The thing with goals is that while you may know how important it is to set them and the benefit of having them there, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you know where to start when it comes to actually setting and creating goals that you can reach. This is where a goal-setting template can help you both in the short-term and the long term. But what are they and how do they work? Also, which goal-setting templates are going to be the right choice for you? Read on to learn more about goal-setting templates and how they can help you.
What Are Goal-Setting Templates?
The idea of a goal-setting template is that it helps you focus on any of the goals you have in your life or simply just live your life every day. They are designed to allow you to track major milestones that you have set out along your journey and whether you have been able to reach them or how far you have to go until you do. Another key feature of goal-setting templates is that they will ensure that the goals you set are going to be reachable. They need to be specific, and you need to be clear about what you want to achieve—something that can be hard to put to paper without the correct template in mind.
How Should Your Goal-Setting Template look?
Now that you know more about the idea of a goal-setting template, the next step is to work out what makes a good template. There are some key features that a goal-setting template should have.
1. Simple
First and foremost, you need to have a template that you can understand. If you don’t understand it, then how you can expect to use it effectively? The harder it is to understand, the less chance you will look at it and use it to track your progress. You want to be able to, at a glance, see where you are and where you should be, as this will help you to track progress and make any changes that you need to.
2. Have a Timeframe
While a long-term goal is great to have, if you want to achieve things in your life, you need to have a timeframe within which you want to achieve it. Not having this means that you are likely to be less focused and determined to get where you need to be.
3. Allow You to Highlight Your MIG
Your MIG is your most important goal, and it is the highest point of what you want to achieve. If you reach your MIG, it is likely to be followed by all the other things you want to do. This means that it is very important to focus on this and aim for it every day. You should aim to have one or even two MIGs within your goal-setting template. Any more than this and you are likely to become confused, overwhelmed, and perhaps distracted by all the things that you need to do in your life.
4. Show When You Are Winning
If you cannot see just how far you have come, you will never want to persevere and carry on, no matter how determined you are to reach your goal. This means that your goal-setting template should easily show how far you have come and just where you are at. Knowing that you are winning and getting somewhere close to where you want to be could be enough to get you to your end goal.
5. Show You Why You Are Doing What You Are Doing
Another thing that your template should do is give you space to note down why you are actually working towards that end goal in the first place. It is one thing identifying where you want to be, but it is even more important to know why you are heading there. Having a clear purpose for your goal on display will remind you why your hard work is so important and what your reward will be once you are all done.
6. Give You Space to Say What You Need to Do
Finally, a template should have exactly what you need to do to reach those goals. That way, you can make sure that you follow your instructions and do everything you know that you need to do. You may also need to have space to change things as, along the way, you are likely to see things that are not working out that well for you and the things that are going to work out for you in the future.
4 Great Goal-Setting Templates
Choosing the right goal-setting template for you depends on your goals and how you will work towards them. The idea of these templates is that they form the basis of your goal setting and ensure that you make changes to them as and when you need to. This will give you the best chance of getting where you want to be in the future. There are a variety of options out there that you can consider. Some of them may need to be paid for to download and use them, while others are available entirely free of charge.
1. SMARTER Goal Template (from The Full Life Planner)
A goal-setting template that goes into more detail can be obtained from The Full Life Planner. The goal setting templates inside this planner is designed to help you delve down and think deeper about your goal, and ensure that you have thought about all the key steps you need to take.
2. Best Templates
One example is from Best Templates. This template is easy to use and can be customized to fit your needs. It covers various vital aspects of goal setting and ensures that any goals set are SMART.
3. Spark People Template
Another detailed template that you can try out is from Spark People. This one asks you to set your goal out but then think about how you will reach that goal. It also gets you to look at making your goal SMART, too. I really like this particular template because it keeps things simple, making it much easier to work within the moment.
4. Moritz Fine Blog Designs Template
Do you like the idea of having something bright and colorful? A slightly different take to these templates comes from Moritz Fine Blog Designs, which gives you space to write down several other goals but gives you the boldest way to display.
Final Thoughts
The main thing to consider when it comes to achieving your goals is giving yourself the best chance to do this. This means seeking out the right tools and putting them into place. It may seem like a lot of work to start with, mainly if you are keen to get going and working towards those goals, but I can promise you that it is worthwhile taking this approach. Not only does it allow you to really focus on what you want to do, but it also gives you the push to get there in a specific timeframe—something we could all do within our lives. Featured photo credit: Alexa Williams via unsplash.com
