How to Set Motivational Goals

Going Beyond the To-Do List

We’ve heard it before:  all you need to do is write down your goals and they’ll get completed.  But are your goals motivating you to succeed, or simply adding to your ‘to do’ list?

What is a Motivational Goal?

Learning to set goals is one thing.  Learning to set successful goals is another.  And learning to set successful, motivational goals is another still.  What’s the difference?

A goal is something you want to complete.  I have a goal of writing 10 articles this week.  It’s something I want to complete, so I write it down.  But then I have to ask myself:  Is it possible to successfully complete this goal?

A successful goal is a SMART goal.  It’s a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.  Without all of these elements, I may not actually complete the goal I’ve set.  Given my schedule and writing abilities I believe that 10 articles in one week meets all of these criteria and will be a successful goal. 

But now I need to ask myself:  What will achieving this goal really give me?  In other words, why should I do this?  This is where the motivational part comes in.  Without understanding what the goal really means to me, I’m much more likely to abandon it at the first sign of difficulty.  But knowing that achieving this goal will indicate to me that I am a ‘real’ writer living the life I really want is the emotional attachment I need to overcome the obstacles and achieve great results easily.

How to Set Motivational Goals

Ask yourself the following questions. 

1.  What do I really want?  Make sure it’s stated in the positive and is a SMART goal.  (link to article on SMART goals,  url to be determined)

2.  Why is that important to me?  What will having that give me?

3.  Looking at how I responded to question 2, why is having that important to me?

4.  How will I achieve it?

5.  What might stop me and how will I handle it?

6.  When will I start?  Where will I start?

7.  How might I make achieving this goal more meaningful to me?

You can use these questions for both large and small goal setting.  For example, I have goals for this week, this month, and 6 months from now all established with this method, and all being achieved regularly.  I tend to focus on my monthly and quarterly goals, then break the steps down into my weekly ‘to do’ list.  Regardless of how I break it down or go about achieving it, I always keep in mind why I’m doing it at all.  This helps me stay focused, on track, and putting one step in front of the other regardless of the challenges that may arise.