Earlier this year, I was desperate to learn how to increase the odds of getting what you want with goal setting. This started because I randomly clicked on my old, mostly-unrealized list of goals on my laptop.

In 2016 and 2017, I set the same four goals for myself. In other words, I had not done any of them in 2016, so I just copied and pasted them for the next year. Here they are:

1. Write book 

2. Post at least 2 times per week on blog 

3. Build national platform around IP/entrepreneurship

4. Get to healthy weight: between 125-135

Since that time, I have built a national platform around intellectual property and entrepreneurship, but nothing else.

Womp.

When I saw my old list with fresh eyes, I began to wonder (okay, obsess over) why it was that, 4-5 years later, I’m sitting at only 1 out of 4 things achieved.

Especially because I still really want those other three!

This led me to a serious deep dive on the science and data-backed research around how to create goals that I can actually work toward and attain.

I found that there are really 3 keys to setting goals that you achieve:

1. Following a simple formula 
2. Writing goals as affirmations 
3. Reminding yourself of your goals every day

After figuring this out, I re-wrote a new list using these keys. And not to get too woo-woo with you, things started to shift almost immediately.

I’m sharing these keys with you here because I also want you to achieve the goals you have!

First, follow a simple formula 

Having and writing goals isn’t rocket science, but it is science. However, it requires a liiiiitle bit more than my “write book” statement from 2016 and 2017!

In 2015, Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University uncovered a goal-setting formula that makes you 100% more likely to achieve them.

1. Think about your goals
2. Write them down
3. Write action steps for each goal
4. Send your goals and action steps to a supportive friend
5. Check in with that supportive friend and send weekly updates to them

If you do these five things, you are literally 100% more likely to achieve your goals according to research.

Second, write goals as affirmations 

Writing your goals as affirmations is the second key to getting the things you want. There is actually a science to this, and you can build on Dr. Matthews’ research to write goals that you actually achieve.

My suggestion is that you write your goals as affirmations. Affirmations are positive, encouraging statements that can get things flowing in your mind, heart and actions.

Hal Elrod writes about affirmations in his amazing book, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM). Hal studied and researched the morning practices of hundreds of people (or more), and distilled the key elements in his book.

I love the way he describes writing affirmations. Here’s how to best set yourself up for success with your goal-driven affirmations:

1. Affirm what you’re committed to
2. Say why this is deeply meaningful to you 
3. Write what you’re specifically committed to doing to ensuring your success
4. Say when specifically you’re committed to implementing these activities

Going back to my 2016/2017 list, it isn’t hard to see why my list was still sitting on read but not replied to.

I didn’t make them live and I didn’t affirm much of anything.

However, I’m righting my wrongs now and you can too!

Try writing your goals as affirmations using these four steps and watch what happens.

Third, remind yourself of your goals daily

I don’t ever remember going back and looking at my 2016/2017 goals. Ultimately, I wrote them (probably around New Year’s Eve) with good intentions, but I’m certain life got busy and that list wasn’t opened too many times. Ultimately, they sat in my Evernote notebook unattended to.

This was a mistake!

Reminding yourself of what you’ve said you want is critical. Therefore, I’m using a little bit of a hack so that I see a list of what I’ve said I want each day.

I’ve created a reminder widget that I pin to the Home Screen of my phone.

Try this strategy (or something like it) to make sure that your goals don’t sit on read like mine did for years!

In conclusion, you can use these strategies to improve your odds of achieving your goals.

Set yourself up for the win!

Are you achieving the goals you set for yourself? If not, try some of these strategies and let me know if they worked for you! You can text me at 864-651-9920.