Goal-Setting and Motivation

I created this guide using various goal-setting and motivation techniques that I have learned over the years from many different sources.

Steps 1-5 should only take approximately 5 hours total, and when you are finished, you will have a concrete plan for your life.

Steps 6-9 should be repeated as necessary in order to act out the plan and achieve your goals.

• Step 1: Spend exactly 1 hour writing down all of your life goals. It doesn’t matter if the goal seems ridiculous, or if it requires vast amounts of time, energy, talent, or money. Do not stop until the hour is complete, even if you run out of ideas.
• Step 2: Watch “The Last Lecture” AKA “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” by Randy Pausch.
• Step 3: Write down 5 dream jobs, and then look up at least 1 on Indeed.com. Then find the prerequisite job that the dream job requires, and then for that job, find the job that it requires. Continue to do this until you reach an entry-level or internship-level position. Then, see what kind of education that job or internship requires.
• Step 4: Write down 10 specific goals that you would like to accomplish within the next year.
• Step 5: Read this article on motivational techniques, from positivityblog.com, and then read this article on motivational techniques, from lifehack.org, and then write down at least 5 ideas that you would like to try.
• Step 6: Review your life goals, your 5 dream jobs, your 10 goals for the year, and your 5 motivational techniques. You should keep your goals to yourself if you want to keep your motivation, according to this TED Talk video.
• Step 7: Pick 1 of the more realistic dream jobs, and then actively seek to obtain the education that you need to reach that job
• Step 8: Don’t give up, even if you fail at first. You are bound to have failures along the way, and resilience is the key to success.
• Step 9: Occasionally revisit your life goals list in order to motivate yourself and keep your eyes on the target.

If you have any other tips for goal-setting and motivation, please feel free to comment below: