The Importance of Daily Goal Setting and How to Do It Right

When it comes to setting goals, a lot of people will think that all they need to do is to write down their goal once, and then just let life goes on. No wonder most people fail to reach their goals. Goal setting is not a one-time work; it is something that you need to do every single day.

Do you know the guy behind the Dilbert comic strip, Scott Adams?

He is considered one of the most successful cartoonists and his work has spawned into video series, video games, and merchandised items. His Dilbert cartoon strip has been featured in more than 2,000 newspapers worldwide, in 65 countries and 25 languages.

So what makes Adams so successful and managed to achieve all his goals?

Well, he wrote down his goals and affirmations, for 15 times every day.

Here is what Adams said in his own words. You can check out his Dilbert blog here:

I’ve often written about my own experiences with affirmations, the practice of writing your goals 15 times a day. It seems to work much of the time, at least in my experience, but presumably not because of any magic. At least one probable explanation for its perceived effectiveness is that focusing on goals changes the person who is doing the focusing.

Scott Adams

Adams is right when he said that writing down goals consistently changes the person because the act of doing it will transform the person who does it.

Goal setting is not a one-time work, it is a skill that you need to master. And in order to master a skill, you need to do it repetitively. As the saying goes, “Repetition is the mother of all skills.”

Hence, don’t just set your goals for once and then forget about them.

Instead, practice daily goal setting. Write down your goals, review, and update them every day. They are your goals. And they are the things that are important to you and you want to achieve, thus, give them the attention they need.

Here are 5 reasons why daily goal setting is important and how it can change your life:

1. The Power of Consistency

You should have known that success will not come to you overnight. And because success is a long-term journey and not an overnight result, consistency is crucial.

A lot of people want overnight success. They wish they can become a millionaire within days. They want to lose excess fat within days. They want to build a million-dollar business empire within days.

Remember, success is a marathon and not a sprint. Therefore, you need to be consistent with your progress. You need to think and focus on your goals every day. You need to take action consistently. You need to do the work every day.

Yes, there are shortcuts. You can pop a pill to lose the additional fat. You can join a get-rich-quick scheme or scam people to become rich. Doing so will get you the result; however, the results are not long-lasting.

You lose the fat, and you become thin when you take the pills, but you forgot one thing that stays the same, and that is you.

You still have the same old habits, attitudes, and characters. This is why shortcuts usually don’t work. It is just like being lucky and win the jackpot.

This explains why most people who win the lottery end up losing all the money after just a few short years. They never develop and transform themselves into the person worthy of the success they desire.

Thus, this is what makes daily goal setting important. When you write down your goals each day, you put your focus on the right thing. You remind yourself about your targets. And you program your goals into your subconscious mind.

And when you take consistent action, you will eventually build small successes along the way. And this is what will grow you into the person worthy of success.

Do you understand now why people who never practice daily goal setting fail to reach their goals?

If you want to learn how to stick to your goals or a plan for the long-term, you need to read this guide below:

How to Stick to a Goal or Plan and be Consistent for the Long Term

2. The Power of Daily Motivation

Zig Ziglar has a great quote:

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.

Zig Ziglar

One of the reasons you want to write down and review your goals every day is because you want to keep yourself motivated.

When you write down your goals, it shows that you are committed and your goals are something important to you, and that is why you write them down in the first place.

People who don’t take their goals seriously will never bother writing them down. They will just casually try to ‘remember’ their goals in their head. And soon enough, they will forget about their goals.

When you write down your goals every day, it gives you the motivation to go through and take action.

Whatever that is out of your sight, will be out of your mind.

Most people are highly motivated when they first started out. However, their motivation fades and they slowly lose track of their goals. They take less action, and they forget about their goals.

And eventually, they lose the faith and thought that goal setting did not work.

It is not that goal setting did not work. It is them that did not work. So if you want your goals to work, you must work on them.

Let your goals motivate you. Let your goals be the reasons you wake up every morning and let them become the purpose of your life.

Every morning, after I wake up and before I start my day, I will write down my goals. Like how Scott Adams did. And it has been a great method to condition my mind for the day.

Through the act of writing down my goal, I’m reminding myself what I want to achieve and what I need to do during the day. It gives me clear direction and drives me into taking action.

If you want to master goal setting, I strongly suggest you take my course here: Goal Setting Formula Masterclass.

3. The Power to Commitment and Accountability

Would you write down something that is not important to you? That means, writing down your goals shows that they are important to you and at the same time, you are truly committed to them.

