The BEST Way to Accomplish Goals

[wade1mil]

I’m doing some research for a goal setting product I’m working on. Basically, I’m looking for some feedback from those of you who have at least attempted to set goals in the past. If it looks like my product could be of value, I may have some follow up questions. If you don’t mind answering a couple questions I'd appreciate the feedback.

1. How do/did you keep track of your goals?
2. What is it that you like about this method?
3. Do you feel that you are good at setting goals?
4. Do you feel that you are good at sticking with your goals?
5. What, if anything, has made you given up on goals in the past?
6. What is your favorite part about setting goals?
7. What is your least favorite part about setting goals?

 

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[Gsuz]

1. By breaking down a big goal in smaller, more actionable processes and goals and track those using whatever fits the best.
Diet/exercise related with lift.do, monetary with Excel.
Also got my big goals on the wall in front of me, I did use https://bubbl.us/ for this, inspired by this post Yo Dawg I Heard You Like Processes to do this. Mapped all my goals, printed it out and at the end of every day, check it off with a green marker if I took that specific action, with a red marker if I did not.

2. The thing I like the most is the fact that it's fairly easy to track, modify and add goals.

3. I think I'm pretty good with setting goals, but not so much on finding out if it's an actual goal of mine. For example I once did a calculation on buying an Aston Martin, the way it's done in 4HW, but then ended up saying "Well, I don't really need that car" So, while I certainly wouldn't mind driving one, it does not create a burning desire to the point where I say "I absolutely need to get this" On the other hand if someone I respect would hand me an idea and told me, he'd believe I can get that done and the idea was reasonable, it would be a whole different story.

4. Yes, I'm pretty good at sticking with my goals.

5. I haven't really given up on my goals, however I did delay the progress on some of them due to lack of self discipline in the past, not so much nowadays.

6. The goal itself, the excitement of reaching it.

7. Finding out, if it's worth following through/an actual goal

 

[wade1mil]

Thank you for the detailed feedback! I appreciate your input. Interesting you mention bubbl.us because I randomly cam across that website about an hour before I made this post. I've never heard of it before today. Pretty useful to say the least.

I haven't really given up on my goals, however I did delay the progress on some of them due to lack of self discipline in the past, not so much nowadays.

What change do you credit with conquering the lack of self discipline you had in the past?

 

[Gsuz]

What change do you credit with conquering the lack of self discipline you had in the past?

I credit that mainly to recognizing that nearly everything I do is some kind of routine, whether good or bad. If you get up at 1pm every day, there is probably a reason for it. In my case the reason was that I started working too late which forced me to stay up longer => routine formed. If you are aware of these routines, you then can assess whether the routine is helpful or not. I then started to implement simple changes. Get up at 9am 5times in a row, get up at 8:30, 5 times in a row and so on.

Overall I think awareness of the status quo + small, actionable steps + cutting the excuses.

Some resources that helped me, linked below. The comments may also give you further ideas.


The Power of Habit: Make & Break Habits with the Habit Loop | The Art of Manliness
Get Disciplined, Not Motivated | Blog Of Impossible Things

 

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[silentjay]

Personally the best thing I ever did was to stop setting goals and build habits. Concentrate on these and the outcomes or goals take care of themselves.

A great service I found recently which I wish I knew about years ago is Beeminder. It's helping to take me to the next level. You gotta be willing to pay up if you go off track, and that's the point, fear of loss is a powerful motivator.

 

[DeletedUser2]

I think them out

I write them down

I put the paper away,

and pull it out in Jan of each year.


example.

In my first year in a new business around real estate, I wrote down a goal of 500 houses in 1 yr. (it was April and we had already done 40)

the next year, I pulled out the goal sheet, and looked. so I went and asked my CFO how did we do.

she said. we did 505 houses last year.


DAMN was I pissed that I didn't write down a bigger number.




Z

 

[Bigguns50]

Interesting stuff here.

First, I live for challenges so this is right up my alley.

I'm big into physical fitness...ie: noncompetitive bodybuilding, hand to hand combat training, etc. What I've learned from this has bled into my professional and personal life...so here goes.

1) I set my goal. I research and learn if I must to accomplish my goal. I break it down into small parts...ie. with dieting I will map out my food for every day, training, etc. If it's business related I do the same...break it down. I do write a lot so it helps to organize my thoughts and goals ...usually through planning software or some organizational program like Evernote.

2) It's easier for me to chip away at a big goal than be overwhelmed by the entire goal by itself.

3) Yes.

4) Yes.

5) The only time I've totally given up on a goal is when after a period of time pursuing it, I realize I had no business even trying it. Times I've gotten sick or had a family issue I've had to only delay and adjust my goal process.

6) The excitement that I'm entering a challenge.

7) Sometimes It takes longer to plan out than I thought.

 

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[Disciplined]

1. How do/did you keep track of your goals?
2. What is it that you like about this method?
3. Do you feel that you are good at setting goals?
4. Do you feel that you are good at sticking with your goals?
5. What, if anything, has made you given up on goals in the past?
6. What is your favorite part about setting goals?
7. What is your least favorite part about setting goals?

1. I sit down and look at my life and see what I want to change. Once it has been decided that a change is necessary I create a list of actionable tasks that will allow me to reach my goal along with a list of WHY I need to make the necessary changes, both what's good about the changes (carrot) and what happens if I fail to see these changes through to fruition (stick).

• As an example, I'm currently looking at getting into kick-a$$ shape again, realizing that the better I look, the more seriously I will be taken within the business community. This, in turn, will allow me to provide for my family which will allow us to have more free time together and get out of the cycle of trading 5/2!

