How to Set Goals in 2023

Goal setting is the first step to achieving your dreams. Setting goals will help you define what your vision is, how you're going to get there and how much time it's going to take. It's important that your goals are challenging but realistic. If they're too easy then there won't be any drive behind them and if they're too hard then you might give up before even starting.

Create Clear Goals

To set goals that will lead to a successful year, you need to know what you want and be specific about it.

  • Be specific: Instead of “I want to make more money," try “I want to earn $250K this year."
  • Make them achievable: If your goal is too hard, or even impossible, it won't do much good. Set yourself up for success by creating attainable goals. For example, instead of saying "I want to lose 10kg," say "I want to lose 2kg this month."
  • Be realistic: This ties into the previous point—you don't want to set yourself up for failure. Keep in mind that there are no guarantees in life; even if something seems easy on paper, there's always a chance that things could go wrong. For example, if your goal is based on something outside of your control (like other people), then it's probably not realistic or achievable because their actions may not align with yours in quite the way that you hoped for when setting out these goals for yourself.

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Make them Achievable

  • Be realistic. If you're just starting out, it's better to aim for a small, achievable goal than something that may be too far out of reach at this point in your career.
  • Ask for help when you need it. If you have mentors you are working with, who have set goals before and had some success with them, ask them what they would recommend as far as strategies go—especially if they have any tips or tricks they've learned along the way.
  • Accept failure as part of the process—and then use it as an opportunity to learn something new and move forward with renewed confidence in yourself and your abilities.

Monitor Progress Regularly

Monitoring your progress is critical to achieving your goals. How can you know what needs improving if you don’t check in on how things are going?

There are many ways to monitor your progress, but you need to find one that works for you. Some people like to write down their goals and revisit them monthly, while others prefer using a digital system like apps, or desktop planners. Whatever method works best for you, make sure it follows these criteria:

  • It must be easy and fast to use
  • It must be flexible enough that it can accommodate any goal achievement scenario (e.g., successes or failures).

Make them Specific

As you define your goals, keep them specific and measurable. This will help you determine whether or not you have achieved the goal by the deadline, and it will also give you a better understanding of what needs to be done in order to achieve your goal. It is important to stay realistic at this point as well so that when the time comes for implementation of these plans, things go smoothly and efficiently.

Prioritise Goals

Once you've figured out which goals are most important to you, it's time to prioritise them. Prioritising your goals can help make sure that they're always at the forefront of your mind and that they don't get pushed aside by other things. To prioritise a goal, ask yourself the following questions.

Link in with Rewards

Rewards are a powerful motivator. They help you keep going when the going gets tough and make it easier to stay on track. The key is to choose rewards that are both achievable and meaningful for you. If you're going for a big goal, like learning Spanish or becoming CEO of a company, then those rewards may need to be something more ambitious than a trip to the movies or an expensive pair of shoes (although those things can still be good rewards). A reward could be anything from taking time out of your schedule for yourself every week—maybe 20 minutes in front of Netflix with no interruptions—to a fresh haircut, or maybe a new pair of Joel Wade cufflinks.

 Photo by Andrea Donato on Unsplash  

Conclusion

Setting goals is a key part of achieving success. If you have a clear goal, then it’s easier to set up a plan of action and monitor progress towards it. Keeping track of your goals can help motivate you to continue working towards them when things get tough.

All the best with achieving your goals in 2023!

JW Team