subject: The 3 Key Ingredients of Setting Successful Goals [print this page] The 3 Key Ingredients of Setting Successful Goals
How do you set goals? Or more significantly how do you ensure that they are right for you? These are questions that are often asked and that you must be able to answer if you want to succeed.It's easy to set goals about the house you want to live in, the car you want to drive, and the places you want to visit. But really they are just the material results of achieving your goals. There are other more basic things you should really be concentrating upon from which all other outcomes will be reached.But what are these key components of setting meaningful goals?Well they are threefold - your health, your wealth, and your relationships.HealthWhen you are setting goals for your health you are setting the foundations for all the things you want to achieve in your life. Without good health anything else will be all the harder to attain and to enjoy.Health based goals are likely to include things like weight management, fitness, blood pressure, skin and hair condition, and issues like stress and depression. They are all important but you should also consider your emotional wellbeing. Being happy and fulfilled is vital to your overall health so be sure to set goals accordingly.WealthSo you want to be a millionaire and enjoy all the trappings that go with being rich. That's fine but to be effective your financial goals must be far more specific.If you're in debt, say, then the number one goal is to get out of debt. But if you simply say, "I want to be free of debt" there's a good chance you'll fail. Why? Well using the word "debt" immediately puts the focus upon the negative, whereas the best goals are set around positive actions. So instead you should frame your goal positively, such as, "On 31st December, 2011 I have "x" in the bank and earn "y" each month. That means I am financially independent and I can afford to do all the things I want."Be specific about what you will have and what it means to you, and you are far more likely to get it.RelationshipsHave you ever heard the saying "No man is an island"? It's true because even if you wish to stay single, you cannot live your life without having relationships with others. This may be your family, your friends, or simply the people you work or associate with each day.Whoever it may be you must know how you wish to treat them and interact with them. A good starting point is to consider how you wish to be treated by others and then ensure that you approach them the same way. Treat every stranger like a friend.If you set goals based around these three main components, and you will find they become interlinked, you will be far better placed to get what you really want in life. You can then start to look at specifics like work, education, leisure time, your location, and your habits and see what you need to do to get to the goals you have set.By all means have real concrete images of what achieving your goals will mean such as photos of the dream car or home, but be sure to focus upon what is really important -your health, wealth, and relationships.
