New Years is the number one time to make resolutions and set goals for yourself. But we say, why not set goals year-round? At Team Bruce, we believe that the mind is a very powerful tool. If you can train yourself to be disciplined and stay motivated, there’s no end to the dreams you can achieve! We want to help others be the best they can be, so we’re going to share some of our tips for successful goal setting.

Choose Your Goals Wisely

Think of the end game. Is there a purpose to achieving your goal? Will you feel a sense of achievement or is your goal not worthwhile? Is it going to keep your interest or are you going to abandon it after a week?

Successful goal setting should start with a significant goal and should be followed by more specific, attainable goals.

If your overall goal is to lose weight, how much do you want to lose? How are you going to make that happen? If your overall goal is to improve your company sales, how much do you hope to gain? How are you going to achieve that?

Check out the next section for some strategies on setting yourself up for success in order to achieve these major goals!

Plan How You’re Going to Get There

Now that you’ve decided on what you want to achieve, how are you going to get there? Setting the stage is crucial for positioning yourself to be successful. The only way to reach a goal is to take one bite at a time.

So, determine what steps you need to take and prioritize these individual steps as daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals. Mapping out these attainable and measurable goals, and setting deadlines for them, will hold you accountable for taking the necessary steps to succeed in achieving your dreams.

Take Action

First and foremost, get yourself an accountability partner and make your goal public. It’s easy to push something aside if you’re the only one who knows it’s not getting done. If you start to veer away from your goal, having someone who will cheer you on, reel you back in, and can be a point of support for you is the best thing you can do for yourself.

It’s important to remember that you’re not always going to be motivated, but learning how to be disciplined will help keep you on track. Checklists are a great tool to help keep you disciplined. Plus, making the mark on that to-do list that you completed your task or goal sure does feel great!

That brings us to our final tip. Rewarding yourself! Whether it’s a major pat on the back, buying yourself a nice lunch, or splurging on a beach vacation, there’s no better way to stay motivated. On the flip side, don’t get down on yourself if you’re having trouble checking off those goals. Be kind to yourself, re-evaluate, and adjust your goals as needed. If you are succeeding in training your mind to be disciplined and you are consistently raising the bar for yourself, that’s a win in our book!

We would love to chat with you about your financial goals, if you have been considering refinancing or buying a home in King County or Pierce County, Washington. Get in touch with us today if there’s anything we can do for you!