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How To Set Goals and Achieve Them

Charmaine — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:50:00 +0000

How To Set Goals and Achieve Them

Most of the time we start with the best of intentions to change and to build our dream life, but somehow, along the way we lose that motivation and direction and fall back into bad habits.

That’s when the old habits that feel comfortable and familiar creep back in and before you know it, you’re back to your old ways.

This is where you need the direction of goals!

Learning how to set goals can be the difference of living your dream or just simply wishing for it.

In this blog post I’m going to take you through the key steps on how to set goals and achieve them.

This blog will show you how to set goals

Why Setting Goals Matters

Motivation can play a great role in achieving your dreams, but let’s be honest, motivation doesn’t always show up when you need it. This is why you need goals.

Did you know that you are 42% more likely to achieve a goal when it’s written down? Yep, that’s right!

Setting goals gives you the direction and clarity motivation can’t offer.

Start With your Why

You are more likely to stick to a goal when you are clear on why you want to set that goal.

Do you want to set a goal to lose weight, so you feel better about yourself, so you’re healthier? Are you doing it because you have children and you want to be fit and health for them?

Do you want to earn more money to be financially free? To support your family so you have more free time to spend with them?

Whatever your deeper meaning is behind the change you want to see, connecting this to your goal will give you a greater purpose.

Choose the Right Type of Goal

When you’re learning how to set goals, there are 4 main types you need to consider, these are:

Long -term goals: where you can look 3 or 5 years in the future and think about where you want to be.

Short term goals: this is looking at what you want to achieve in the next 6-12 months, which will help you get closer to the 5 year plan you might have.

Habit based goals: this looks at creating a consistent behaviour, such as walking for 20 minutes everyday.

Outcome based goals: do you want to run a marathon, or lose a certain mount of weight? Or change career?

Each of these types of goals serves a purpose when considering what you want to achieve. All I would recommend is, don’t try to set too many goals. Be realistic with what you can achieve with the time you have.

Use the SMART Framework

A key component on how to set goals and achieve them is using the SMART framework, here’s how it works:

Specific: Be clear on what it is you want to achieve and who it is you want to be.

Measurable: If you want to earn more money, how much? If you want to lose weight, how much?

Achievable: Don’t set yourself up for fail or set too many goals.

Relevant: Set your goals to fit who you are. If you’re not into running, then don’t set a goal for running a marathon.

Time – Bound: When do you want to achieve your goal? 6 week’s? 6 months?

Using the SMART framework is key on how to set goals as it provides clear and concise steps that can be used for all goal setting.

Break Goals into Small Actions

One of the main reasons people fail at their goals is because they feel too big. Learning how to set goals for yourself, is understanding how to break those big goals into smaller ones.

For example, you have a long- term goal to work for yourself one day. That can feel daunting when you work full time in a job that you don’t like and you’ve never worked for yourself.

What you need to do is break those goals down into small, achievable steps. If your goal is to work for yourself, you can start with naming your business, researching your competitors, setting up your social media, taking courses, learn how you might market your business, picking your niche.

There are many small, less daunting steps that you can take before you reach your overall goal.

Create a Visual Plan

A key on how you set goals and achieve them is having a visual that you can refer to everyday.

Goal Planners: You are 42% more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down! With a goal planner you can get clear on your goals, set deadlines and plan out the steps you need to take each week.

Vision Board: Having a visual on either your wall in your bedroom, or a screen saver on your phone is a great daily reminder of your goals.

Habit Trackers: This is a great way of tracking your progress and celebrating your wins.

Build Routines that Support Your Goals

Goals succeed through habits and routines. The best thing you can do is add on to a habit or routine you already do – it makes it much easier!

For instance, I wanted to start taking supplements, but I would keep these in the cupboard and guess what – I didn’t take them! So, I keep them right by the kettle now and when I’m making my morning tea, that’s when I take them.

Or, if I want to go for a run in the morning, I set my clothes out in the morning, so I’m not searching for them.

This is the key on how to set goals in life, set up your environment to support your habits.

Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress can give you such a positive dopamine rush! Having a record of your small wins, seeing where you started and where you are now is amazing.

It also allows you to see what is working, what isn’t working and what changes you might need to make to your habits or routines.

Adjust when you need to

A key element on knowing how to set goals, is knowing when you need to change those goals. It’s not about failing, it’s about being flexible to changes, understanding that situations can evolve and your goals need to.

It could be that when you initially started setting your goals you had a clear idea of what you wanted. However, over time this can change, and that’s OK. Take the time to review your goals and make sure they still align with what you want.

Remove Barriers

You need to think ahead at what might prevent you from getting where you are to where you want to be. For instance, if you want to have a better morning routine, but you’re not a morning person, then don’t say to yourself that you’ll be up at 5am every morning.

Start with getting up at 6am and ease into a morning routine by trying a different alarm to wake you up or have your favourite breakfast in so you’re more inclined to get up.

Think about what has got in your way before and try to eliminate or reduce those strains before starting.

