Goal Setting: A Beginner’s Guide

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Today, I’m going to teach you how to set goals from scratch.

I remember when I wanted to start a business and didn’t know how to go about doing it. I was told that I needed to a set a goal and take steps to achieve it. So, I searched the internet, FOR HOURS. It was overwhelming and frustrating trying to sort through so much information to find a simple step by step guide to goal setting.

In this quick and easy to follow guide, I will walk you through the simple steps of goal setting and tell you how to set effective goals.

 Topic Overview

What is goal setting exactly?

Goal Setting is a process of creating an action plan toward something that you want to do, obtain, and/or achieve.

For example, let’s say that you want to pay off debt. Goal setting helps you to define the amount, expected payoff date, action steps, resources, and motivation needed to achieve this goal.

Now that you understand what goal setting is, I will explain how to get started.

Steps

Your first step to goal setting is to decide what you want. This is like starting backwards and deciding what you want the end result to be.

Here’s how to do that:

First write down what you want to achieve. For example, “I want to be debt free.” This is what I want to achieve. To not have any debt. You can do this for each thing that you want to achieve or you can start with one big goal as I did.

Next, take these goals and turn them into SMART goals. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. This is what helps to create the action plan needed to accomplish the goal.

For example, my SMART goal for “I want to be debt free”, would be:

“My goal is to pay off my $10,000 in debt in 12 months”.

This goal is Specific because I have defined what I wan.

Measurable because I can track my debt balance until it reaches $0.

Attainable because I can pay $833 a month towards my debt by using my side hustle income.

Realistic because this goal is challenging and one that I can accomplish with effort.

Timely because I plan to pay off my debt in 12 months.

Finally, write down the action steps that you will need to take to reach the goal.

For my example, I would write that I need to make a monthly debt payment of $833. I would also write that I need to make $833 from my side hustle income. Finally, I would write down ways that I could earn extra money to accelerate my goal, which may be:

• Marketing my business
• Getting a pay raise
• Selling things
• Taking paid surveys
• Start another side hustle

This is your list so it can be as short or long as you want.

You will then repeat the same steps for each goal.

Create a Vision Board

At this point, you have set goals and you may want to take it up a notch by making them visible. This is where a vision board comes into place. A vision board is putting your goals in words, images, and stories digitally or on a paper (or poster board as that is where the name vision board comes from).

You can put images and words that represent the goals that you want to attain on your vision board. Then display your board in a place in your home that you can see daily. If you create a digital vision board you can save it as a screen saver on your phone or create a Pinterest vision board. The vision board is meant to inspire and motivate you to reach your goals, especially on those days when you lack motivation.

Conclusion

Thanks to “Goal Setting: a Beginner’s Guide”, you don’t have to search the internet for hours trying to find the right formula or guide for goal setting. You have everything that you need to get started.

Goal setting is a crucial step in achieving your goals. As you have learned, you start with a goal, turn it into a SMART goal, and create action steps. This will give you the plan and motivation to reach your goals!

Now you have everything that you need to set your goals. Before you start creating and reaching your goals, please leave me a comment letting me know how you plan to use this guide.

Free Goal Setting Sheet

I have included a free goal setting sheet in the Free Resource Library. To get your Free 2024 Budget Planner Click the link below to begin the download: