How to Set Powerful Goals You Can Achieve

In order to set powerful goals that are achievable, take some time to research the dreams you have to find out if they’re even doable.

You do want to challenge yourself some but you don’t want to make the goals so hard that you experience only failure.

To ensure maximum success, make sure that your goals meet the following criteria.

Match Your Core Values

The more any goal fits into one of the four main areas of life – Family, Financial, Physical or Personal – the more likely you are to be able to set a realistic goal that you can achieve.

If a goal for some reason doesn’t fit into one of your core values, it’s not likely you’ll experience much success.

Be 100 Percent in Control

While goals that rely on others aren’t wrong, they are harder to achieve. Any goal that you control 100 percent is a goal that you can reach.

Do ensure that you’re not letting fear get in your way or blaming fate for your failures, though. Self-limiting beliefs can get in your way on this one.

Be realistic about whether you do have control or not and give yourself more credit.

For example if you think you do not have control over your financial future because “that’s just how it is,” you are mistaken and need to eliminate this line of thinking.

Be Able to Envision the Goal

If you can’t see the end result, it will be very difficult to move forward toward achieving the goal.

If you need to draw a picture, make a vision board, or take a day out to fantasize about your big dreams and see how they all fit together in the big picture of your life, do so.

You need to see the end to be able to truly achieve it.

Be Spelled Out Specifically

Every goal you make needs to be very specific in nature. If you really want to be sure to reach the goal, you have to know when you reached it.

Instead of saying “I want to start a business,” state exactly what type of business you want to start, who you want to be your clients, and other information that makes the goal more concrete.

Be Measurable

At which point have you achieved the goal? If you can’t give a number or something that is measureable, then you won’t have a real goal.

If you want to use the business example, you might include that you want to earn x amount of dollars each week by a certain date and then how and why you are going to do it.

Be Actionable

To achieve any goal there has to be steps that you can take to get there.

Like using a map to reach a destination that you want to go to on vacation, you need to draw a map to your vision of success with the steps and paths you’ll take along the way.

Put not only what but when, and how you’ll accomplish the step.

Be Realistic

You don’t want to write a goal that is too hard to achieve or worse, impossible.

Be sure that it’s scientifically possible to do it by researching everything realistically.

For example, you’re not likely going to start a business today and earn six figures by tomorrow or even the first year in business.

Look at the research and determine what is doable and how you’ll do it.

Be Timely

Every goal has to have a time limit otherwise you may never achieve it.

Start with the end and work your way back to today, creating the list of things to do each day to finally reach the end result.

But, do set a time limit. You can adjust as you get into the project if it works to be more realistic, but resist the urge to change the time because you’re not sticking to your task lists.

If you use this method to create powerful goals that you can achieve, you will not experience a lot of failure because you can always adjust your time line and your goals as you learn more.

The important thing is to give each goal a lot of thought, consideration and study before setting it.

What Is a Smart Goal?

When making goals, it’s important to learn about the acronym S.M.A.R.T. It can help you make better goals. Each letter stands for a different area of the goal.

If you create a smart goal, you have created a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Reasonable, and Timely.

Using SMART goals can set you up for success in your goal setting.

S – Stands for specific, which means that your goal needs to be spelled out very precisely.

Using language that leaves no doubt as to what the goal is, why you want to achieve the goal, and how you will get there is very important.

If you are not able to be detailed in your description of the goal, it will be hard to meet it. Take the time to do this part right.

M – Stands for measurable, which means that you should be able to use this as a metric for which to determine success.

If your goal can’t be quantified, then it’s not a full goal and you won’t know how to tell when you’ve succeeded.

An example of a measurable goal is something like: “I want to add 100 dollars per week of income to our bank by writing five 500-word articles each week for a life coach.”

A – There are different things that “a” can stand for but it’s usually actionable, assignable or achievable.

The preference to really get something good done is to make your goal actionable, meaning something where you can do something for each day that will eventually result in an accomplished goal.

Goals should also be achievable or you will only get frustrated. Be accurate about the time it takes to reach a goal, and what actions it takes to get there.

Also, know who will be responsible for doing it.

R – This can stand for realistic or relevant, and either or both are important and are true.

If you want your goal to succeed, it should most certainly be something that is realistic or you will fail. It should also be relevant to your life’s vision and match with your values.

T – Various authors refer to the “T” in the S.M.A.R.T. acronym as time-bound, timely or trackable.

All of these t’s are important parts of the goal creating and setting process.

If you don’t set a time limit and you can’t track what is happening, your goal will be hard to quantified or show as achieved.

Whichever words you use to help you craft your goals, the important thing is that you need to have a process to help you make smart goals.

Smart goals are goals that you follow through on achieving and know when you’ve met them.

Cloud-Based Mind Mapping Tools to Help You Organize Your Thoughts

Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique where visual diagrams are used to show how thoughts or ideas are connected.

The process is commonly used in project planning and presentations.

In today’s digitally-focused world, it’s easier to create and share mind maps than ever before.

Here are a few cloud-based applications that let you and your team create and modify a mind map together.

Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is a free tool that allows you to create online “trees” in order to brainstorm and map ideas.

Start with a central topic, then add new topics either at the same level or one level lower.

Bubbl.us will format these bubbles into a tree automatically, though you can also move the bubbles around to suit your needs.

You can also change the color and size of your bubbles to bring style to your brainstorming session.

Bubbl.us is free, but an account is required in order to create or edit a tree.

Link – https://bubbl.us/

SpiderScribe

SpiderScribe is an online-based brainstorming and mind mapping tool that allows you to easily share your mind map with others.

You can use SpiderScribe to connect files, notes and even calendar events on maps you can design how you want.

Your maps are stored in the cloud, which means that you and the people you choose to share the map with can access and edit it at any time.

SpiderScribe offers a free personal account and offer upgraded “pro” and “business” options for a small fee.

Link – https://www.spiderscribe.net/

Popplet

Popplet is a versatile mind mapping tool that allows multiple users to work on the same project.

Popplet allows users to add media such as images or video to their maps.

Maps can also have tags or categories applied to them, which makes them easy to sort through later.

Popplet can be used both on PC and iOS compatible devices, though no Android version is currently available.

Link – https://popplet.com/

Coggle

Coggle is a free and easy mind mapping application that you can sign in to via your Google account.

When creating a mind map with their software, Coggle will automatically randomize the color of each branch, although you may change it to whatever color you wish by clicking on the branch you want to change.

When you have completed your mind map, you can download and share it with your friends or co-workers.

Not only that, but you may allow the people that you share your mind map with to edit the content too.

It also gives you the option to look at what your mind map looked like before you allowed other people to make changes on it.   

Link – https://coggle.it/

GroupMap

GroupMap is all about making team-based activities easier.

You can create or select a map, then invite a team to comment, collaborate and even vote on the best ideas.

Everyone gets to add their views to the brainstorming session and GroupMap collects these ideas and displays them all in a group view for comment and for voting.

GroupMap is easy to use, offers a free account option, and gives every member of the team a voice when it comes to collaborating.

Link – https://www.groupmap.com/

These are just a few of the mind mapping tools available online.

There are many other services available offering mind mapping resources and other useful brainstorming tools.

It’s up to you to decide which is best to help you and your team organize your ideas.