How to Set Goals and Achieve Them: 8 Tips for Goal Setting

Set clear goals. A 1979 study on Harvard MBA graduates found that those who had written goals and had a plan were earning ten times more than the rest of the class.

Structure your goal as an open-ended question. For example, if the goal is to save for a house deposit, ask yourself, how do I save the 100k required for a house deposit? Write 20+ answers. It forces you to think of even the most obvious answers to get to the 20 responses; however, the obvious answers can be the biggest breakthroughs. This process is known as mind storming (Credit: Brian Tracy).

Pick a goal that you are excited to achieve. Review your goals regularly to ensure they still align with your values.

If a goal is too overwhelming, break it down into smaller goals or habits that are manageable in the short term.

Track your progress with a saving/habit tracker so you can see how far you have come.

Create a vision board to remind you of your why.

Reward yourself when you achieve a goal. For example, I will exercise twice a week for 3 months before purchasing new workout shoes.

Inversion planning: ask yourself, what would your worst life be like in 5 years? I.e. no savings and stuck at the same job. You would then counteract that by thinking about what you can do to make it the best life possible and to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening.