The Art of Setting Goals: How to Set Goals the Smart Way

No, not a chance.

Matter of fact, we explore all aspects of life.

From the good, the bad, and the ugly.

But all of that is done with one purpose.

To inspire you to never give up on life.

Even when it may seem like life has given up on you.

Now I get it, life is hard.

But starting today, you've got grit, grace, and inspiration.

What's going on and how are you today?

Welcome to episode 148.

If you missed the previous episode, episode 147, where I was joined in the studio by Kevin Palmary, I would highly recommend you go check out that episode after you finish today's.

Kevin has a truly inspiring, empowering, and encouraging story that I believe can truly be a benefit to us all.

I feel as though his story is inspiring because he shows us what is possible, that you really can come back from the lowest of lows to recreate your life.

And it's equally as encouraging and empowering because he lets us know that we can do it too.

There's nothing special about him.

Now, inside of today's episode, we are keeping on this theme of personal development, self-improvement, helping us to become the best versions of ourselves as we embark on this new year, the year of 2023.

And with that, today we are talking about setting goals, but setting goals with a plan and strategy in place.

If you're anything like me or probably all of us, you've fallen victim to setting goals.

Matter of fact, I've actually been somebody who has been outspoken on encouraging people to not set goals because that only leads to disappointment if you don't achieve those goals.

Well, the fact of the matter is, is that that is because I was thinking about goals without the art involved.

Yes, there isn't art involved in goal setting.

And so the truth of the matter is, is that setting goals can be a powerful tool for both personal and professional development.

But you've got to understand the art involved in the process.

And that process of setting goals the right way, the art of setting goals, is exactly what we are unpacking inside of today's episode.

All right, first things first.

Let's address the elephant in the room.

Why are setting goals so important, Kevin?

Why are you making such a big deal about this?

Well, I've got a couple of reasons.

The truth of the matter is that by having goals, they help us to stay focused and motivated.

They help us to have a target that we're aiming for.

They also do an amazing job at giving us a sense of purpose and direction in our lives.

And goals are also good because when we get down the line, we can look back and we can see our progress because goals are able to be measured.

And that third point is so important because we have to have a plan in place with whatever we're going after, whatever goal it is, so that we can really look back and see and understand that, hey, we've been making some progress.

So that's why I feel like setting goals is important.

But now let's really get into some tips for setting effective goals, which that's where the art of goal setting really comes into play.

There's a term called SMART goals.

What's the difference in a smart goal and a stupid goal?

Well, a SMART goal is gonna meet one of the following, or better yet, it's gonna meet all of the following criteria.

It's specific, it's measurable, achievable, relevant, and they have a time limit involved.

And when you have all of those criteria met, you know that you have a smart goal because it's able to be tracked, and that's the point in it being a smart goal.

So focus on setting smart goals and not stupid ones.

My second tip for effective goal setting is to handle your goals like you're going into a meal.

A meal with a big juicy steak, or well, for my vegetarians in the crowd, I guess a big juicy block of tofu.

Don't hate me on that.

I'm just trying to think of something that you can relate to.

What I'm saying is, is whether it's a big steak or a block of tofu or whatever it is that you're eating, you know that the only way you're gonna do it is one small bite at a time.

And so when we've got big goals, we need to break them down into bite-sized pieces that are able to be handled, that are more manageable.

Because just like we can't shove that whole steak in our mouth or that block of tofu, we can't do that with our big goals in life either.

Now, here's the important part when we start breaking our goals down into pieces is that we need to be sure that each of those pieces have their own specific outcome.

They each one are a goal in of itself.

So I need you to be sure that you clearly define what success is going to look like for each of those pieces.

Now, if we've not used enough on the analogies of meat, I'm sorry, but we are really diving into the meat and potatoes of this whole concept we're talking about today.

And that is we are about to start identifying strategies that are going to have us achieving those goals.

First and foremost, you got to have a plan.

Create a plan and timeline for achieving your goals.

Whether it's one small goal or a big goal that you've broken up into pieces, you need to have a plan in place and a timeline.

Without a timeline, it's a goal that never gets accomplished.

It's hard to do tough things by ourselves.

We're meant to do things together.

That's why there's a Facebook group for literally everything you can think of.

Well, that's what I want you to do is I want you to not go into this alone.

I want you to have a friend, a buddy, a group, a support group, somebody or some group that can be there to cheer you on when the days get tough and the days get long.

Now, here's a big one.

And this is one of my all-time favorites as just a general rule to life is I need you to celebrate your progress and your wins along the way.

I'm a firm believer that we don't celebrate enough.

So if you do something big, if you achieve even just one of those little bite-sized goals along the way, I want you to celebrate yourself.

