How to Set Goals For Your Best Life That Actually Work

As we concluded in last week’s post, we all want to live the best life possible. One way in which to reach that best life is to learn, not just to set goals, but how to set goals that are powerful.

Why is the distinction so important?

Because setting a goal isn’t all that difficult or specialized. Anyone can jot down a few vague ideas about what they hope to accomplish. But let me ask you this: How has that worked for you in the past?

If you’re like me, those vague and hastily-written goals are quickly forgotten.

But when we learn to super charge our goals and infuse them with power, we can not only live our best life, but do so with more clarity and increased productivity.

My goal in writing this post is to show you how to set goals that are power-packed.

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How to Set Goals – Start With…

Yes, there is a definite benefit to starting with a desired outcome and working backwards from there. In fact, it’s a great way to create action plans for your goals.

But in this post about how to set goals, I want you to go even further than that.

I want you to imagine attending your own funeral.

That might sound a little macabre and unsettling, but I promise I have a reason for wanting you to do this.

Judgment Day

Actually as believers we understand that we all will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So rather than only starting with our funerals, it would behoove us first to imagine that day.

Here are some questions to consider:

What do you expect Jesus to say about your life?
Have you been a faithful and good steward of what He’s given you?
During your life have you given Him His rightful place in your life?
Did you place your faith in Him and try to live according to His will?
Have you given the gift that is your life your very best effort?

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These questions (and maybe others you come up with on your own) will give you some powerful clues about setting goals for your life. Those goals will include things you need to change as well as things you’re already doing that should continue.

Your Funeral

Now back to our funerals. Imagine the day of your funeral service, and answer these questions:

How do you want to be remembered by others?
What legacy will you leave your children and grandchildren?
What difference have you made in the lives of others?
How have you influenced and impacted the world?
Is there something you could have done differently and/or better?

Do you see how asking these questions can direct your attention to what really matters? Those things that matter most create our most powerful goals.

Start with funerals and judgment day to set powerful goals? Find out why here:
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How To Set Goals – The Power of Asking Why
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When I first pursued my dream of becoming a writer, I snatched up many books on various aspects of the craft of writing. In my study of characterization, I learned to ask “Why?” in an attempt to better understand the motivations of my characters.

Each time a character motivation presented itself, I would keep asking “Why?” until I reached the heart of that character.

Ask Why For Each of Your Goals

This process also works wonders for us in uncovering our own motives. Honestly, unless I follow through on this goal-setting step, I don’t fully understand all the layers of my own personal motivation.

Example:

One of my goals is to make my work as a writer financially feasible.

Why?

Because I want to help my husband provide for our financial needs.
I also want to give to worthwhile individuals and organizations to continue Kingdom work.
In addition, I want to be able to help others with their financial needs.

Why?

Because we need the income not just to meet our current needs, but also for the future. One day we’ll be old and potentially unable to work. We don’t want to be a financial burden to our children, so it’s prudent to set aside money now.
I believe that giving to God’s work is a way to store up treasure in heaven.
We all need help from time to time. I want to treat others the way I would want to be treated if I had smilar circumstances.

What’s the motivation behind your goals? And why is it even important?
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Peel Back Layers of Motivation

See how asking why over and over helped me peel back layers to my motivation and thereby set a more powerful goal? And get this: with each motivation we uncover, our goals become stronger and more powerful. The process gives us an increased need to carry those goals out to completion and the momentum and traction to do so.

Please don’t neglect this step of how to set goals. Be sure to write down not only your goals, but in parentheses beside the goals list all your why’s. When you grow discouraged about reaching a certain goal (and yes, I said “when”), those motivations will remind you why you set that goal in the first place.

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How to Set Goals – The Importance of Action Plans

Though writing down your goals and placing them where you can review them often can be useful, it’s not enough. Powerful goals must have an action plan to back them up.

So what’s an action plan? It’s a detailed, step-by-step process for reaching your goal in a given amount of time.

Example:

Another one of my goals for this year is to lose thirty pounds.

I know from past experience that if I don’t write out a specific action plan, within a few weeks (and maybe even a few days!) that goal will fall to the wayside. I’ll reach December 31, 2017 with those unwanted pounds still in place, and horror of all horrors, the potential for additional weight! (Talk about motivation…)

My Action Plan for this Goal:

First, I break that goal down into smaller time frames. Did you know research proves most of us work better in smaller time frames than a whole year? It’s certainly been the case in my life. My action plan time frames are: a quarter, a month, a week, and a day.
Secondly, I attempt to be reasonable in the action plan for each of my goals. There is absolutely no way (at least no way that’s healthy) to lose all that weight in one fell swoop. Research shows (and it’s proved true in my case) that losing a pound a week is doable. There’s my weekly goal!
How does that play out by the quarter? There are 13 weeks in each quarter, which means if I meet my weekly goal of one pound a week, I can lose thirteen pounds in the first quarter, 26 pounds by the end of the second quarter, and finish up my goal in the third quarter. As you can see, this gives me some wiggle room for those plateaus where it takes a stick of dynamite to blast off the weight. It also gives extra room to navigate the minefields and curve balls life always throws our way. (NOTE: Caution is advised when it comes to wiggle room. Don’t let it become an excuse to procrastinate!)
So what does all this mean for the day-to-day action plan? It means exercise. Along with that exercise, I want to learn ways to vary my exercise routine so I can learn new things, not get bored, and find activities I enjoy. It means eating nutritious foods and maybe even doing research to find healthy recipes. It means getting adequate rest and drinking enough water. Most importantly, it means scheduling those thing on my daily planning sheet. If we don’t schedule our action plans each and every day, we can’t expect to have much success.

One key ingredient to achieving goals is to schedule your work and work your schedule.
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How to Set Goals – Wrap Up

There are many more ways to power-pack your goals, but the subject could literally fill up a book. That’s another reason I’m hoping to turn all this information into an online course. Not only do I want to help others reach the potential of their best life, but I want to make sure I cover everything in easy-to-implement bite-sized chunks.

So stay tuned for more free blog posts on the topic of living your best life. (If you haven’t already done so, you might want to sign up for email updates of new posts. You can do that HERE.)

I hope this post on how to set goals has been beneficial for you. Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments:

What steps do you take to set and reach your goals?

What steps do you take to set and reach goals? Join the conversation:
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Here’s to living our best life for Him,

 

P.S. Don’t forget to enter this month’s giveaway of an autographed print copy of TEXAS ROADS (the first stand-alone book in the Miller’s Creek novels and a 2009 ACFW Genesis finalist) here: http://www.CatBryant.com/books-2/texas-roads

RECENT POSTS: How To Absolutely Live Your Best Life, God’s Way

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