10 Goal Setting Hacks That Actually Work

1. Set SMART Goals

The SMART goal method is popular for a reason—it creates clarity.

SMART stands for:

Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?
Measurable: Can you track your progress?
Achievable: Is the goal realistic for your current resources?
Relevant: Does this goal align with your larger vision?
Time-bound: What’s the deadline?

Example: “I want to save $3,000 in 6 months by setting aside $125 each week.”

When your goals are SMART, you’ll know what success looks like—and how to get there.

2. Break Big Goals Into Small Wins

Big goals often feel overwhelming. The trick? Chunk them down into smaller, actionable steps.

If your goal is to write a book, your mini-goals could be:

Outline chapters
Write 500 words a day
Finish one chapter per week

Each small win builds momentum and boosts confidence.

Bonus Tip: Use a habit tracker or goal journal to check off each mini-win.

3. Visualize the Outcome Daily

Visualization isn’t just “woo-woo” positive thinking—it’s backed by science. Olympic athletes and top performers use this mental practice to improve performance and stay motivated.

Spend a few minutes each day visualizing your ideal outcome:

Imagine how you’ll feel
Picture your success in detail
Think about what you’ll gain

This helps your brain lock in on your goals like a GPS.

4. Use the “Why Power” Instead of Willpower

Willpower fades. Your “why” keeps you going.

Ask yourself:
Why does this goal matter?
Go deep—beyond surface-level reasons. Link your goal to your values, identity, or purpose.

For example:
“I want to get healthy” becomes
“I want to have energy for my kids and avoid the health issues that run in my family.”

Keep your “why” visible—write it on your mirror, phone, or vision board.

5. Set a Deadline—Even if It’s Artificial

Deadlines create urgency. Without them, goals lose importance.

Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time available. So, give yourself a clear time frame to complete your goals.

Even self-imposed deadlines work. Set a calendar alert or use a countdown timer app. Urgency fuels action.

6. Make It Public (But Choose Wisely)

Accountability multiplies your chances of success.

Tell someone you trust about your goal—a friend, coach, or even your followers online. This adds social pressure to follow through.

Better yet, join a goal group or mastermind where everyone is working on big things. Surrounding yourself with achievers inspires consistent action.

7. Design Your Environment for Success

Your surroundings shape your habits more than you think. If your goal is to exercise, keeping your gym clothes and shoes visible makes it easier. If your goal is to read more, leave your book on your nightstand.

Ask:

“What can I add or remove from my environment to make success easier?”

Automate as much as possible so your goal becomes the default—not the exception.

8. Attach the Goal to a Habit (Habit Stacking)

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, teaches a technique called habit stacking. You attach a new habit (like working on a goal) to an existing one.

Formula: After I [current habit], I will [new goal action].

Examples:

After I make coffee, I’ll review my to-do list.
After I brush my teeth, I’ll write in my journal.

This simple shift makes goal progress automatic and easy to remember.

9. Reward Yourself for Milestones

Rewards reinforce behavior. When you reach a mini-goal or make solid progress, celebrate it.

You don’t have to splurge—just choose something meaningful:

A nice meal
A short trip
A self-care day
A small gift

Celebrating wins keeps motivation high and makes the journey enjoyable.

10. Track Your Progress—Visibly

What gets measured gets improved. Use a goal tracker, bullet journal, or goal app to see your progress.

Make your progress visible—charts, calendars, or habit chains you don’t want to break. This turns abstract goals into real-life metrics.

Apps like Notion, Trello, or Habitica make tracking fun and digital. Prefer paper? A printable goal planner works just as well.

Final Thoughts

Goal setting is more than writing a dream on paper—it’s about designing your life with intention. These 10 hacks will help you gain clarity, stay motivated, and take consistent action.

You don’t need to use them all at once. Start with 2–3, build the habit, and layer more over time.

Remember:

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

So stop wishing—and start winning.

Want more goal-setting TIPS AND STRATEGIES?
👉 Check out this wonderful ebook-GOAL CRUSHER!

How to Achieve Your Goals

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Each person has goals, regardless of the size, which is why they strive to reach these, depending on their own capabilities and resources.

If you truly want to become successful, you need to have the right attitude and mindset to achieve. There are several ways to do this and you may be surprised that you had everything you needed all along.

Importance of Visualization

The goal starts from within. You need to have full desire and passion over the things that you want to achieve. This way, you will constantly store the thoughts and ideas in your mind that will lead to success.

