We go through each day and it seems like nothing changes. Life keeps going on. Every so often, we look back at a distant date and find that things have changed, but it was hard to realize it. That’s because, in order for us to compare things, we need a starting point to compare to. Like many of us, I got stuck on the monotonous merry-go-round of life and often felt like I wasn’t succeeding or getting anything done.
The thing that changed that? Short-term goals.
Sure, you probably have long-term goals like a five-year plan, but I’m talking about goals that actually get you somewhere. Goals that will increase your success in your life. In short (pun intended), short-term goals are goals that can be completed in less than three years. It could be a week, a few months, or two years to reach your short-term goal, but it’s something that you want to do now.
I used to be stuck in a rut, feeling like I wasn’t accomplishing anything. But now, I have greater success and have changed the way I think completely. It’s all due to harnessing the power of short-term goals. Keep reading and I’ll share my secrets for how to make short-term goals your newest life plan.
What are short-term goals?
Basically, short-term goals are something that you have planned to do in the near future. While there doesn’t have to be a set amount of time for a goal to be considered short-term, it does have to be something you plan on doing soon.
Short-term goals can be used for your personal and professional lives. Whether you want to save up some money or learn something new, you can make short-term goals that help you reach where you want to be.
Here’s the thing: All of us have an idea of what we want our life to be like. It’s called the “ideal self,” and it’s what we strive or wish to be on a daily basis. But, without clear goals that lead us to that ideal self, we’re not going to get there.
That’s where short-term goals come in. These goals are easier to achieve than long-term goals, and they can even be stepping stones to your long-term goal.
Short-term goal examples
Short-term goals can be hard to define because what may be short-term for you could be long-term for someone else. But, if you’re struggling understanding what short-term goals are and how they can help you, here are some examples of short-term goals I’ve set in my life:
- Finish setting up my resume and portfolio
- Spend a date night each month with my toddler
- Find a babysitter so I can go out with my partner
- Complete an important work project that’s due in one month
- Buy a new phone in three months
See how they can vary widely? No one says that you can’t set a goal for something that matters to you. Whether it’s to do with you, your family, career, education, or love life, if it matters to you, it’s important.
But, why are short-term goals so imperative?
Importance of short-term goals
Long-term goals are great. They’re what spur us into the desire to change. But, long-term goals are often thought of as dreams or wishes. Many times, they may not even happen. Short-term goals are what really break down your long-term goals to make them attainable. The importance of short-term goals include:
- Feeling motivated because it’s a goal you can cross off your list right then and there
- Minimize procrastination due to short-term goals being attainable
- Increased production when clear, defined goals are set
Doesn’t it feel good to get something done? It really does get you motivated and excited to get even more items crossed off your list. When we think of our lives, we often look at the big picture. But life isn’t made up of one big picture. It’s the small moments, the little things, that really count.
I can say that five years from now that I want to be a better, more authentic person. The thing is, how do I do that? I need clearly defined short-term goals that help me reach that long-term goal. Without short-term goals, your overarching goal is a failure.
To meet my goal of becoming more authentic and true to myself, I could set short-term goals like:
- Take an authenticity class to discover more about myself
- Learn to say no
- Choose one activity a week that I want to do for me and no one else
- Stop agreeing to do things I don’t want to do
Those short-term goals could help me meet my long-term goal. The importance of short-term goals is that life goals and long-term goals don’t come to fruition without them. We desperately need short-term goals to succeed, so how do you set useful ones?
How to set short-term goals
While it sounds great to set short-term goals, they can actually be somewhat difficult to figure out. You have to find what it is you want in the long run to make short-term goals that make sense.
That’s why you need to set SMART short-term goals. Sure, your goals should already be smart, but they should also be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
First, let’s set your long term goal. I’m going to use the example and say that in five years, I want to become a better and more authentic person. So, in the example above, I didn’t set SMART short-term goals.
When your goals are SMART, you have a way to track them. They aren’t just manifestations but actual desires that you’re pushing toward. Let’s break it down with my goal of take an authenticity class and make it a SMART goal.
Specific
An authenticity class is somewhat specific, but there have to be tons out there. I want an authenticity class that will get me somewhere. One with a proven track record. Then, I’m going to choose it.
So, for this example, I’m choosing Rudá Iandé’s Out of the Box class. It’s specific, and it comes with 20 different lessons to help me become more authentic. That’s the first part of my goal.
Measurable
Basically, your short-term goal has to be measurable. For this one, it’s easy. I either did or I didn’t take the class. For others, it can be more difficult. Just remember to take note of your baseline and find a way to measure your “success.” If it’s a simple task (like many short-term goals are), it’s either you did or you didn’t do it.
