Take The Goal-Setting Challenge! 🎯💪🔥
The Goal-Setting Challenge is your opportunity to set a powerful short-term goal (something that can be achieved within 30 days) and get feedback—all from the comfort of your own home, and it’s completely FREE.
Your journey begins by setting a goal based on proven goal-setting criteria covered in this challenge. Whether your ambition is personal or professional, The Goals-Setting Challenge is here to guide you every step of the way.
Please note that any submissions deemed inappropriate or illegal under USA law will be rejected.
Challenge Content
When it comes to achieving success, there are two primary approaches:
- Stumbling upon success without setting goals
- Setting goals and achieving them with purpose
If you lean towards the first philosophy—letting success come naturally without setting specific goals—you’ve likely still turned ideas into tangible results. You’ve accomplished things, even if you didn’t set out with a clear plan. However, this approach may have led you into avoidable challenges and inefficiencies along the way.
Imagine this: you’re about to assemble a new bicycle from a box of parts. Without following the instructions, you might put it together incorrectly, potentially damaging parts, encountering functionality issues, or simply becoming overwhelmed. This could lead to delays and frustration, much like pursuing success without a clear goal.
On the other hand, if you follow the second philosophy—setting and pursuing goals with intention—you likely already appreciate the value of a structured process. You understand that there’s a clear path to success, much like following step-by-step directions to assemble that bicycle correctly and efficiently.
In reality, we all achieve goals, whether they’re planned or not. But when we take the time to plan our path, we don’t just stumble upon success; we achieve it with purpose and clarity.
Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University of California, conducted a study that is worth sharing here. The study found that participants who wrote down their goals achieved at a significantly higher level than those who didn’t.
In fact, you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written goals.
The study also found that more than 70% of participants met their goals when they also sent weekly updates.
Source: Goals Research Summary (PDF here: Goals Study), by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., Dominican University of California
When setting goals, it’s important to understand why some people fail, so you don’t make the same mistakes.
Here are 9 goal-setting mistakes I’ve seen people make over the years (the list is in no particular order).
#1 – Lack of focus
This usually happens by taking on too much at one time or working towards goals that are conflicting. Don’t let yourself get distracted.
#2 – Lack of structure/organization
When you think about it, we all achieve goals. Sometimes the goal is planned from the beginning, and sometimes it’s not. When we take the time to plan our path, we don’t just stumble upon success. Take the time to plan your path.
#3 – Lack of higher purpose
Giving up or losing motivation is easy when your goals don’t have a higher purpose. Understanding why the goal is relevant to you helps you keep going when things get tough.
#4 – Lack of knowledge
Sometimes we’re aware of what we don’t know, and sometimes we’re not. Work to attain the knowledge you need to be successful. Try to uncover knowledge gaps during research/planning before writing your goal.
#5 – Negative attitude and mindset
If you constantly tell yourself that you will fail, you probably will. Stay positive and seek solutions.
#6 – Not utilizing proven goal-setting criteria
You can use proven goal-setting criteria to set short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals (goal types) in every area of your life (goal categories).
#7 – Not taking responsibility
You’re the only one who can get what you want. Nobody else is responsible for your situation. If you want success, take responsibility. The moment you start taking responsibility is the moment you’ll start to see changes. Make a decision that nobody else is responsible for your success or failure.
#8 – Making Excuses
We’ve all made them. Stop making excuses! Start taking the right actions and set your goals today.
#9 – Not writing down your goals
You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written goals.
Source: Goals Research Summary (PDF here: Goals Study), by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., Dominican University of California
You can use proven goal-setting criteria to write short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals (goal types) in every area of your life (goal categories).
It’s not enough to write: I want to make more money.
- Why do you want to make more money?
- How much money do you want to make?
- How will you make more money?
These are just some of the questions you should ask before writing your goal.
Here’s an example of how I write goals using the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting criteria.
Example Goal
I will acquire 5 new clients for my online business by asking for referrals, launching a social media marketing campaign, and networking with other online businesses. This will allow me to increase my revenue and grow my business by September 24, 2023.
Specific
This goal is SPECIFIC because I have clearly identified what I want to accomplish.
“I will acquire 5 new clients for my online business…”
Measurable
This goal is MEASURABLE because I’m able to quantify the number of new clients being acquired while maintaining my current client base.
Attainable
This goal is ATTAINABLE because I’m willing and able to acquire 5 new clients by:
“asking for referrals, launching a social media marketing campaign, and networking with other online businesses.”
Relevant
This goal is RELEVANT because I’m a business owner and want to grow my business. It’s also relevant because acquiring 5 new clients will grow my business.
“This will allow me to increase my revenue and grow my business.”
Time-Bound
This goal is TIME-BOUND because there’s a deadline.
“by September 24, 2023.”
EXAMPLE GOAL: I will acquire 5 new clients for my online business by asking for referrals, launching a social media marketing campaign, and networking with other online businesses. This will allow me to increase my revenue and grow my business by September 24, 2023.
You can write/set your goal using the template below.
I will __1__ by __2__, __3__, and __4__. This will allow me to __5__ by __6__.
