How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

Originally published on January 4, 2017 | Last updated on December 21, 2024

Firstly, I want to say a big “Happy New Year!” to you all. I wish you good health, happiness and success in 2017! I hope it’s treating you well so far. So, it’s that time of the year when many of us have begun thinking about the goals and resolutions we want to set ourselves. Setting yourself new year’s resolutions is amazing – it’s always great to want to better yourself and strive for something. However, there’s one problem – they’re notoriously difficult to stick to. It’s common for us to start positively with the whole “new year, new start, new chapter” mindset, but give up after just a few months. It’s happened to me in the past too, so I understand how easy it is to give up on them.

However, all hope is not lost. I’ve found some simple tips and tricks that work and actually help you stick to your goals. So, here’s my four quick tips on how to set goals and achieve them:

1. Write Down Your Goals

This one might seem obvious to some of you, but it’s so important. Writing down your goals is the first step to committing to achieving them and will help make them become a reality. Once you’ve written your list of goals, place them somewhere you’ll be able to see them often (so don’t put them in a drawer somewhere and forget about them!). If lists aren’t your thing or if you’re more of a visual person, you could make a vision board of your goals instead. These can be incredibly effective too.

2. Make Your Goals Specific

It’s essential to make sure that you set specific and measurable goals as unclear or vague goals will get you nowhere. This is because it will be very difficult for you to make a plan of action and judge your progress. So, instead of making a vague goal like “I want to get healthier in 2017,” instead you could say, “I want to work out three times a week in 2017.” That way, it will allow you to better assess how well you are progressing and it gives you a much greater chance of accomplishing them.

3. Be Realistic

Each goal you make should be realistic and achievable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always good to push yourself, but make sure that you’re not setting yourself up to fail. If you have made a goal that is totally out of reach, then you will lose motivation as soon as you realise you won’t achieve it. So, it’s important to find the right balance between goals that are too easy to achieve and those that are impossible.

4. Review your goals periodically

To track your progress, make sure to review your goals often. That way, you’ll be able to tell whether you are behind on a goal, or if you need to make any changes in order to achieve that goal. You could check in on them monthly or even weekly and doing this will definitely help you become more successful with them.

So, those are my tips on how to set goals and achieve them. I hope that you achieve all of your goals and dreams in 2017!

Do you have any goal setting tips?

Love, Telina