It's been said that you can never be completely successful without goals. We hear it constantly. But what steps should you take when setting and reaching these goals?

1. Realize the WHY:

Why are you setting this goal? What are you trying to accomplish and what are you gaining by achieving it? Establishing this first will give you the motivation to see it through. You have to want to reach it, or otherwise you are wasting your time.

2. Make a realistic goal, but also make it a competitive one:

I hear a lot of motivational speakers say to make the goal realistic. That's very true, but the issue with that is folks tend to make it TOO realistic and play it safe to avoid failure. If you're selling 20 cars a month, don't make a goal of 100...don't make a goal of 22 either...but do aim for 30. If you make the 30, bump it up a notch the following month. If not, aim for it again until you reach it. 

3. Make a realistic road map:

What are you doing now to reach your existing numbers? Figure that out, then stretch it out. If you're calling 100 people, stretch it to 150. If you're only doing 2 prospecting events, stretch it to 4. Remember that we can't grow unless we stretch. You can't win a sports game without a game plan. You can't reach your goal unless you realize the steps you need to take in order to do so. 

4. Narrow down the time:

How often do people set a goal that's a year or even a month from now then fall short? It's probably because they lose sight of it in the wonderful thing called life along the way. When making your game plan, narrow it down to what you'll be doing down to the day. Think of your goal as the mountain top and each day you're working and climbing a little bit more and more to get there.

5. Write it down and keep it in the forefront:

You can try to remember directions to a destination off the top of your head, but when there's 10 different turns and exits and you're heading to the unknown, how well did you really retain those directions? How often will you get to your destination? WRITE IT ALL DOWN. Writing it leaves an imprint, but if you aren't motivated enough to do that, at least type it up, print it out and keep it in front you for a constant reminder. 

6. Use your time wisely:

We live in a procrastinator's society where unfortunately "There's always tomorrow." But how often do you live with that mindset then realize it's December 31st at 11:59pm and there's a lot of things you didn't get done because you kept putting it off? Sometimes we work harder at wasting time. Get it done today, that way you have more opportunities for tomorrow. 

7. Hold yourself accountable:

You live with yourself, you are your own worst critic and nobody (that is successful at least) likes to fail. Each day, look at that road map you created and ask yourself, "Did I accomplish what I set out to do today? Am I on target to reach my goal?" If you are, pat yourself on the back for a job well done. If you aren't, go back to the drawing board and see how you can get back on track. 

8. Get others to hold you accountable:

Share your goals with others. Get them to encourage you and push you to the top of the mountain. Some of us are alright with disappointing ourselves as we choose what we take and don't take seriously (if we know we're failing at a goal, it suddenly becomes unimportant so we aren't let down). We tend to not want to disappoint others though, so having people that will continuously hold you to a higher standard will only help you achieve success. Plus, you should be befriending those kinds of people anyway!!

9. Treat yourself:

When you do reach your goal, CELEBRATE! You've worked hard and you've earned it! If you're one that is encouraging others for their goals, show your excitement and appreciation when they've reached their mark. Then raise the bar or set another goal because celebrating success is so much fun & so rewarding that you want to do it again! =)