2. Using this method allows me to see the underlying motivation behind a goal, yes, having 6-pack abs is awesome, but not just for the sake of having them! I need to be healthy so I can be on my A Game, always having the necessary energy to get through to the next milestone, whether that's a sale, or a milestone in the product development life cycle.

3. When my goals are set properly, yes, I can destroy a goal, when it's just a flippant, "Meh, this sounds cool so I want to do 20 1-arm pushups." I fail miserably because there's no underlying motivation, it's like trying to get full eating cotton candy. My goals require substance for me to complete, without that I will fail.

4. I feel that this goes along with question 3.

5. Not breaking them down into manageable enough pieces or not being serious about why. For me, it's always about The Why! As MJ references, people think that they want to have tons of money, but that's not what they really want; they want to have time, freedom, and the ability to do whatever they want!

6. I love knowing that a properly set goal is going to be accomplished and already having the mindset that it's happened, it's an incredibly exciting feeling and gets me more pumped up than anything I can imagine. Another reason is knowing that almost anything can be accomplished that I truly want to do, just write it down and start heading in that direction.

7. This one is in direction contradiction to #6 and that's change or becoming "uncomfortable". By writing a goal out it is an acknowledgment that what I have been doing has not already brought me what I seek, pretty much stating that my current actions are not in alignment with my desires. Massive change will be required and being uncomfortable will be necessary to achieve my desires.

 

[EastWind]

Why are you working on a goal setting product when you don't even understand what you are working on? It's just like people working on a product on how to be rich yet they haven't even gotten rich themselves.

 

[Lights]

How do/did you keep track of your goals?
I write my goals on a piece of paper at random for the day/week/month.

What is it that you like about this method?
It puts it on a concrete form, so it feels more real
.
Do you feel that you are good at setting goals?
Depends, some goals are just not realistic.

Do you feel that you are good at sticking with your goals?
No, unless it's necessary ... or I really motivate myself through self-coaching. I stick with it though, but just by sticking to something mentally doesn't mean I accomplish much.

What, if anything, has made you given up on goals in the past?
Procrastination like youtube especially music videos... I could spend hours at a time watching music videos (the song just doesn't sound good until I have a mental video of it unless it's so awesome I have to watch it), and sleeping in, and putting it off until tomorrow.

What is your favorite part about setting goals?
a sense of accomplishment if I do it

What is your least favorite part about setting goals
a sense of failure if I don't do it.



What helps me the most is the pomodorro technique, and just using fear.

 

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[Vigilante]

The Few That Do: How Winners Set and Reach Their Goals: Brian McShane: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

 

[wade1mil]

Why are you working on a goal setting product when you don't even understand what you are working on? It's just like people working on a product on how to be rich yet they haven't even gotten rich themselves.

Maybe I wasn't clear, because I think you are confused. I know how to set goals and I already have a solid framework for this product. I set goals everyday and have a system in place for that, but what I do individually doesn't represent an entire market. Just because I like something doesn't mean everyone else will, right? What I'm looking for are patterns with people who set goals.

If there is something that everyone seems to like about setting goals, I'll be sure to include that in my product. If I don't include it, all they may see is a lack of features. If there is something that a lot of people struggle with, I will be sure to include a solution to that problem so they stick with their goals. My goal is to make the process of setting goals easier.

 

[socaldude]

How do/did you keep track of your goals?

I use a notebook and a ball point pen. This makes my ideas and thoughts real and in front of my face. I know there are other more modern tools but with a notebook and pen i can create diagrams, graphs, bullets points etc.

What is it that you like about this method?

Again its real and in my face, its easy to update and manipulate.

Do you feel that you are good at setting goals?

Yes and No. sometimes its hard to differentiate between what is real and what is ideal.

Do you feel that you are good at sticking with your goals?

Yes and no. Habit is a powerful thing because another word for habit is a "safety behavior" or a "survival ritual" we are wired to behave in such a way that keeps us away from pain. Thats why a smoker smokes a lot even though he knows its bad for him. its a behavior you adopt because it helps you in some way such as to relieve stress or anxiety. or take for example a person who has social anxiety, the person acts that way because he or she thinks that it benefits them in such a way as to avoid pain such as rejection or being rejected or doing something incompetent or embarrassing.

What, if anything, has made you given up on goals in the past?

the only way you cannot get yourself to do something you want is because there is something else that is getting in the way. usually other bad habits keep me from moving forward, old useless patterns of thinking that sabotage my success.

What is your favorite part about setting goals?

The excitement. the excitement of change. of experiencing something i have never experienced before. We all want change, we all want to move forward, nobody wants to be the same person ten years from now with the same bad habits and self defeating behaviour.

What is your least favorite part about setting goals?

for me is the discipline, again we are creatures of habit because these behaviors actually help us in some way to avoid pain or bring about pleasure. its hard to make the transition to another way of thinking and acting to move towards a specific goal.

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If you are interested I can show you detail by detail how I accomplished my goal of overcoming social anxiety and depression . techniques, tools, strategies all in a span of 5 years. and also how to improve communication skills and public speaking skills. although nobody really has "perfect" communication or public speaking skills i feel confident enough to say they are intermediate to advanced on a good day.

I work part time with dating consultants and we work with a lot of guys who are struggling with dating and women, we help them set goals and make progress. we help them become less self conscious more comfortable and better communicate, how to approach women, everything from the slightest facial muscle movement/expression , body language, cultivating you natural confident voice etc etc etc if you are interested in how, personal message me. i can literally write a whole freakin textbook.

 

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[Clayton]

The Few That Do: How Winners Set and Reach Their Goals: Brian McShane: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

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