Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success 

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years’ time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today? 

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life’s direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success. 

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can’t simply say, “I want” and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well-defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish. 

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting. 

The Five Golden Rules 

1. Set Goals That Motivate You 

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Staying motivation is key to achieving goals. 

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an “I must do this” attitude. When you don’t have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive “I can’t do anything or be successful at anything” frame of mind. 

Tip: 

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it’s valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, “If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?” You can use this motivating value 

statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen. As you are reading this I am going to presume that one of your goals is lose weight. Now if you can’t confidently explain to someone why you are losing weight and have them agree that is it good idea, then you may be in trouble. 

2. Set SMART Goals 

You have probably heard of SMART GOALS already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be: 

Specific. 

Measurable. 

Attainable. 

Relevant. 

Time Bound. 

Set Specific Goals 

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don’t provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up. 

Set Measurable Goals 

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as “To reduce expenses” how will you know when you have been successful? In one month’s time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years’ time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something. 

Set Attainable Goals 

Make sure that it’s possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence. However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn’t have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to “raise the bar” and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction. Any goal you set should make you feel uncomfortable. It should force you to step outside of your comfort zone. 

Set Relevant Goals 

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you’ll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you’ll fritter your time – and your life – away. 

Set Time-Bound Goals 

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker. Jean and Jaron always recommend counting the days down. Keep reminding yourself that you are running out of time. 

3. Set Goals in Writing 

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word “will” instead of “would like to” or “might.” For example, “I will reduce my body fat by 10 percent this year,” not “I would like to reduce my body fat by 10 percent this year.” The first goal statement has power and you can “see” yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get side-tracked. 

Tip: 

If you use a TO-DO-LIST 

Make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it 

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder. An affirmation letter is great for this. 

4. Make an Action Plan 

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you’ll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. This way you can just focus on the next step and completing that. Your weight loss journey is a great example of this. Just focus on getting every 90 minutes correct. Do everything you need to do in that 90 minutes to move you towards your goal 

5. Stick With It! 

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high. 

Key Points 

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

Top ways to make exercise fun

TOP WAYS TO MAKE EXERCISE FUN 

Exercise is one of the pillars of longevity. The benefits of exercise are many: heart health, weight management, better sleep, improved mood, more energy and many more. The biggest benefit? Reducing your risk of chronic illnesses. Through exercise, you’ll stay healthy longer, age well and feel great. 

Getting started on a routine exercise habit is the hardest part. Use these ideas to put some more fun into your exercise routine. 

Add a Friend 

Find someone to be your exercise buddy. Don’t choose just anyone: Pick someone who is full of energy, fun and who you look forward to spending time with. That way, you’ll want to exercise just to be with your friend. I personally train with my friend Justin because I know he will turn up and the conversation is always educational. 

Group Fitness 

Group classes are a way to meet new people, have an instructor to keep your form and effort good and be motivated to go each time. Shop around for your class: Find an instructor who has both knowledge and enthusiasm. You can gauge the social tone an instructor creates by watching if anyone talks to him or her before or after the class and if the other participants talks to each other. 

Play Something 

We use the word “play” in front of sports because they are fun. You “play” tennis, golf, soccer, softball or any other sport. Find a sport that you used to “play” when younger and take it up again. Choose a team sport when possible to add some socialisation. 

Audio Books and Podcasts 

Download some audio books or podcasts. Hundreds of free podcasts are available covering any topic you can imagine. Audio books can also be easily downloaded. This way, when you think about exercising, you can be looking forward to “reading” the next chapter in your novel. 

New Shoes 

Go exercise-fashion shopping. Start with your shoes. Go to a good running or fitness store and have a salesperson help you find the perfect shoe. Each type of shoe supports your foot differently, so you need to make sure you have the right shoe for you. Bring in your old running or exercise shoes; the wear marks will tell the salesperson how you run. After the lustre wears off your shoes, go back for some new shorts, shirts or other accessories. 

Chart Your Stats 

Thousands of people obsessively chart the stats of their favourite baseball, basketball or football players and teams. Do the same for yourself. Create a wall chart and log your exercise activity, vital 

statistics (weight, measurements, best times, maximum lifts, etc.). Chart every detail of your exercise routine for a month. You’ll feel great as the information gets up on the wall. 

Mix It Up 

Don’t do the exact same exercise routine every day; mix it up. If you always run on the treadmill, run outside on a nice day. Take a week off your lifting routine and do a Pilates class instead. As soon as you feel your exercise routine becoming a rut, find something else to do. The 5’N’5 videos are a great way to mis it up. 

Measure 

The scale can be the worst factor when it comes to motivation. 

You may be working hard, but your weight just stays the same. Part of the reason may be that you are adding muscle while losing fat. Another reason is that it just takes time and changes in your diet to lose substantial weight. So don’t just rely on the scales; instead, take some measurements. The tape measure will show change well before the scale does. Measure your chest, waist and hips. Be sure to measure in the same place each time. Add those measurements to your wall chart and watch the progress. Watch the video on Day 3 Pre-season to see how to do this correctly. 

TV, Videos, and Music 

Many people find that a bit of distraction helps get them through a workout. 

Load you’re phone up with inspirational music (change the music weekly to give you some surprises). Watch TV shows while on the treadmill or put in your favourite movie and watch 1/2 of it each time you exercise. That way, you’ll be able to watch one or two movies a week. You can do the same with TV shows; record your shows or rent a series and watch while exercising. You’ll look forward to your exercise just to find out what happens next in the show. 

Relax 

At the end of exercise (after you “cool down”), give yourself 5 minutes of relaxation. Just lie down on your back and let your body sink into the floor. Close your eyes. Relax. Feel the effects of exercise in your body. Look forward to the deep relaxation that can come after physical activity. You may find that you start exercising just to experience this feeling.

Jaron Blackie Dont put it off any longer! If you have any questions or if I can help in any way please reach out!