Why Set Goals?

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.

Why set goals anyway?

Setting goals helps us turn our dreams into reality. I’ve always said that a goal is a dream that you’ve written down.

Goals help to keep you accountable and help you to stay on track. Written goals are like your road map on a long trip, you locate your destination, plot your route, and check the map along the way to make sure you’re still headed in the right direction.

Be S.M.A.R.T in your goals

When you’re setting goals, you want to make sure they will actually take you somewhere, so they need to be smart goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

So here’s how that looks. If I want to help my child set a goal for this school year, I wouldn’t want them to say “My goal is to do well this year”. You would want them to to phrase the goal in this way:

I will pass all my classes with a B average and a 3.5 GPA in the 2013 – 2014 school year.

This goal is specific (all courses, B average, 3.5 GPA), measurable (you can easily measure grades and GPA), achievable (my child is smart enough and has the resources he needs), relevant (this fits within his life), and timely (2013-2014 school year).

Make Your Goals Visible

One of the biggest reasons goals fade away is simply because we forget about them. Life gets busy, distractions pile up, and even the most exciting intentions can disappear into the background. That’s why making your goals visible matters.

When you place your goals where you’ll see them daily—on your fridge, desk, phone lock screen, planner, or bathroom mirror—they stop being abstract ideas and become part of your environment. Visibility creates accountability without pressure. It reminds you of what matters, keeps your focus sharp, and nudges you back on track when life pulls you in other directions.

Your mind will move toward whatever it sees often. Let your goals be the first thing you see, not the thing you remember later.

Celebrate the Micro-Wins

Most people wait to celebrate until the goal is completely accomplished—but that approach drains motivation and makes the journey feel heavier than it needs to be.

The truth is, progress is built in tiny increments. Sending the email, reading one chapter, walking for ten minutes, cleaning one drawer, saving five dollars—these small actions matter. They tell your brain, “I’m doing it. I’m becoming the person who follows through.”

Celebrating micro-wins reinforces the behavior you want to repeat. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—sometimes it’s as simple as checking off a box, taking a breath of pride, or acknowledging your effort. When you honor the small steps, you train yourself to keep going.

And now what?

Your next step would be to break that large goal down into smaller stepping-stone goals. Think of them as reference points on your map to your final destination. “Bites of the elephant”

Making, writing, and activating goals will help take you from STUCK to SUCCESS.

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.