5 Goal Setting Hacks To Achieve Your Dreams

We all have dreams. In fact, what separates us from animals is our ability to dream. Our ability to have a vision for our future. Some of us might have small dreams while others have huge ones. Dreams are what make life worth living.

Often, we just feel satisfied with the idea of achieving the dream. We don't make plans to achieve them. And we die with our dreams unfulfilled. Schools never taught us how to methodically go about achieving goals. So how exactly do we go about this process? Read on to find out !

Dreams must be broken down into smaller goals. The accomplishment of these goals will take you closer to your dreams. When you have a huge dream, it is natural to feel overwhelmed. You are confused on where you should start. You do not know how to go about achieving it. Methodically setting goals helps you stay on the right track. They help you realise your dream one baby step at a time.

There are 5 important qualities every goal of yours must have. They can be expressed through the acronym SMART. It stands for :-

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Realistic
5. Time Bound

You have to be extremely specific about what you want. This helps you have a mental picture of the end goal.

Examples

I want to become rich is very vague. You don't know where to start or when to end. I want to make an additional 100$ every month. This goal is specific.

I want to buy a vehicle is a very vague goal. Ask yourself a few questions.

• Which vehicle do I want to buy?
• Which particular model do I wish to purchase?
• What is the colour of my dream car?

Answering these questions will help you come up with a specific goal.

Reason

If your goal is not specific, you might end up settling for something less. Instead of a Mercedes Benz you might end up buying a second hand car.Being specific about what you want makes your conviction strong. It keeps you motivated since you know exactly where you are headed.

Developing a way of measuring your progress / success is absolutely essential. Otherwise, you will have no clue if you are on the right track.

Examples

" I will become a YouTube celebrity " is not a measurable goal.
" I will have 1 million subscribers on YouTube." This is a measurable long term goal.
In the short term you can probably set a goal to reach 1,000 subscribers. Then you can aim for 5,000 subscribers. These small victories will give you momentum. They will help propel you forward. You can continue raising the bar till you reach your end goal.

Reason

When you can measure your results, it also adds a huge factor of accountability. You clearly understand whether your efforts are paying off. If not, you can think of ways to improve or put in more work. Having this review process is essential to achieving your goals. And this is possible only if your goals are measurable.

Your goals must have the right amount of difficulty. It should not be so difficult that you feel overwhelmed. This is very important for short term goals. If the difficulty is extremely high, you will either give up or get burnt out. At the same time, It should not be so easy that it doesn't challenge you. It should be attainable with the available resources by putting in reasonable efforts. It should push you out of your comfort zone but you shouldn't go too far.

The goals must be realistic. Having a goal that you want to fly or become superman would be unrealistic. Being broke and setting a goal to buy a chopper next week is unrealistic. A goal to win a lottery is unrealistic because nothing is in your hands.

But this doesn't mean you should never aim high. Others don't have to feel that your goal is realistic. In fact, everyone who tries something new is told that their goals / dreams are unrealistic. So just ask yourself whether it is realistic to you. If it is, then ask yourself what you can do to get there.

A realistic goal is one that can be achieved through your efforts with the available time and resources.

Our psychology is such that we never start working unless there is a deadline. We start studying for our exams only once the time table is published. If there is no deadline, we keep postponing the activity. The same applies to our dreams. We want to achieve something but we don't give ourselves a deadline. Eventually, we keep postponing it till we are old and grey and full of regrets. So it is absolutely important to set a deadline to your dreams.

I hope you have understood the 5 elements of goal setting.

1. Being specific about your goals gives you a sense of direction. It also serves as motivation.
2. Your goals must be measurable as it creates accountability. It also helps you track your progress.
3. Make sure your goals are achievable to avoid burning out or giving up. The right amount of difficulty is essential.
4. Your goals must be realistic. Otherwise, you might end up on a wild goose chase.
5. Setting a deadline stops you from procrastinating. It reminds you that everyday is valuable.

Thank you for reading !