We want successful goals. Everyone knows that goals without a plan are just a wish. There is a way to have them and it starts with a plan. Giving yourself a deadline and having measurable steps.

Thrive Global a business website says successful people set goals. 8 ways Highly Successful People Achieve their goals. I do not want to just set aimless resolutions. I want real life-changing goals.

Goal Setting

Maybe the whole idea of setting goals seems silly to you. Especially the ones about losing weight or getting healthy. There is probably a big reason for that. 

When I was in nursing school doing care plans was a very big deal. As a matter of fact, every patient has to have a care plan. Within the care, plan goals have to be made for each nursing diagnosis. 

Now setting a goal is not hard to do.  We all can look forward to or hope for something bigger and better in our future. The problem comes from when our goals just become a wish.

Lesson #1 Create a Plan

When you have a care plan, goals are a major part of it.  A goal helps us focus and look forward to a point or destination we want to arrive at. Goals are a really good place to start, but you don’t want a really important goal to become just a wish. 

Making a plan for your goal is necessary. Just like a care plan, goals have to have a way to get there attached to them. 

Let’s think about this a little.  Consider moving into a new house. It is a two-story house. You have a family of 5, 3 children. Your house catches on fire in the middle of the night.  Everyone is confused. Your ultimate goal is to get everyone out of harm’s way, but without a plan that was discussed and practiced, it may not happen that way. At this point, it is a hope, a wish, or whatever.

Plans can make or break a deal.   You should consider a plan to be your guide for a perfect journey towards your goals

Lesson #2 Set A Deadline

Setting goals and never implementing them is no better than making another wish.  Think of it like this. I made a goal in 2016 that I tried to accomplish in 2017 and wished I had completed in 2018 and I relooked at it in 2019.  So now in 2020, I am going to make deadlines for my goals.  

Now a little word about deadlines, they should be reasonable.  For instance, you have a goal to lose weight, maybe 35-45 pounds.  It is not realistic to expect to lose more than 10% of your weight in less than 30 days, so set a realistic goal.

If you want to learn calligraphy, set a deadline for mastering the letters.  The same goes for many other goals you may want to set.

Lesson #3 Make Measurable Goals

Sometimes we can set goals that are not measurable. Goals that are not measurable tend to be harder to achieve. Maybe eating healthier is a goal of yours, it has been for me before. How will I make that measurable? Successful goals have measurable features to them.

Making a goal measurable is not difficult. You just have to break the goal down into steps that can be checked.  So we have a goal of eating healthier. I can make that measurable by adding a few steps, for instance, Mondays will be meatless.  Sugar will only be eaten on the weekends. Eat out one time a month.

Each part of the goal of eating healthy can be broken down into realistic, measurable goals that can actually be checked off a goal sheet. 

Don’t forget to include a deadline, like evaluate eating habits in 4 weeks. 

Lesson #4 Prioritize Your Goals 

Your goals do not have to just be about an entire year. The nice thing about setting annual goals is they can be the umbrella for all other goals in the year. I like to think of 3 different kinds of goals.

All goals should be prioritized.  Maybe some are just more important than others.  Last year I made a goal to be a better listener. It was a high priority for me.  Because I decided it was a high priority, I thought about it a lot and it made me consider how well I was listening to a lot. Successful goals are prioritized.

Yearly 

I usually set yearly goals in January, but you don’t have to. You can actually do it in June or any month.  Just call is your goal summit and do it whenever you want to. My yearly goals are usually more about character, personal growth, and finances.

Monthly

Monthly goals tend to be more about projects and somethings I need to accomplish. Prioritize your monthly goals too.  Making a list of priorities can keep your goals from being overwhelming.  

In my monthly goals, I include fun things too, like reading, because I have to schedule a time to read.

Daily

Appointments can go in your daily goal list. The appointments are pretty important. I may need to get the oil changed in my car. Writing it down as a goal and making this a priority is part of a plan. Other things interfere if I don’t do this so. Daily goals help me stay on task. Now my daily goals often have a huge list, so that is where prioritizing comes in too. 

We Don’t Just Want A Wish List We Want Successful Goals

If you are going to the trouble to think about your goals for 2020 you don’t just want a wish list. A Wish list is nice but they are for dreams. Taking the time to think about goals and how to accomplish them are how people really change and create a life they always wanted. 

Success comes from creating a goal, implementing a plan attached to the goal and setting a deadline. Take the time to do just those things and let 2020 be the year something amazing happens to you. 

Don’t let your goals become wishes. Honestly, Janet.