If your desire is weak, the results and the paths to success will also be weak or delayed. The primary step is to create dreams. You may take a pen and paper and list down the items that you want to do.

Visualize yourself being successful in your objectives. The attitude of the mind is highly important to subconsciously control your actions towards the achievement of your set goals.

You can keep pictures of things to help you visualize. Try surfing the internet and look for the right images that will put you on the right track. You may want to consult a professional to help you visualize if you have difficulty.

Creating Your List

Next, you need to create a list to achieve your goals. It is vital that you create the action steps that will ultimately lead to your main goal.

For example, if your goal is to get rich, you have to set steps such as saving money, investing, working extra hours, building connections, etc.

It is always recommended to make your list more specifically, such as writing down “To earn 1 million dollars”, instead of just “Being rich.” You should also be specific about the action steps.

You can write down “Save 10 dollars everyday”, instead of just “Save more”. You should also create a time line wherein you can finish tasks right on schedule. You will avoid the hindrances if you push yourself more by setting deadlines.

Think of Benefits or Consequences

Aside from writing down the list of your goals and action steps, you will also want to include the advantages and consequences once you reach them.

For example, you can put “Buy a new Ferrari”, “Managing my main office nemesis”, etc. These specific advantages will motivate you more. You can also include the consequences should you fail or delay by writing down things like “Lose my house”, “Disappoint my wife”, etc.

The Right Attitude

You need to have the right attitude that will help you stick to your goals. The most important are consistency, patience and discipline.

Consistency describes the work you put in to achieve the results you’ve always desired. Patience talks about waiting for the right opportunity and persevering despite some disappointments. Discipline means giving up some immediate gratifications so you can get bigger and long lasting benefits in the end.

You can practice the right attitude by talking to very successful people and finding a partner who can motivate you during times of trouble.

It is important that you check your list every now and then and make the necessary adjustments over time. Changes may occur but you have to stay with the goal, even if the plan is flexible and altered.

I hope this short post gave you some clear cut things you can do to help achieve you goals.For a more in depth look at how to achieve your goals check out this wonderful book,GOAL CRUSHER!

How To Use Affirmation Properly

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“I am, therefore I exist,” is a phrase affirming one’s existence as a being. It may be a simple phrase, but it says everything about the being saying them. It indicates a confidence not commonly found among other beings.

But why do people need affirmation? Why do beings need to be affirmed? Is existence relative to one’s affirmation?

Affirmation is a very powerful technique to empower one’s subconscious. Once the subconscious is disciplined to believe one’s affirmation, the latter is converted into a positive action for the conscious mind. Through affirmation, beings are empowered to do, to work, and to strive for more things. Affirmation allows people to believe in themselves and to put their thoughts into action.

Affirmation is a combination of verbal and visual techniques of a preferred state of mind of a person. Strong affirmations can be very powerful, and can be used by almost anyone to achieve his goals and fulfill his desires. However, the power of an affirmation depends on how strong or weak an affirmation is.

Affirmation is merely an assertion made by a person, about something or about a state of being. A person can affirm those that he chooses to attain, like “I now have a good life.” Being healthy in mind, body, and spirit can also be made possible through affirmation.

A strong affirmation should be stated in the present tense to be more effective. An affirmation of “I am now a happy being” is more effective than an affirmation saying, “I am going to become a happy being.” Affirmation should always be in positive terms because it is supposed to work for you and not against you. Instead of saying, “I am not sad,” why not make an affirmation saying, “I am happy.”

An affirmation should be made up of simple but concise words, and it should be short to be more effective. A very long affirmation can work the other way around, instead of creating a positive mindset for a person. A short affirmation can be easily spoken and repeated by a person. It can serve as a mantra that can be repeated over and over again.

To be effective, an affirmation must be repeated. Repetition works and influences the subconscious, which in turn motivates the person into acting out his affirmation. A person who creates the affirmation should be deeply involved with the words he will be using, so he will be able to actualize his affirmation. Writing words that one believes in can be very powerful, and this can be put to good use when creating an affirmation.

However, creating an affirmation alone and repeating them a million times would not make the affirmation a state of mind. The important thing is to live one’s affirmation and to be open-minded enough to do the things that would help the affirmation become a reality. Feeling the affirmation and applying it in one’s life will help in making the affirmation a reality.

While affirmation is generally used to make an individual better, it can also be used to boost or confirm another person’s value. By affirming another person‘s existence, you are helping him improve his self-worth.

Affirmation is a very simple thing that can make a very big difference in a person‘s life. It can be a great motivator and can make things happen.