Setting goals is all about making the imagined future a reality. We’ve all set goals at some point in our lives - whether we want to learn something new or push ourselves forward, goals help us stay focused and motivated to achieve something we want.

In our fast-paced world, achievements can often be overlooked - as soon as we’ve ticked one thing off the list, it’s straight onto the next goal. We believe that all goals, big and small, deserve celebration, but before you pop the bottle, you should know how to set a good goal - and yes, there are such things as good and bad goals. 

Good goals make you feel motivated, driven, focused and excited for the future; bad goals make you feel overwhelmed, under pressure, demotivated and can lead to burnout. So, what makes a good goal?

Actionable

Goals should always be actionable - after all, you’re not going to get far if your goal remains a goal forever. Creating actionable goals often means breaking them down into smaller, more manageable goals that can then be actioned. 

Let’s look at an example. Your larger goal might be to grow your business over the next 5 years. To make this actionable, you need to break this down into smaller goals like ‘gain 5000 followers on your business Instagram’. Your actions would then look something like: daily engagement, sticking to a content calendar, and delivering value consistently. Introducing actionable goals means you can start grafting and moving towards achieving your bigger goal, all while staying accountable in a way that’s not overwhelming.

Realistic

When setting your goals, it’s so important to be realistic about what you can achieve. It’s human nature to want something to happen ASAP but being realistic will actually help you stay more motivated to achieve your goals. We’ve all been guilty of giving ourselves vast morning to-do lists convinced we can get it all done - only to be left with the disappointment alongside your 11 am coffee that it’s just not going to happen. It’s the same with bigger goals - being realistic with what we can achieve can help us manage our to-do lists, cut through the overwhelm and stay motivated. 

Aspirational

Your goals should always aim for that sweet spot between achievable and aspirational. Sure, we want you to shoot for the moon, but let’s think about how you’re going to get there, what the rocket fuel will cost and how long it will take. Setting good goals will help you figure that all out, stay motivated and allow you to celebrate when you achieve them.

Reaching your goals always deserves a celebration. For some people, it means taking a well-earned break, and for others, it’s popping a bottle, Either way, celebrating big goal achievements can help you feel like all the hard graft is worth it. 

Need some celebration inspo? Here, five amazing female businesswomen share how they celebrate when they reach a big goal...

“I like to buy a sexy coffee table book and write inside the front cover: the date and the goal, complete with a little story.” - Jasmine MacPhee, founder of Find Your Intern

“I go for nice food and nice drinks, and surround myself with the people who supported me whilst trying to reach that goal!” - Stephanie Robilliard, Head of Customer Experience at Ekster

“I take myself for a massage.” - Kei Maye, founder of Creative Champs 

“I write it down in my journal, and then take an afternoon off work to do whatever I want!” - Alice Bjorkstrand, founder of Koto Digital 

“I’m terrible at it! But I always try to take some time off and go for a nice little outing somewhere.” - Rosanna Stevens, founder of Rosanna Etc 

“Write down what you’ve achieved and how you feel somewhere like a notebook, or your notes app or journal, so you can bottle up and keep the moment forever! This way when/if imposter syndrome ever creeps in you can rewind back to these special moments.” - Sophie Miller, founder of Pretty Little Marketer 

Ready to set goals you can celebrate? Discover The Circle Planner.