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5 Science-Backed Steps to Setting and Achieving Your Goals

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Science backed goal setting

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”


-Tony Robbins



Don’t let lethargy keep you from getting ahead. Make an effort to learn why long term and short term goals are necessary for a person’s overall success in life.  

Social media posts on success/entrepreneurship/self-help seem to be brimming with the SMART(S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable, R-realistic, T-target oriented) technique for setting and achieving your goals. Logically, this technique makes a lot of sense, but the concepts are a bit difficult to understand for people who are just learning about “Success.” So, they come across as a bunch of clever sounding words and nothing else.

People who don’t set goals fail most of the time; they just don’t realize it or they rationalize to avoid the pain of being seen as a loser. There are many reasons why someone might live their life without having clear goals in mind. Insecurity, low self-esteem, being surrounded by the wrong people, coming from a low socio-economic class are just some of the common reasons stopping people from thinking clearly.

The never-to-be-forgotten story of Hungarian soldier Karoly Takacs is a classic example of how a burning desire to achieve something coupled with proper planning can lead a person to glory.

During a military training session, Takacs lost his right hand, his shooting hand, when a grenade exploded in his vicinity. Hence, his dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics was shattered.

Most of his relatives and colleagues consoled him and thought that the poor lad has accepted his fate and moved on. But Takacs continued his practice patiently with his left hand and won two gold medals in the next few years.

5 Steps to Setting and Achieving Your Goals:

1. Define the Goal

Science backed goal setting

Without a clear, written down goal, your desire to achieve something just becomes a wish. You can dream or talk about it all you want, but until you write it down on a piece of paper, it remains a half-hearted attempt.

Likewise, visualization is a great tool that many of us are blessed with. Our ability to step into the shoes of another person and see the world the way they see is what makes us human and separates us from other primates. You don’t have to write down the exact figure that you want to earn this year or make a picture of the girl/guy you want to have in your life. You can start by simply writing down vague, high-level goals first and then revise them as you go.

“A goal, however, is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written, and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it or not.”  


-Brian Tracy

So, write it down, make a big statement to yourself and get accountability from people around you.

Character traits of a person who sets and achieves goals:

They…

  • are trustworthy
  • live their life with purpose
  • believe in sharing and not taking
  • lead themselves and others
  • help others achieve their goals too
  • give their best whether things are going their way or not

Character traits of someone who doesn’t operate with goals in mind:

They…

  • always look for shortcuts
  • don’t work well with deadlines
  • let people down in high-pressure situations
  • only perform when things are going their way

2. Pay Attention to the “Why”

In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek explains the significance of “why” in business and life in general. He says if your “why” is clear, the “how-to” will follow. A lot of people get bogged down in finding the right method or technique to get the thing they want but are dishonest about why they want that thing in their lives in the first place.

Without a strong purpose, life becomes meaningless. A lot of people start their venture with a bang, but as things move further, they slowly start to feel demotivated. In the midst of difficulties, they quit because they don’t know what makes them tick.  

“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. Think on paper and write them down!”


-Brian Tracy

3. Collect Resources

Science backed goal setting

Being a resourceful person is another prerequisite for becoming a winner. A resourceful person has enough personal connections, time and money needed to reach their goal. As a result, they don’t underestimate any of the above mentioned three factors.

Free resources like books, YouTube videos, etc. are available to you all the time if you don’t have the money to invest. Money invested in books and educational training always gives huge returns. Moreover, successful authors like Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Robert Greene, etc. put their heart and soul in putting their life’s learnings in a few hundred pages of a book; which costs no more than a few bucks.

Also, attend meetups and socialize to understand the learning curve of other people. For instance, looking outwards and understanding other people’s problems and situations helps in developing empathy. Most people will argue that we are born with empathy and don’t need to develop it, but not everyone has the psychic ability to read others’ minds. Conversely, some of us need to get out of our shell and put ourselves in social situations to learn what we couldn’t develop naturally.

4. Build Momentum

It’s not necessary to do everything right at the beginning of a project. Most people wait for the right moment, or they keep learning; watching videos, reading books, to feel fully confident and deserving of the task they wish to commence. These are all signs of procrastination. In short, the right thing is to just start and improve each day.

Darren Hardy in his book The Compound Effect talks about how seemingly insignificant things we do each day can add up to affect our lives in the long run. You can build enough momentum to succeed if you take a tiny amount of action each day in the direction of your goal.

5. Journal Every Day

Science backed goal setting

You’ve probably noticed that knowing where you have reached in your journey to achieving your goal is very difficult. If only there was a way to measure it. Keeping a daily journal is a great way to keep track of your progress. Let’s take a closer look at how it can help in setting and achieving your goals.

Monitor your thoughts and behaviors by jotting down things that are currently bothering you. Most problems disappear once you bring them into awareness.

Evolutionarily, humans are social creatures. We need comfort and support of others who are on the same path as we are. Do not ignore the human need for accountability.

Being unclear about what needs to be done takes up a lot of time in needless trial and error. Yes, there is a time for trial and error but not when you are on a deadline and under pressure to achieve your goal in a limited time period.

Recent research shows that journaling every day can enhance self-reflection, ability to articulately express feelings and develop critical thinking.

Setting and achieving your goals isn’t just about collecting good resources, building momentum and daily journaling. Recent research suggests that you also model the habits of successful people and practice them until they become second nature to you.

Nobody likes to fail. The person who least deserves to fail is you. So give yourself a chance to succeed.

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