Evan Vitale

Evan Vitale – Setting Personal Goals (Part III)

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By Evan Vitale

This is our third and final part of a series on setting and reaching personal goals.

As I’ve said in the previous blog posts, it’s very easy to set a goal (and many people claim resolutions on January 1 for the upcoming year). However, there’s a huge difference in setting a goal and reaching it.

As you set your goal, one of three things will happen:

  1. You’ll work hard and obtain your goal.
  2. You’ll work hard most of the time, but you won’t reach your goal.
  3. You’ll never do anything in working toward reaching your goal.

Let’s focus on No. 1 and No. 2 as our main challenge is how are we going to reach our goal?

Here’s the secret to reaching any goal: break your goal down into smaller, bit-sized and winnable chunks.

How?

Well, let’s say we have a goal that we want to lose 20 pounds in the upcoming year. That’s a good goal and it’s one that we can reach.

Now, let’s break it down into smaller chunks. How are we going to lose 20 pounds?

  1. Create a smaller goal of walking every day for 30 minutes. Break this goal down into when are you going to walk every day. In the morning? At lunch? After work? Make it good for you so that you’ll actually do it every day.
  2. Take a look at your diet. Now, I’m not saying you’re going to switch to an all bread-and-water diet, but what kinds of foods and drinks could you start cutting out of your daily intake that would impact your weight gain or loss. For example, cut back on sugar; carbs and sugar-drinks like soda. A friend of mine totally cut out all soft drinks and starting drinking water instead. Not only does he feel better, but he immediately started losing weight.

There two steps are only the beginning, but they are simple. Plus, if you succeed in reaching and following your “sub-goals” then you’ll reach your main goal quicker.

Now are you ready to set a new goal for yourself for the upcoming year? Create the goal. Then, create a list of steps that you must take in order to reach the goal. Have a plan. Follow it!

Evan Vitale – Setting Personal Goals (Part II)

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By Evan Vitale

Let’s continue with our on-going series of setting – and reaching – goals in our personal life. It’s true: setting a goal is easy, but are you setting realistic goals?

For example, to set a goal that you are going to make $1 million over the next 365 days might be an unrealistic goal if you are unemployed or aren’t in a position to increase sales or your salary. However, if you earned $750,000 last year in sales commissions and salary, then you could see how a $1 million goal might be obtainable.

What realistic goals and reachable goals would you like to set for yourself? Here are some ideas:

  • Lose weight – always a top goal as we enter a new year.
  • Buy a new car.
  • Get a job promotion where you work.
  • Get a raise.
  • Find a different job, perhaps?
  • Travel more.
  • Buy a house, condo, etc.
  • Start a new business.
  • Plan for a better and more comfortable retirement.
  • Save more money.
  • Do a better job of budgeting.
  • Stop smoking; drink less, etc.

Are your creative juices flowing?

These goal ideas are some of the more popular ones, but most goals are those involving financial goals and health-related goals as we’d like to live longer; feel better and have the financial means to enjoy life.

While we might want to choose and create many goals, let’s start our goal project by picking one goal and focus solely on that primary goal.

How are you going to reach that goal? How much time do you think it will take? A month? A year? Longer, perhaps?

In our next blog, we’re going to pick a random goal from our aforementioned list and break it down into smaller chunks and show you how easy it is to work towards and reach your goal!