Winning People Know the Secret of Goal Setting (part 2)

"M" is for Measurable.

Can your goal be measured? In the example above, the answer is yes: we can measure the desired income by a specific number, which in this case is 20.000€.

If, on the other hand, we decide to just "try harder" or put in more effort, this isn't something that we can measure. And even though we may"feel" or notice some degree of improvement, we will probably not succeed in actually getting to where we want to go, financially. I'm sure we have all been there: believing that we didn't do well, but coming away with good results; or vice versa, making herculean efforts but not achieving any results at all.

"Trying harder" is not something that can be measured, but making 20.000€ instead of 10.000€ is.

"A" is for Attainable.

Is our goal really attainable? Can we really make it happen? Can we sell ten times more or multiply last year's results by ten? If you have just managed to make 10.000€ for the first time in your life and had to make a lot of effort to do so, compared to previous years, it may seem impossible to 10X that amount immediately, maybe it can't be done with simple means. Remember that every aspect of ourselves, every part of our internal "team" has to believe that our goal is possible. It is not enough to just entertain the idea or decide that you want it. Without the agreement of every part of you, collectively, the goal cannot be reached.

"R" is for realistic.

One of the biggest problems people face is trying to manifest goals that are unrealistic.

For example, if our income last year was 10.000€, it would not be realistic to say that our goal this year is to make 1.000.000€.

You must truly believe that your goal can be achieved. Otherwise, the different parts of your brain will not buy into it and will sabotage you down the road. We have to be sure to set a goal that every aspect of us thinks is possible to achieve. If we set a goal that is too high, most of our brains will realize this and will stop putting in the effort because it's "impossible." Your subconscious mind will possibly think: "Why should I stress myself out to achieve something that is not going to happen, anyway?"

On the other hand, if our goal is too small, this will produce the same result. Our brain will probably think: "Why put in any effort for such a small goal? It isn't worth it." As a business owner or as someone seeking success, we do not want to have this mindset because it will thwart our ability to set realistic goals. When all parts of us agree that a particular goal is feasible, they will all make the necessary effort to achieve it.

"T" is for Time.

Another common problem in goal-setting is not setting a specific time frame or deadline within which to achieve them. In the example of the 20.000€, the time frame has been set to the end of the year. But to ensure that we will achieve our goals within this time frame, we need to split them into smaller steps.

For example, we could decide that to have a realistic shot at attaining 20.000€ by the end of the year, we need to have made 5.000€ in the first three months, 10.000€ in the first six months, and so on.

Last Important factor

We used an example to show how important it is for our entire being to cooperate and agree when it comes to goal-setting, but there’s more to it than that. To achieve our goals, we need to have a well-developed strategy or action plan. You cannot get up one day and decide: "I want to make 20.000€ in one year". Anyone can say that. If we want to master goal-setting, we have to set goals for each facet of our internal being, which they also need to fulfill their wishes. We need to be satisfied from all points of view, and to win as a whole. For example, if one part of you loves skiing, you can decide that if you achieve the desired 20.000€, you will put 500€ of it towards a weekend at your favorite ski resort. If one part of you loves cars, you could decide to upgrade your car once you hit the 20.000€ target. If you love playing the guitar, you can decide to start online guitar lessons.

In this way, these other parts of you feel that they are also getting something out of it by participating in achieving the financial goal. They will all work as a team because it will be in the interest of the whole person, from all points of view, to achieve the desired outcome. If not, you will be putting too much emphasis on the financial aspect of the goal and neglecting the other parts of yourself, which may eventually begin to rebel. And this is something you want to avoid because it almost always leads to self-sabotage. Just one thing to be careful of: make sure that these secondary goals do not conflict with your main goal. For example, if one part of you wants to work less, you need to find a way to achieve this while also pursuing your financial goal. If one part of you wants to drink beers with your friends every night after work, you need to be careful that this will not interfere with the financial goal you have set for yourself. It would not make any sense to work hard all day, then get wasted at the bar and have a headache or be tired the next day, hindering your attempt to become more productive. In this case, you would need to do some introspective work and tackle these parts of you that are in conflict. Keep the ones that can be helpful to you, or at least unobtrusive to your primary goal, and try to transform the ones that may potentially become obstacles.