My beautiful and talented friend, Ashley Boyd (AshleyBoyd.com), is a Holistic Life and Leadership Coach. She and I were talking about effective goal-setting recently, and I asked her to share some of her insights with you! Ashley graciously agreed and is this week's guest blogger - here she imparts some great tips on intentional goal setting. Keep reading to learn more about how you can achieve your 2018 goals.

We’re midway through January 2018. We just came blazing off the New Year’s resolution train and we’re either full steam ahead at turning our 2018 resolutions/goals into reality, or our goals are sitting in a notebook or document on our computer without much of a plan to put them into action.

If you’re a person who is actively working toward your 2018 goals – hats off to you my friend, we’re rooting for you! Hopefully you can use some of the tips in this blog to keep you focused and on course.

If you’re someone who has yet to drive your goals into action or haven’t started with putting together a workable plan, it’s certainly not because you don’t want to reach your goals. Heck no! It’s likely because, well, life got busy and before you knew it you were back in the grind of living your day-to-day life, just trying to keep all the necessary “balls” in the air. Sound familiar?

So, how can we give ourselves the best shot possible to living intentionally this year and make it a year we’re truly proud of? What can we do differently in 2018 to make our goals a reality and not just another year of unmet new year resolutions? What’s the secret to effective goal-setting in the new year?

After years of working with clients on the elements of setting effective goals, I’ve found that the people who are the most successful at accomplishing their goals understand and possess three core (and necessary) beliefs:

#1. They believe that living intentionally is a choice and they exercise this choice daily

#2. They believe their capable and worthy of receiving the benefits of their desired goals

#3. They believe in the goal-setting process and execute self-discipline and accountability in reaching their goals

#1: They believe intentional living is a choice:

Successful people recognize that living intentionally starts with a desire to do so; it’s a daily personal choice. This proactive belief sets them apart from the more reactive or passive people in the world. People who live with intention know that they are the programmers of their lives and that the best way to predict their future is to create it. They take responsibility for their lives and the results they want to see. This belief system cultivates a personal accountability to live a meaningful life.

**#2: They believe they are capable and worthy of accomplishing their desired goals:**

Successful people have a strong sense of self-efficacy, which means they have an unwavering belief in their ability to succeed at completing a task or goal. Because these people have an inner belief that they can and will succeed, they channel this confidence in writing their goals. How? They write goals that are crystal clear (specific and laser-focused), measurable (they can track their progress) and attainable (reachable within a designated timeframe). Self-efficacy creates an internal synergy and motivation to reach beyond what one thinks is possible and ultimately achieve a desired result.

In conjunction with an inner belief that they can and will succeed, successful people also believe they are worthy of the abundance that will come from accomplishing their goals. These people have a strong sense of self-respect/self-love that translates into creating and reaching their desired goals.

Love for one’s core self creates a healthy sense of self-worth. It’s also the attitude of wanting what’s best for ourselves. Successful people understand that at their core, they are whole and innately good and deserving of positive outcomes in their lives. They also know that every decision they make is a statement of how much they value themselves. Successful people honor their value by setting attainable goals that are infused with passion and purpose.

Self-efficacy and a strong sense of self-worth drives effective goal-setting and ultimately, goal accomplishment.

#3. They believe in the goal-setting process and executing self-discipline and accountability

Lastly, successful people work the process. There’s a great quote out there that illustrates this point: “Hold the vision, trust the process.” Successful people know the key to accomplishing their goals is possessing self-discipline.

You can write the most robust, amazing goals for yourself but if you do not hold yourself accountable, you won’t succeed…period. This is where the rubber meets the road—where the proactive people in life differ from the reactive, or how the responsible people in life differ from the victimized/irresponsible.

Successful people create mini check-points and due dates for the smaller tasks/goals that will eventually lead them to accomplishing their bigger goals. They also wholeheartedly understand the power of community.

Research tells us that we are 70% more likely to accomplish a goal by writing it down and sharing it with others (Harvard Business Review). If you don’t have anyone to hold your feet to fire, you’re much more likely to lose focus and give up. Successful people build their accountability team with the intention to make accomplishing goals a more rewarding and sustainable experience.

Living life with intention starts with a desire to do so. If you want to accomplish more this year and create more meaning in your life, know that you have the power to do it. Further, the ability to demonstrate and execute self-discipline and accountability will help to ensure that you achieve your desired results.

Take some time to reflect on what might need to shift or change in your current goal-setting approach so that you can experience more intentional success this year. The use of these three core beliefs will enable you to cultivate habits that produce long-term success and true fulfillment in your life.

Happy effective goal-setting!

Ashley Boyd is a Holistic Life and Leadership Coach, helping people elevate their leadership skills and inner-harmony for intentional and balanced living.

AshleyBoyd.com

Instagram: AshleyBoyd_Coach