheets, it’s important to acknowledge something most women overlook: you don’t need a new personality for the New Year — just a new level of clarity.

Many of us set goals from pressure instead of desire.
From comparison instead of truth.
From fear of falling behind instead of excitement for what’s possible.

This year, try asking yourself:

• What am I done carrying?
• What feels good to want now, not what I told myself I “should” want last year?
• Which version of me am I growing out of?

This grounding step helps you create goals that feel aligned — not forced — and ensures your motivation comes from a place of self-trust, not self-pressure.

Why the New Year Is the Perfect Time for Resetting Your Identity

Research shows that “temporal landmarks” (like New Year’s Eve, birthdays, or major life changes) help the brain separate the old you from the emerging you.
This psychological effect—often called The Fresh Start Effect—gives you a sense of distance from past mistakes, past patterns, and even past disappointments.

That’s why the New Year feels like a clean slate.

Use this natural psychological reset to:

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If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.

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• Redefine how you see yourself
• Release outdated versions of you
• Step into goals that match the woman you’re becoming

Identity-based goals stick longer because they’re not just about tasks — they’re about who you are becoming.

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Want to try this at home? No worries! Download a copy of our SMART Goals PDF Worksheet.

Need some in depth help with goal settings, motivation or productivity ? Drop on by our directories choc full of productivity coaches, accountability coaches, and goal-setting coaches, and start reaching those goals! Or click here to have us match you to the best.

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If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.

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