Not just that, but the process makes you accountable.

A lot of people fail to achieve their goals because they are not committed. They choose to do things that are convenient rather than things that will move them forward toward their goals.

• They choose to watch TV instead of writing the article.
• They choose to play computer games rather than spending time reading personal development books.
• They choose to waste time checking on other people’s status on Facebook rather than working on their goals.
• They choose to watch Netflix when they should be spending time building their blogs and businesses.

If your goals are not important to you and you are not committed to them, you will never bother writing them down, every day.

The small act of daily goal setting shows your commitment and makes you accountable for what you want to achieve in life.

So, do it and practice daily goal setting from today on.

Here’s an interesting article you should read:

7 Easy Ways How to Hold Yourself Accountable for Your Goals

4. The Power of Your Thoughts

One of the main and most common differences between successful and unsuccessful people is their thoughts.

Successful people think about their goals and their dreams almost every waking moment. On the other hand, unsuccessful people think about things that don’t matter in life.

Unsuccessful people think about what to eat, what should they do, who is on Facebook right now, where they want to go this weekend or what to eat as dinner later.

When you practice daily goal setting, you direct your thoughts to focus on your goals. Like an arrow, flying straight to the target.

Imagine going through your weekend without having any plan or direction. What do you think would happen?

Probably you will wake up late. Once you get up, you might surf the internet, check updates on Facebook, waste some time on YouTube, spend a little time here and there.

Soon, half of the day was gone and you notice that you have done nothing. Does this sound familiar?

This is why you need to direct your thoughts and your focus on what matters consciously.

You can’t leave things up to chances. You can’t live a random life without knowing where you want to go.

When you write down your goals every day, you are living a proactive life because you know what you want and what you need to do to get the results you desire.

On the contrary, when you have no idea about your goals and are clueless, you will live a reactive life by responding to whatever that comes to you.

And this is why daily goal setting is important. You consciously put your thoughts and plant the ideas of achieving your goals into your head.

When you are clear on what you want and what you should do in life, you will organize your life around your goals.

I strongly recommend you take my course: Goal Setting Formula. You will learn how to find out what you want to achieve, take charge of your life, and achieve real success through setting empowering goals.

5. The Power of Habits

I like this quote from Aristotle:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.

Aristotle

Success is all about building the right habits. What you do once in a while is not as important as what you do every day.

Success comes from progress. And progress comes from taking consistent action each day. Most people give up half way, and they choose to quit when things become tough.

Don’t give up and refuse to quit. Instead, focus on taking small actions to build habits.

If you want to lose 10 pounds of fat, build the habit of exercising consistently. If you want to build a successful blog, focus on creating the habit of daily writing. It is the progress that will bring you the result.

The goal itself is just an event. Your goal is just a destination. What will bring you the result is your progress. So, develop the habit that will put you into taking action and making progress.

Remember, when you make progress, you will get results.

Again, the key is consistency. You want to build the right habit that will put you into taking action each day.

Do you know that if you take just 5 small actions a day, within a year, you will have taken 1,825 small actions? And do you think these 1,825 victories will make you more successful than before? Of course!

Therefore, make daily goal setting your habit. Write down your goals every day and make sure they become a habit.

Want to know what other success habits you should develop beside daily goal setting? Check out my article below:

What Are Keystone Habits and the 7 Most Common Examples

What Should You Do Now?

Now that you know daily goal setting is important, but how should you do it? Well, it is very simple, but you have to commit to it and make it your habit.

You can use any goal setting template, or you can even create your own template, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

As for me, I just write my goals and my affirmations on my notebook every day. I found that it is easier to write on the notebook instead of using templates because it is more convenient.

Well, you don’t have to print the template each day, and writing on a blank page has more flexibility because most of the templates, whether you download them or you create your own, have fixed elements that you cannot change.

And the key to practicing daily goal setting is to turn it into your habit. The rest comes second.

So starting from tomorrow onward, write down your goals and your affirmations. Revisit your purpose and your dreams. Let them ignite your desire and fuel your motivation. And make daily goal setting a part of your life.

Conclusion

Goal setting works, and it is not a one-time process like most people thought it is. Therefore, make it your habit today to write down your goals each day.

Let your goals guide you and inspire you. Let your goals motivate you into taking massive action and living your life with passion.

Many people are not living a successful life because they don’t have an empowering goal to guide them in life. When you do, your life will change. This is why I recommend you to take my course, Goal Setting Formula Masterclass.

How do you think about this article? Let me know through the comment section below.