- #1 = What will you accomplish? (example: acquire 5 new clients for my online business)
- #2, #3, #4 = How will you do it? (example: asking for referrals, launching a social media marketing campaign, and networking with other online businesses.)
- #5 = What is the outcome/result of your accomplishment? Why is this accomplishment important? (example: increase my revenue and grow my business)
- #6 = What is the goal completion date? (example: September 24, 2023)
💡 TIP: After writing your goal, assign it a nickname for easy reference, and add it to your list of active goals. For the example above, the goal nickname might be: 2023 Business Growth Goal #1.
It’s important to note that quite a bit more time and effort usually goes into research/planning before writing long-term goals because they tend to be bigger asks with more requirements. For example, you’ll want to confirm that every action item has a projected completion date that is realistic to help with the following:
- Determining an accurate overall goal completion date
- Tracking progress as you work towards the goal
With a long-term goal, maybe “launching a social media marketing campaign” is part of phase 2 of your strategic plan. So, you would want to identify all the action items (with realistic projected completion dates) required to “launch a social media marketing campaign” to help determine an accurate overall phase 2 completion date in your plan.
You could even make “launching a social media marketing campaign” just one of many short-term goals under phase 2 of your long-term goal strategic plan.
Whether you write a strategic plan for some, all, or none of your goals, writing down your goals will help increase your odds of success. You should definitely write down your goals.
To set your goal, grab a piece of paper and write it down using the proven goal-setting criteria we’ve covered in this challenge. Get feedback on your goal by submitting the form below.
Goal Feedback Form
Discover 14 powerful achievement hacks to reach your goals faster. This list is in no particular order.
Hack #1 – Write down your goals
You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written goals.
Source: Goals Research Summary (PDF here: Goals Study), by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., Dominican University of California
Hack #2 – Utilize proven goal-setting criteria
You can use proven goal-setting criteria to write short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals (goal types) in every area of your life (goal categories).
Consider using the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting criteria.
Sometimes it helps to experiment with the way you write your goals. For example, I like to start my goal statements with “I will” + a verb. However, you might also try options such as:
- To + a verb
- By + entered date
Hack #3 – Get accountability
Have you seen this goal study yet? Getting accountability can make a big difference.
Hack #4 – Believe in yourself & keep a positive attitude
Consider all the goals you’ve achieved. And all of the amazing qualities you now have as a result of that success. By doing this, you will start teaching yourself to stay positive.
Hack #5 – Visualize success
Imagine your goals as already achieved. See yourself in that position and enjoy the feeling of success.
You might try this: What is the outcome of the goal you want to achieve? For example, if you want to make more money, the outcome may result in buying a new car. The next time you’re online, sign up for a free Pinterest account and start pinning images of cars that you would like to own. You can also do this offline with vision boards.
Hack #6 – Uncover what keeps you motivated
Uncover and use the motivation that works for you. Here are some of the things that have worked for me over the years.
- goal quotes
- motivational videos (you can find a lot on YouTube)
- goal reviews
- podcasts
- networking with people achieving their goals
Hack #7 – Review your goals on a regular basis
Keep your goals visible and review them regularly. Something that works for me is putting sticky notes, with my written goals, on the bathroom mirror. You can also write them on index cards and carry them with you.
Hack #8 – Keep an open mind
Keep an open mind and be willing to adjust based on your current circumstances. It’s ok to be flexible, but stay focused on your goals.
Hack #9 – Celebrate success
Celebrate success by rewarding yourself. When setting your goals, you can include rewards at certain milestones to help keep you motivated. It doesn’t matter how big or small the success. Rewarding yourself as you work towards your goal will help build your confidence and help motivate you to keep moving forward.
Sometimes I will incorporate penalties for not hitting certain milestones. When used correctly, this can also help motivate you to achieve your goal. However, be careful and use caution when incorporating penalties. You don’t want to de-motivate yourself or start working against yourself.
Hack #10 – Create a well-organized & strategic plan tailored to you
Make sure your plan has a completion date that aligns with your goals and action steps. You’ll also need a way to identify and track performance indicators and updates as your work towards your goals.
Strive to manage your time more effectively, be more proactive vs. reactive, make better decisions, and create a clear path to success. Your plan should simplify and streamline the process, not complicate it.
Hack #11 – Don’t just give up when things get hard
At some point, things will get tough, and you might want to give up. Don’t give up just because things get hard! It’s ok to make adjustments and be flexible along the way. Remember why you started in the first place. Find solutions to the problems and overcome your obstacles.
Hack #12 – Do some research
Research involves more than just typing words into Google and clicking the first link that displays. For the most part, research that produces reliable results takes a good bit of time and effort. Choose your sources carefully.
When doing research for your goals, you’ll want to answer questions such as:
- who’s involved?
- what are the requirements?
- what are the constraints?
- how will progress be measured?
etc…
Hack #13 – Check your mindset
Make sure you have the right mindset for success. Learn how to prepare yourself to overcome obstacles. You might not be able to change everything overnight but keep working on it. It gets easier.
Hack #14 – Get started
You can’t achieve the goal if you don’t take ACTION.
Hope this helps!