Let yourself realize that, hey, when I do this and I do what I've set out to do, I get rewarded in a big way.

Now, I'll leave the means by which you want to celebrate up to you, but spoiling yourself in some way sounds mighty fine to me.

Now, the next step in the process, I actually talk a lot about with my coaching clients.

And that is possible roadblocks, challenges, obstacles, things that get in our way that try to stop us from achieving our goals.

And so the first and most important part for you to be prepared is to realize they're gonna happen.

Expect there to be challenges along the way.

Don't expect this to be a cakewalk.

It's gonna be tough.

The bigger the goal is, the harder it is to get there, the harder it is to make your new reality.

So you got to be willing to put in the work and to realize that there's gonna be some unexpected challenges along the way.

But if you start thinking today of all those possible challenges, roadblocks that may get in your way, well, then you're already prepared, if even just mentally, for when they do happen.

Now, here's a truth is that along our way, setbacks are gonna happen.

We're gonna fall off the bandwagon.

Things aren't going to go right because, well, this is life.

And so, what I want you to realize, though, is that this happens to everyone.

Everybody has setbacks, everybody has things that happen that are out of our control.

But here's the important mindset shift that I want you to make is that when setbacks happen, I don't want you to let them discourage you.

I don't want you to let that be the excuse of why you can't keep going.

Instead, I want you to reframe them as an opportunity for learning.

And therefore, you've just made yourself stronger for the next time that challenge gets in your way.

Now, here's the other big one.

Seek out help or guidance if you feel like you need it.

Reach out to a friend, reach out to a support group, get a coach, work with somebody.

Because if this goal is truly important to you, well, maybe you need some help along the way.

So don't feel like you have to do it alone.

Matter of fact, I think it's better when done with others.

As I said, whether that's just a friend, a family member, or somebody you hire, a coach, a mentor, somebody who can help to be sure that you achieve those goals, whether the bite-sized little ones or the big ones.

In conclusion, the truth of the matter is that we shouldn't be scared of setting goals.

We shouldn't veer away from goals simply because we want to avoid failure.

Instead, we need to realize that setting goals a smart way, it's gonna set us up for success.

And by setting goals and chasing after those goals and ultimately achieving those goals, it's gonna make us bigger, better, stronger people in all aspects of life.

I'm here to tell you that if you go into setting goals, following the strategies and tips and little pieces of advice that I just laid out for you, your dreams will become your reality soon enough.

Now, if you're really just looking to fast track your way to success, you just want somebody to help you out.

You like what you heard, but you're thinking to yourself, man, this would be a lot easier if I had somebody to work with to help me figure this all out, to map it out.

Well, I'm inviting you to sign up for my completely free, yes, zero cost, no obligation, free one-on-one, 30-minute life roadmap planning session.

We're gonna figure all of these steps out together.

We're gonna map out where you are, where you want to be, and all the steps needed to get there.

And yeah, we'll even figure out all those obstacles that may pop up along the way.

All you need to do is head on over to workwithkevan.coach.

That is work with Kevin.coach to get signed up today.

You, of course, can find that link along with all of my contact information inside of today's episode description or show notes, whatever you want to call it.

I just want to be sure that 2023 is a year that you remember for all the good things, for all the goals that you achieved, for all the amazing things that happened.

Because you know what?

You are worth it.

You deserve to have your goals crushed.

You deserve to have your dreams come true.

And if I could possibly help to make that happen for you, that would be absolutely awesome.

Until next week, this is Grit Grace at Inspiration.

Get out there and take on the day every day because, well, what else do you have to do?

It's the beginning of a new year and it's waiting for you to get out and enjoy.

Hey, real quick before you go, I have one last thought to leave you with.

I of course hope that you've enjoyed today's episode, but more importantly, I want to remind you that I never want you to listen to an episode of this podcast to hear something that I have to say or that my guest has to share and think, wow, I wish I could be like them.

I wish I could overcome my own challenges and do the great things that they are doing, but I just can't.

Well, friend, that's where you're wrong.

unknown: You're wrong.

SPEAKER_00: You are capable, you are able, and you darn sure are deserving of having all that you can imagine in this life.

There's nothing special about me or any guests I have on this podcast.

We are all just normal people trying to make it in this life.

And so I encourage you to take a look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself that you know what?

I can do it too.

Now, of course, if you would like help along that way, reach out to me.

Whether that's as a listener of this podcast, a friend, or if you'd like to work with me as a coach.

My contact information is inside of every episode's show notes, just like this one.

So go down, check out my contact information, and reach out to me today.

With that said, I encourage you to take on the day every day with grit, grace, and inspiration.