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Ask what's important -

A common mistake that people make when it comes to goal setting is that they choose goals that aren’t important enough to them.

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They must be relevant to you, not everyone else -

The goals you set must be truly important to you, and not just set because your spouse, friends, or society expects you to do it.

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Clarity -

If you are not clear about what the end goal is or are indifferent to achieving it, then it will be extremely difficult to motivate yourself to work towards it when things get hard.

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Without commitment, they're just words -

Achieving a goal is not only about having the goals set out in a way that is possible to achieve–you must also be committed to doing the work.

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Goals need to be prioritized -

Your goals have to be relatable to the priorities in your life and must themselves be prioritized. Otherwise, you can end up in a situation where you have too much on your plate.

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Set worthwhile goals -

Make sure that whatever goal you’re setting out to achieve is worthwhile. To be motivated enough to make sacrifices to achieve the goal, it can be useful to consider the alternative of not acting.

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SMART goals -

Pretty much any goal that you can set should be approached using the SMART goal framework.

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S - Specific goals -

Firstly, the goal needs to be specific. You cannot set goals that are vague because if you do, how will you know if you’ve succeeded in meeting them?

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What a specific goal looks like -

For example, instead of saying “I’m going to get fit,” you might decide that you are going to be able to run five miles (eight km) in three months.

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M - Measurable goals -

Next, the goals need to be able to be measured. 

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Take saving as an example -

If your goal is about saving money, for example, it’s also hugely beneficial to be as specific as possible. For example, how much will you save and by when?

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Why measurable goals -

Not only does this help you to stay on track with achieving the goal, but it also plays a huge role in motivation. Seeing results keeps us motivated.

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The unrealistic goal trap -

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they’re setting goals is that they set unrealistic ones. In setting an unrealistic goal, people essentially give up fast because they realize it can't be achieved.

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When the goals are unrealistic, we quit -

A common example of an unrealistic goal is that if people slip just once or twice in their diet, training routine, or in their quest to stop smoking, than the chance of them meeting their long-term goal vanishes. They might stop exercising completely because they couldn't train to run a marathon in a week, for example.

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The all-or-nothing trap -

This "all-or-nothing” approach to setting goals in our lives is simply discouraging and demoralizing. We can't set a goal to look like a bodybuilder if we've been to the gym twice.

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A - Achievable/attainable goals -

In short, make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, your confidence will erode fast.

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R - Relevant/realistic goals -

Setting relevant goals is one of the more obvious rules, yet we often still get it wrong. Often we will make our biggest goal in life to perform well in a course or job that isn’t important to us or our lives.

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T - Time-bound/timely goals -

We only have a set amount of time, and if we set goals that are scattered, inconsistent, and aimless, then we will eventually run out of time.

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Put pen to paper -

Write down your goals. It makes them feel more real and tangible. It’s easy to forget where we left our keys, and it’s even easier to forget our goals and accompanying dates and timeframes.

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Mind your language! -

Also, it’s particularly important to pay attention to the type of language you use when you’re writing your goals down. In short, you should write in certain terms. 

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Don't give yourself a way out -

In writing “I will work out tomorrow,” instead of “I might work out tomorrow,” you are already instilling in your mind that action is not an option.

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Numerous small goals -

If your goals are smaller and more plentiful, it might look like a to-do list. In this case, you can apply the same thing to each errand with an action-program column.

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Keep your goals in sight -

Your goals are supposed to be visible to you every day. You can put them on your mirror, desk, computer, or anywhere you’re sure you’ll see them.

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Be clear about your plan of action -

The action plan is as important as the goals. Without a plan to make your goals achievable, then they will just be daydreams.

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The Matthew McConaughey approach -

Writing out each step, as small as the step may seem, motivates you along the way. For example, Matthew McConaughey writes out everything he does in a day just so he can cross more completed tasks off his list, which keeps him motivated and moving forward. He writes down everything from eating to using the bathroom.

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Michelle Obama on goals -

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.”

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James Cameron on goals -

"If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success."

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J.K. Rowling says be prepared to fail -

“It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all–in which case, you fail by default.”

Sources: (Mind Tools)

See also: How to stay motivated on your fitness journey

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