Summarize:

Setting goals is an important skill that many successful people employ to help jump start their motivation. Setting a goal better enables you to focus on the specifics of completing a task, while also helping you to organize all the tools you will need to accomplish your goal. One of the best parts of successful goal setting and completion is feeling increased confidence and self-efficacy once you have accomplished your goal. Setting goals is a great way to give your life plan a boost. It allows you to make your goals or steps specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time bound (SMART). It is important to use SMART goal planning in order to understand how close or far you are to obtaining a certain goal.  If your goal is to work toward building a healthier life, don’t just say I will eat more vegetables. Turn it into a SMART goal by saying I will eat two servings of vegetables per day for 30 days starting on Monday. This makes the goal specific so you have a guideline to follow. It is also measurable because you know what you are trying to aim for, it’s realistically achievable, and you have a time frame. There are a few ways you can make your goals concrete and achievable. To begin with, write the goal down. This makes the goal more real than if it’s just in your head. Make sure to make it specific. If you follow the SMART format, you should already have specific goals.  Formulate your goals with positive language. If you want to lose weight, say something like, “Eat healthier and lose five pounds,” instead of, “Stop eating junk and being fat.” Order your goals by their priority level. If you have multiple goals, there’s no way you can do everything at once. Decide what is attainable now, what can wait, and what may take longer. You should keep goals small enough that you can achieve them within a reasonable time period instead of years down the road. If you have large goals, break them into smaller goals so you achieve goals along the way and feel accomplished.
Learn the importance of setting goals. Use the SMART goal method. Make your goals concrete.