6 Proven Steps to Goal Setting
Now, I’m a big believer in lists, as long as I trust the source. Napoleon Hill’s book, “Think and Grow Rich”, is one of my all-time favorites. It’s hard to imagine he wrote that timeless success book during the Great Depression.
Napoleon Hill studied successful people for a lifetime, and he found that EVERY single successful person had 2 things in common. He liked to call it the “common denominator” for success.
Every successful person did these 2 things: set a specific goal and devised a plan for achieving it.
That goal setting process included 6 proven steps that I continue to follow today. I don’t mean to sound dramatic here, but these six steps really did make a difference in my life. At a minimum, it took me to the next level.
Here are the steps to goal setting as outlined in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
6 Proven Steps to Goal Setting
1. You must have a specific goal.
For example, saying you want to make more money isn’t specific enough. You should assign a specific dollar amount to it like, “I will make an extra $10,000/month.”
2. You MUST have a specific time in which to achieve your goal.
Now, I know you’ve likely heard this before but are you doing it? So to use the same example from above, “I will make an extra $10,000/month by June 1, 2013.” That gets my juices flowing. I can feel the urgency in that goal.
3. You must write down your goal.
Many people like to skip this step or deem it as unimportant. DON’T be one of those people! Writing something down always makes it seem more important. Put it somewhere you’ll see it daily. For my goal setting process, I keep them printed out and on my desk where I see it daily and then I schedule time every Monday to review my goals to make sure I’m moving forward each week to achieve them.
4. You must develop a plan to achieve your goal.
Ahh, now this is where the rubber meets the road. Wanting to earn $10,000/month by June 1 is a great goal. Can you get there doing what you’re doing today? Do you need to find a business with an extra stream of income and follow their training system? Do you plan to invest your money differently? What are the specific action steps you will take to achieve your goal? This step answers, “How will I achieve my goal?”.
5. You must decide the price you’re willing to pay.
If reaching your goal was easy, you would have done it by now, right? So there’s going to be something or some things you’ll need to give up if you’ve set your goal high enough. You identify those in this step. To make an extra $10,000/month, you may need to give up tv or get up an hour earlier every day. Figure out what that is for you and make it happen.
6. You must think about your goal a every day.
Your dreams keep you going but your goals keep you on course. I do some reflection in my goal setting process. I put them in the present tense versus future so I can actually feel them happening and can see it.
For instance, I say to myself, “It feels amazing to be making an extra $10,000/month. My saving account is growing every day.” It sounds a little cheesy but it works!!!
I know these 6 proven steps to goal setting work. I’m living proof and know so many others who’ve implemented these into their lives with similar results. So if you’re serious about doing something special with your life, sit down right now with a pad of paper (or ipad) and write down your goals following these 6 proven steps to goal setting.
If you plan your work and work your plan, I know it will work for you. It may not happen overnight, it may be a struggle at times, but with your persistence and determination, you can accomplish amazing things and live a remarkable life!
P.S. — If you feel others could benefit from learning about this goal setting process, please share on twitter or facebook. I always love hearing your thoughts so feel free to comment below!
