It can be good to visualize what you want, but if you don’t create a practical plan, you will never reach your dreams, targets, and goals.
This is why it’s so important to create realistic goals. These can help us understand what we want, as well as the things that we are truly capable of.
Instead of shooting for the stars aimlessly, realistic goals factor in things like our personal circumstances, skills, and timeframe.
It’s important to set targets for ourselves, but understanding how and why we want to achieve these is what matters in the end.
If we don’t have a clear vision of what we want and how to get there, we will lose focus in the process.
You’ll learn more about setting realistic goals in this post, including what they are, why they matter, and how to set yourself realistic goals.
What Do Realistic Goals Involve?
Realistic goals need to determine a distinct prospect of success that you are capable of achieving.
Your faith will vary depending on the target, your present skillset, and the time you are allowing yourself to achieve it.
Essentially, you need to believe that there is a reasonable likelihood of achieving your goal.
Why Do Realistic Goals Matter?
The aim of setting yourself goals is to determine a distinct pathway that motivates you to act towards your target.
You can do this with realistic goals, but if they are unrealistic, you will experience the opposite.
These will set you up for failure, causing you to feel frustrated and disappointed with your progress.
You might even procrastinate and never work towards your goals, leaving you stuck in one spot.
Here are some reasons why setting realistic goals is so important.
Your Goals Should Motivate You
Picture the following scenario. Say you have a wedding in a week and want to lose 30 pounds before the event.
You probably wouldn’t feel motivated to start working towards the goal!
This is because the goal is unrealistic. There aren’t that many people that have managed to lose 30 pounds in a week, so you won’t believe that you can achieve the goal.
This is an extreme example, but it explains why setting realistic targets matters.
You need to believe that you can obtain the result, which starts with self-belief.
You Need To Be Driven
Continuing with the example from before, let’s say that you do believe that you can lose 30 pounds in a week.
As you continue, you’ll soon discover that the goal itself is very impractical.
You won’t come close to achieving your goal, which means that you’ll lose drive and motivation along the way.
Your goals should be cut down into smaller steps that help you succeed. Reaching smaller goals consistently will help you achieve the larger goal.
Keeping motivated along your journey will help you stay on track.
Your Goals Should Improve Your Confidence
Confidence is a huge factor in your likelihood of success. You aren’t likely to take the necessary steps if you aren’t confident in your abilities.
If you keep achieving one goal after the next, you will feel more confident about reaching the next one.
On the other hand, if you keep failing with each one, you won’t feel as though you will reach your goal.
Realistic goals will improve your confidence, but unrealistic ones will decrease it. Confidence in your abilities will help you reach a greater level of success.
Your Goals Should Help You Focus
People often set vague goals when they first set them.
These might result from your desires or daydreams, but as you first make a note of them, you might not know how to make them tangible.
If you set a realistic goal, you then do the work to make specific targets with distinct results.
This practicality will help you concentrate on the goal, giving you a clear pathway to follow.
You can set yourself larger goals, as long as you use smaller ones to reach them, as mentioned earlier.
How To Set Yourself Realistic Goals?
Now you should have a clear idea of why realistic goals matter so much.
We’ve included some tips to help you create realistic aims below.
Make SMART Goals
You might have heard of the term SMART before. The letters stand for the following:
Specific: Is the goal clear and defined?
Measurable: Can you measure the successful results?
Achievable: Do you believe that you can reach your goal?
Relevant: Will the goal fit your current and future circumstances?
Timely: Have you given yourself enough time to reach the goal?
Creating goals that meet the SMART structure will help ensure that they are realistic, increasing your chances of achieving them.
Resources And Incentives
Think about the resources you will need and the incentives you can give yourself to keep motivated.
Is your current skill level compatible with your goal?
If not, can you give yourself the time required to increase your skillset?
Will you rely on other elements to achieve your goal?
Can you give yourself incentives or rewards along the way?
Examination And Rethinking
This involves looking at your development and assessing the steps that you need to take to progress further.
Are you still confident that you can achieve your goal?
If you aren’t, can you separate the goal into smaller, achievable steps?
Could you increase your deadline and give yourself more time to achieve your goal?
Make sure that you share your targets with trusted friends and family, as they can keep you accountable on your journey.
The Bottom Line
It’s great to set yourself goals, but many of us are over-ambitious, setting ourselves up for failure through unrealistic expectations.
Setting yourself realistic goals will help you stay motivated, on track, and confident, so you can achieve your dreams in the end.
If you do have larger goals, separate them into smaller ones that are easier to reach. Give yourself enough time and remember to reward yourself along the way!
With consistency, determination, and dedication, you will be able to reach all of your goals in the end.
Hi, we are Ben Easter and Paige Stephens-Easter, and we have been married for 10 years. Together, we have immersed ourselves in the world of personal development, with our full-time business - Lucid Shift Coaching.
We believe that mental health and mindfulness are the most important things in a relationship, and we need to cherish these things in order to be the best versions of ourselves.
Our core values include Play, Growth, Connection, Collaboration, and Authenticity. These apply to our work, relationship, and all areas of our lives where we want to see improvement.
Please enjoy our website and learn more about personal development through mindfulness, nurturing your mental health, and more.
