Goal setting is talked about constantly and for good reason. The truth is, every part of our life can be improved if we set and pursue goals. Whether it’s relationships, job or career performance, physical fitness, diet, or quality of life, we can utilize the indicators of successful goals below to improve all of these things.

Goal setting is INCREDIBLY POWERFUL! Our minds are capable of doing amazing things. But most people don’t spend the time to ensure that their brain power is focusing on the right things. The things that will allow us to live the lives we want. Or the things that will allow us to feel complete, purposeful, and content. The things that will strengthen our mental health. Let’s evaluate indicators of successful goals and apply them to your life!

Indicators of Successful Goals

Goal setting is not always productive. Sometimes it can be detrimental to the life you want to lead. It can also be unhealthy, dangerous, or simply a waste of time. Doing it right is important and there are a few indicators of successful goals that can ensure you make the most of your goal-setting efforts.

So what are the indicators of successful goals?

1. They have a deadline.

Goals need to be achieved within a certain timeframe. If you say you’re going to lose weight, get in shape, quit your job, or start a business, but you don’t give yourself a deadline. Before you know it your entire life will pass you by and you will have made no progress toward your goal.

2. They are attainable.

Let’s be honest, most of us cannot be quarterbacks in the NFL or Olympic athletes. This is fine. It’s important that our goals be attainable, otherwise, we will lose momentum, get frustrated and quit. Let’s say your goal is to lose weight. Losing 100 pounds in a 30-day period may be attainable with extreme measures, but it’s not healthy and likely not sustainable. Instead, plan to lose 10 pounds per month over a 10-month period. Each month, celebrate your win, realize that you didn’t have to kill yourself to achieve your goal, and do it again the next month.

3. They must be measurable.

Good goals have to be measurable. In order to ensure success and know that you achieved your goal, you must be able to clearly define and understand exactly what it means to accomplish it. Measures of goal performance are critical to successful goals. These measures let you know how you are progressing, or not progressing.

Back to our 100-pound weight loss goal. We know that we have achieved our goal when the scale shows that we lost 100 pounds. We also know that losing 50 pounds means we are 50% toward our goal.

Two more measures of goal performance are your ability to assess and re-evaluate, and your ability to celebrate your success.

Know that it’s okay for your goals to change. In your quest to lose 100 pounds, you may discover that you love lifting heavy weights. You may continue to get in shape, increase your muscle mass and overall health, but actually gain back some of the weight you lost. This does not mean that you did not achieve your goal. It simply means that your goal needs to be re-evaluated.

Lastly, celebrate every single goal you accomplish! This is imperative to your long-term success as a goal-setter and goal-getter! It will energize you, empower you, and make you feel like you can accomplish any goal.

Goal Setting is a HUGE part of Erin’s Financial Empowerment Foundations Course. If you are ready to set some life-changing goals and learn how to actually achieve them, this course is for you.