Have you ever heard that small steps make you achieve bigger goals? Well, those few steps are like short-term goals. Short-term goals are practical objectives that can be achieved in a short period of time.
That is, they are goals that can be achieved in a week or within a month. The particularity of short-term goals is that they can lead you to achieve long-term goals.
These short-term goals can also serve to strengthen our determination. To prove to ourselves that we can achieve what we want.
Sometimes we need a boost to achieve our goals. For this reason, if we manage to do it through small efforts, thus being able to see the fruits, there is much more motivation to want to go a little further. Go the extra mile.
Propose yourself some challenges that may seem difficult to achieve, but with a good plan through establishing a series of short goals we can achieve success.
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5 characteristics of short-term goals
Short-term goals can be distinguished from others by the following features:
- With short-term goals you can see more clearly where you want to go and in this way you can determine what things you will need to achieve these objectives.
- It allows you to focus your attention on the things you need to do in order to succeed in your goals.
- You can recognize what are the next steps you have to take at each stage.
- Keep track of the entire process to verify if the path you have taken is the correct one.
- Being able to stop making so many excuses and putting things off, thus overcoming the habit of procrastinating.
Why is it important to set short-term goals?
It is important for the following more than justified reasons:
- Motivation
- a clear objective
- Reduces the tendency to procrastinate
- It forces you to move, to look for something better for your life
5 Benefits to achieve your short-term goals
Short-term goals have several important benefits including:
- It helps to improve your attitude towards life and in your environment, be it family or work.
- You have better prospects for what you want in life.
- You feel more motivated and with more claws to want to improve yourself every day.
- In the field of health you can have less stress and more encouragement.
- You can enjoy sharing your experiences to help other people.
10 steps that will lead you to achieve your goals in a short time
Achieving your goals entails taking a series of important steps to advance in each of them:
- Write down the reasons why you want to achieve that goal.
- Then write down what your wishes or hopes are for that goal.
- Write down each day each progress you have made.
- Notice how often you have stayed on target.
- Highlight any differences from your initial goal.
- Try to visualize your progress.
- Give yourself a deadline.
- Read steps 1 and 2 every day to stay focused and stay motivated.
- Check if each step you have advanced is taking you on the right track.
- If you have been able to meet your goal on the agreed date, go ahead and give yourself a reward for your achievement and share it with everyone. In case you could not achieve it, do not be discouraged, evaluate where the failures were and do better next time.
12 Examples of Short-Term Goals
The examples of short-term goals show that this type of objective requires a minimum waiting time, that is, they must be given priority over other tasks.
It is through these projections that people, organizations, states and other organisms understand what they want to achieve and where they want to go.
Experts in psychology ensure that the short-term goals of a company or individual help improve self-esteem and motivation. This is due to the fact that these tasks bring closer the possibilities of achievements and therefore, the long-term goals.
Here, we explain what the short-term goals are.
1. Arrive about 30 minutes before the scheduled time
Punctuality not only denotes interest and seriousness, but also, you can correct certain failures before the event, meeting or activity begins.
In addition, it is a habit that will help you succeed in your work.
2. Prepare yourself academically
If you want to be prepared for the professional future, start preparing yourself academically, it can be through courses, diplomas or a university degree.
3. Save
Saving is not an easy task, especially when you have many responsibilities, however, it is a good way to have an emergency fund.
In turn, it is a good idea if you want to make a substantial purchase in the coming years, such as a car.
You can start from now, guaranteeing that you will meet one of your many long-term goals.
4. Reinforce reading
Reading is another positive habit for personal development, therefore, it is advisable to practice it constantly.
It is one of the fastest personal goals and that you can start right now, just look for a magazine, brochure, book or newspaper.
5. Propose to improve your communication
We add to these examples of short-term goals, the task of strengthening communication and thus improving relationships between individuals.
It should be noted that communication opens many possibilities and is essential for human beings and healthy coexistence.
6. How are you doing with your health?
I propose as a short-term spiritual goal to go for a walk at least 10 kilometers weekly.
Although it sounds like a lot, you can do it slowly, in company and daily, strengthening your organs and giving your health a little love.
7. Analyze your company’s projects and give priority to the most urgent
It attends to the most essential and solves future problems.
8. Write an attractive Curriculum Vitae
If you are looking for a job, write a resume that will attract the attention of the employer.
9. Do not drink alcohol every weekend
Many times, this practice can become a vice.
Your next goal may be focused on reducing this periodicity until liquor is no longer a necessity.
10. Clean your house completely
Something that can take less than half a day to clean your home and give it a different touch.
11. Buy what you need for your diet
If you want to save, don’t spend on unnecessary things, look for what you really deserve.
12. Wake up a few minutes earlier than usual
If every day you get up at 8 in the morning, set your alarm at 6 if you have many pending tasks, you will see how the day will pay off.
How to establish them?
If you’re still wondering how to set short-term goals, I’ll leave you with some super interesting tips;
- The first thing to do is define what you are really looking for, not what others have told you to do.
- Study if they will leave some kind of personal benefit, which goes hand in hand with moral and ethical values.
- Then describe what you want to achieve.
- Create an action plan
- Finally, define an approximate date of having achieved that short-term goal.
Conclusion
Setting a short term goal is an effective way to focus on doing the things that are most important to you. Short term goals give your brain something tangible to work toward but not so daunting that it’s impossible to achieve. They allow you to see big picture plans come together and focus on what matters most in life
Short term goals should be important to you. This means that going for something that seems like a low priority is worth it at the time, but you should be aiming for something bigger later on.