Add motivation tools

Understanding how to set goals is also learning how to add motivation tools.

Affirmations: These are positive statements you say on a daily basis to remind yourself of what it is you’re aiming for.

Gratitude Practices: It’s important to remind yourself of the positive things you already have you in life. These don’t have to be big things, being thankful for the perfect cup of tea, a catch up with a friend or keeping to your habits can be things your grateful for.

We have gone through the main steps on how to set goals and achieve them. This provides you with the best foundation to set you up for success.

Just remember, be kind to yourself, change takes time

The post How To Set Goals and Achieve Them appeared first on Changing My Mindset.

How Do I Change My Life When I Feel Stuck?

Charmaine — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 21:57:15 +0000

How Do I Change My Life When I Feel Stuck?

5 years ago I became a mum to my beautiful little girl and this completely changed me.

I was overjoyed, as most mothers are, but I had no idea the impact this change would have on me. Call it being naïve or inexperienced, but having my daughter completely changed not only my body, but my mind, my confidence, my values, my priorities, my sanity – you get the picture, it changed me.

Before becoming a mum, I was career focused, knew what I wanted and was willing to take risks.

Now I constantly ask myself “how do I change”? How do I change my life that now reflects the new me?

That’s when I decided to take control and take action to figure out who the new me was.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how to change yourself and build a life that you love, this is the blog post for you. I’m going to take you through the 10 key steps on how to change your life.

This blog post answers the question - 'How Do I Change? '

Pause & Reflect

The first step you are going to take to change yourself is pausing and reflecting.

Take some time for yourself to really think about what is missing. This is where you can use the ‘Wheel of Life’.

It focuses on 10 areas that you can reflect on, ensuring you’re not missing anything.

Core Areas of Life

Family and relationships: This can be any family or friendship in your life. Are their people in your life that you need to make more time for? Or possibly, are there friendships you need to distant yourself from as they drain you?
Health and Wellbeing: What is your physical health like? Do you get enough sleep? How’s your mental health? These are some really important questions to ask yourself.
Personal Growth: Are you learning anything new? Are you doing anything to improve or learn something new? Asking yourself ‘How do I change?’
Career and Purpose: What is your career like? Are you happy in your job? Do you have a sense of purpose?
Finances: Do you have long term money goals? Is your money management good?
Fun and recreation: Do you have hobbies you can unwind too? Are you doing things that bring you joy?
Physical Environment: Is your home a place you love to be? Do you live clutter free? Do you feel organised?
Love and Romance: Are you looking for an emotional connection with someone? Do you need to communicate better with your partner?
Contribution and Community: Do you give back? Do you feel like you are part of something bigger?
Spirituality or Inner peace: Do you feel connected to something bigger? Do you practice mindfulness?

The wheel of life is a really good way of looking at all areas of your life and reflecting where you want to make improvements and how to change your life.

Reconnect With Who You Are

This is where you set some time aside for your self and remember your passions and values.

These might have changed over the years, and that’s OK. It’s about taking the time to get to know yourself and ask yourself ‘how do I change’? ‘Who do I want to be?’

Create a Vision

Get clear on what you want and who you want to be, this provides clarity and direction.

Without this direction or clarity you won’t know what you’re aiming for.

Set Small Goals

Trying to make lots of big changes at once is just setting yourself up for failure.

To make meaningful changes to your life, make small changes and remain consistent. These small changes will snow ball and before you know it those consistent changes are making an impact in your life.

Declutter

This may seem like strange one, but knowing how to change yourself starts with making changes to your environment.

How do you change your life, when your old life is taking up all the space? Take the time to go through your old clothes, donate anything that no longer serves you or aligns with the new you.

Build New Routines

You can’t build a new life if you are still doing the same routine everyday!

Again, make small changes that will stick and you can be consistent with. Start with adding new routines onto old ones – take supplements with your morning coffee, add a new step to your current skin care routine, swap one of your cups of tea in the day for a glass of water.

These small changes can have a big impact.

Take Care Of Yourself

We all know that exercising more and eating better is good for us, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.

Take up a new hobby where you can move your body, but make new connections. Find new recipes that support a healthy eating lifestyle but explore new tastes or style of foods you love!

Surround Yourself with Positivity

This doesn’t just apply to people in your life, but also the content you consume on your social media, TV or books you read.

Change these to content that feeds your soul or focuses on passions of yours. The impact this can have on you can be profound.

Learn Something New

Step out of your comfort zone and learn something that reignites your spark.

It can be daunting putting yourself in new settings, but it can be so transformative and a great step towards a change in your life.

Be Kind to Yourself

Making changes can take time, so be kind to yourself.

You may not see results straight away, but if you remain consistent the only possible outcome can be success and change.

So, if you find yourself asking ‘How Do I Change?’ these are the simple, yet effective steps you can make.

They may seem simple, but they are the building blocks for change. If you ever feel lost, or you don’t know where to start, you will always have these simple steps to fall back on – especially when life gets complicated.

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