Attainable
Can you achieve your short-term goal? I have to look at how busy my life is. Right now, it’s pretty busy. Am I able to make time to fit in 20 lessons to become more authentic? After going over my schedule, I know I can.
Look, the real grit here is that you don’t want to make a goal that is completely unattainable. If you want to save $1,000 in a week and your paycheck is only $300 a week, that’s not attainable. Be realistic in what you choose as your short-term goal.
Relevant
If I want to become a more authentic person, setting a goal to do something I hate, isn’t going to help me. When you’re setting short-term goals, they need to be relevant to your life and overarching long-term goal.
We’re not looking to check random stuff off the list. I’m choosing to take an authenticity course to help me with my authenticity journey. It wouldn’t be smart of me to take a course about hiding who I am, would it?
Timely
Arguably the most important thing in setting SMART goals is the time. You can’t just set a goal and give yourself no deadline. You need to assess what it is you have to do, how long it will take you, and set a date to finish. A goal without a deadline is simply a wish.
Please, for the sake of yourself and your life, be realistic with this. The last thing you want to do is rush your goal and then fail to meet your deadline because your deadline was never realistic. For me, I have 20 lessons to take. So, it wouldn’t be smart of me to say that I’m going to finish the course in two days.
SMART goals vs regular goals
My original goal was: Take an authenticity course.
My SMART goal is: Take Rudá Iandé’s Out of the Box course within two months of today.
I’ve set a date that is realistic, I’ve chosen the course to take, and I know it’s going to help me on my journey to become a more authentic person. See how the two goals are different? What goal is more likely to succeed? Here’s a hint, it’s the one with more detail.
Follow through on your goals
A long-term goal can still be successful, but it’s so hard to measure it without the help of short-term goals. The days may be long, but the weeks are short, and before you know it, that five years is up. You look back and think, what have I done with my life?
I want to help you stop the monotonous day-to-day life and become happier, motivated, and successful with your goals. But, you have to follow through on them. Break up your long-term goal into smaller goals. I’d suggest three things:
- Yearly goals
- Monthly goals
- Weekly goals
You can’t just do this all in your mind. Sit down with a pen and paper, your iPhone, laptop, or whatever you want and get these goals written down. First, start with your long-term goal. What is it that you want? What’s your dream? Spoiler alert: It’s totally okay to have multiple long-term goals.
Maybe you want to become more authentic, like me. Maybe you want to also climb up in your career. On top of that, you want to learn how to bake. Cool, multiple goals are fun. Plus, they can be easily achievable once you break them down. Just, don’t overload yourself. Try to stick to three or fewer long-term goals.
Once you’ve set these long-term goals, let’s break them down. Start with the yearly goals. By the end of year one, what needs to be done for your long-term goal to succeed? Year two? Year three? What about year four and five? Write it all down.
Then, take those yearly goals and break them down into monthly goals. Then, you guessed it, take those monthly goals and break them down into weekly goals. Finally, follow through with them.
One thing I love to do is to read over my goals every morning. It helps remind me what it is I am moving toward and what need to get done to be successful. At some point, you’ll nearly memorize your goals, but reading over them each day is powerful. Life is hard, and we need reminders of what we’re working toward. Plus, as you mark things off your list you get to go through and cross items off. There’s no better feeling than completing your goal.
Harness your power by setting short-term goals
I know this may all sound easy, but life happens. As a busy person myself, no matter how well-planned my short-term goals are, they still go haywire sometimes.
Host some check-ins with yourself. There are going to be weeks that you fail. Such is life. You’ll get too busy, you’ll pick up a cold or flu, or you won’t feel like achieving your goals.
Everyone is going to hit a wall at some point. Guess what? That’s normal.
The key is how you get over that wall. So, you missed a few of your short-term goals. Whatever the reasons for it, it happened. This can lead to us feeling unmotivated and frustrated at ourselves. In fact, we may even get so upset that we stop wanting to succeed at all.
Don’t let this happen.
When you’re overwhelmed with lost short-term goals, remember why you’re doing this. Write down your reasons and motivations for why you’ve set this goal. Remember everything you want to accomplish.
Then, plan ahead. This time, plan for those roadblocks. Write down what you think could be stopping your short-term goals from getting completed. For my authenticity course, my barriers could be my work or kids stopping me from keeping up with the courses. So, how can I prevent those things?
Maybe I wake up earlier and go over the courses before the kids are up. Perhaps I do the course on my lunch break. There is always a solution to the problem that you’re facing.
Whatever your barriers are, find them and solve them. You deserve success, and you have the power within you to make that happen. I know that setting short-term goals will make you a more successful person, and you’ll be much more productive. It can seem like a big investment in time, and it’s a little overwhelming, but life gets so much better when you set the right goals.
Take your short-term goals, love them, cherish them, and crush them. You’re so worth that investment in your life.
