How to set goals? 8 useful tips

Tips on how to set goals to achieve, so that we create discipline and motivation.

Do you have goals? Do you have goals? What do you dream of? Probably all of us, at some point in our long or short life, have stopped to think about the future.

This future can be full of many things, but what is usually present when we think about the future are the future goals we want to achieve. In this article we will address the topic of how to set goalsWhat are the most common goals grouped by categories, and much more!

How to set goals on a daily basis?

Before explaining how to set goals, let's specify what they consist of. The objectives are ends to which our actions, desires or concerns are directed. The objectives can be passionate, labor, labor development, social, family...

There are as many objectives as there are types of desires we have as people.Whether we achieve them or not will depend on several factors: motivation, effort, perseverance, consistency.

In this article we will see the most common goals and we will review several useful techniques to learn how to set goals effectively.

The most common goals

As already mentioned, there are as many types of goals as there are types of desires. Here you will find some of the most common specific goals, classified by categorythat can help us think about how to set goals.

1. Health goals

• Exercise more
• Lose X kg of weight
• Eat healthier
• Have less stress
• Meditate every day
• Take care of yourself and pamper your body more
• Have more time for yourself
• Running a marathon once in a lifetime
• Have lower cholesterol and sugar levels

2. Family goals

• To see my family more often
• To be less dependent on my family
• To get my children a good education
• To improve my relationship with my relatives
• To educate my children with values
• To have a pet

3. Meaningful and satisfying goals

• To write a book
• To feel more fulfilled with life
• To live every detail to the fullest
• To enjoy more everything I do
• Have more fun and worry less
• Relativize things more
• Travel more
• Walk the Camino de Santiago
• Not to boycott oneself
• Have more self-esteem
• Write a book
• Work in an NGO
• Spend less time on social networks

4. Money goals

• Save
• Save to pay the down payment on an apartment in X years
• Buy only what is necessary
• Earn more money
• Spend my money more consciously
• List my expenses and income
• Have a retirement plan
• Achieve financial stability

5. Personal development goals

• Not getting angry so often
• Have more self-confidence
• Keep a journal and write in it every day
• Knowing how to manage emotions a little more
• To know how to empathize more
• Sign up for a personal growth and emotional intelligence course.
• Read more

6. Couple/emotional goals

• To find the other half
• Spending more time together (with your partner or romance)
• Improve your relationship with your partner
• Have a short-lived affair
• To talk confidently about my sexual identity
• Experiment more with sex
• Have sex more often
• Start a family

7. Social development goals

• To have more friends
• Meet more people
• Meet friends more often
• Get friends together more often
• Take a great trip with a great friend

8. Professional development goals

• Do a master's degree
• Learn a language
• Obtain X degree
• Change to a job that you are more passionate about
• Leave work early
• Learn to operate a computer program X
• Be able to manage time
• Create your own company
• Get along better with colleagues
• Learn to lead
• Have more vacation and time off
• Increase profits
• Increase staff motivation
• Decrease conflicts
• Reduce stress
• Think less about work
• Improve the way the company functions
• Move up

9. Domestic goals

• Move to a new apartment
• Buy a plot of land to build on
• To renovate the bathroom or the kitchen
• Buy a mountain bike
• Put parquet on the floor
• Recycle more
• Change city or country

Techniques for effective goal setting

Before thinking about how to set goals, it is essential to think about whether there is a real motivation to achieve those goals, the essential thing is to think about whether there is a real motivation to achieve these goals..

It is important to bear in mind that there are a series of characteristics that it is important that the objectives we set ourselves have.

Thus, in order to draw up a list of concrete objectives, it is important that they are clear and specific. If they are also measurable, it is a positive constant, since this allows you to quantify the level of achievement and thus when you want to measure that objective, you will know if you are on the right track and thus get positive feedback to continue working on it.

In addition, objectives should, as far as possible, be achievable.. They must have a high degree of realism and there must be a part of real possibility of achieving them - that fit our capabilities and limitations -.

And last but not least, it is important that the objectives we set ourselves are, to a certain extent, temporary.. That is to say, that they are limited to a certain period of time. The fact of setting a temporary objective, makes that the motivation to achieve it can be greater.

Steps to follow when setting objectives

But how to set goals, in a more practical way? Here you can see a series of steps to do it.

1. Make a detailed list of goals

In every aspect of your life you can set goals. A good idea is to write a list of everything you want to add, change or modulate in your life, and have it in a visual form.

2. Set a specific time frame to achieve your goals.

It is important to set a deadline in order not to dilute that goal and to focus on it as much as possible, knowing that it has a 'deadline'.knowing that it has an 'expiration date'.

3. Specify and qualify the objectives as much as possible

As we have already seen, it is important to limit the time frame of the objectives to be achieved. For example: "I want to study French four days a week", "I want to go to the gym from 8 to 9 every day".

The fact of specifying favors the acquisition of the habit.because you know exactly what you want: how much, where and when. In addition, it is important to stop generalities; "I want to improve my career", "I want to eat healthier" and focus on specific aspects; "I want to do this master's degree", "I want to eat vegetables five days a week".

4. Identify the goals that support the objectives

Another step to follow on how to set goals is to identify the purposes on which they are based. Thus, it is essential to think about and remember the reasons behind your goals, It is essential to think about and remember the reasons that led to the goal.. Having reasons that support the pursuit of the objective is very important.

5. Break down each objective into tasks to be performed.

Designing a plan to follow to achieve that objective is in itself very motivating to continue with the mission.You can evaluate your degree of pursuit of the objective.

For example: to get in shape and lose extra kilos, you should:

• Look for information and join a gym that suits your needs (time, location...).
• Select the classes or machines that best suit you.
• Go regularly
• Substitute certain meals for other more energetic ones.

6. Take immediate action:

After looking inside yourself for what motivates you, what you dream about, and why, it's time to take action. Focus on what you want, internalize it, and start acting!

7. Do something every day that brings you closer to your goal.

The next step in how to set goals is to do something every day that brings us closer to them.

In this way, a good way to get closer to your goals is through discipline.Doing something every day that guides you towards your goals and allows you to maintain that initial momentum. Periodic action increases determination and energy.

8. Think about goals daily and track progress periodically.

It is important to be fully aware of what your goals are. Thinking about them, and the positive consequences that can result from those goals, and doing so on a regular basis, is a great way to keep your goals in mind.and do it periodically, is an undeniable stimulus to not abandon your process of conquest.

In addition, it is known that the subconscious is automatically programmed when you think about something repeatedly, intentionally and if it is with high doses of emotion, the better.

Bibliographical references:

• Marinak, Barbara A.; Gambrell, Linda B. (2008). "Intrinsic Motivation and Rewards: What Sustains Young Children's Engagement with Text?". Literacy Research and Instruction. 47: 9-26.
• Zeus, P. and Skiffington, S. (2002). Complete guide to coaching in the workplace. Madrid: Mc Graw Hill.