Reaching your goals

Setting Goals:

The following is helpful guidance when selecting goals:

1.Set goals that Motivate You

2.Set SMART goals

1. Specific

2.Measurable

3.Attainable

4.Relevant

5.Time Bound

3.Write goals down

4.Make an Action Plan

5.Don’t give up

Sticking with Goals:

Ayelet Fishbach of Chicago Booth's school of business had the following insights into how to stay motivated even when not feeling it:

~People do things they enjoy. If you are forced to do something you don't like, focus on enjoyable elements of the task or do things you like simultaneously (listen to enjoyable music).

~Provide incentives that reward the desired behavior and don't undo what you've achieved. ~People are more motivated to work towards incentives that are NOT guaranteed.

~Rather than seeking advice from experts, give advice to people in similar situations. This will increase confidence and spur action. Also, the advice giver often lays out concrete plans to others that they themselves can follow.

~Focus on people who share a big picture goal with you, ie family, friends to provide motivation, such as sticking with a job or a goal to be a good example to ones child, achieve stability in the family, etc.