Capture your goal
Write down what you want to achieve.
The first step in setting a goal is to clearly write down what you want to achieve. Keep these tips in mind to make your goal clear.
Writing down a goal is like giving a GPS a destination. It gives you a clear target to aim for.
👉 You can write your goal like this: I want to [what you want to achieve].
👉 Focus on what you want (approach goals), not what you don’t want (avoidance goals). Telling a taxi driver you don’t want to go to the airport isn’t helpful, you need to clearly say where you want to go. For example, frame your goal as “I want to eat more vegetables and whole foods” rather than “I don’t want to eat junk food.” Or for exercise, say “I want to move for 30 minutes every day” rather than “I don’t want to be sedentary.” Approach goals are more motivating and help you stick with them because they focus on positive outcomes.
👉 Write your goal in your own words. Don’t worry about wording it perfectly or filtering your thoughts; the act of writing helps clarify your thinking.
👉 At this early stage, your goal might be aspirational, like “I want to get fitter,” or more specific, like “I want to run a 5K in under 30 minutes.” It could also be, “I want to lose 10 pounds in three months,” or “I want to feel more confident in social situations.” Include a timeframe if it feels natural. It can be as loose as “this month” or “this year” to give your goal some context. Start broad if you want, you will refine it later.
👉 Think about what success looks like. Even a rough idea of what achieving your goal would feel like helps make it real. For example, success might be completing a project ahead of schedule or finally understanding a difficult concept. Or it could be speaking up in a meeting or comfortably starting a conversation at a party.
👉 Not sure which goal to focus on? Look at key areas of your life, like physical health, emotional well-being, work, and relationships. Notice what’s going well and what could use more attention. Choose a goal that feels most meaningful or will have the biggest positive impact.
Once it’s written down, your goal is ready for the next step of uncovering what motivates it.
