Never use this word on goal setting

Many of us fail to meet our objectives. That isn't because we're failures, though. It's be that we simply don't know how to set goals in the first place. You must use the correct words to convey your new goals if you want them to stick.

Set SMART Objectives

The SMART goal-setting system may be familiar to you. The abbreviation SMART stands for:

• Specific: Specific goals have a much better likelihood of being achieved. The five "W" questions must be examined while making a goal specific:

• Measurable: A SMART goal must have metrics for tracking progress. You won't be able to measure your progress or decide if you're on pace to meet your goal if there are no criteria. For instance, based on the precise aim stated above, I wish to join a gym at my local community center and work out four days a week to improve my health. I'm going to try to shed one pound of body fat every week.

• Achievable: A SMART objective must be realistic and feasible. This will assist you in determining how to achieve and work toward that objective. The goal's achievability should be stretched enough to make you feel challenged, but defined enough that you can achieve it.

• Relevant: A SMART objective must be realistic in the sense that it can be accomplished with the resources and time available. If you believe you can achieve a SMART objective, it is most likely realistic.

• Timely: A SMART goal must be time-bound, with a beginning and ending date. There will be no sense of urgency and, as a result, less incentive to attain the goal if it is not time-bound.

If you've had trouble getting results, it's possible that you didn't give the goal-setting process enough thought. Are your objectives SMART?

The Language You Use When Setting Goals Is Important

Setting a SMART goal is merely the first step. Even if you state your objective using the SMART system, you might not feel motivated to achieve it. That could be due to the fact that you mentioned your aim in a negative tone rather than a positive tone.

Avoid these five demotivating words if you'd rather reach for a goal than tackle a to-do list.

Should

Quick! Describe an instance when you felt energised after saying anything that started with "I should really ." Should makes us feel guilty rather than motivated to act. It reminds us of promises we haven't kept or duties we haven't met.

Instead of I should say I will

Soon

Remember how, according to the SMART goal-setting rules, things should be time-limited? You're unlikely to achieve your objectives unless you give yourself a deadline. (Recall the last time you actually did something you've been promising yourself you'd do soon or sometime.)

Set a particular timeline instead of saying "soon."

Need to/ Have to

Should and need to are similar words. They don't so much compel us to reach for our ambitions as they do to shut us down.

Say "want to" instead of "need to" or "have to."

Quit

You've probably heard the joke "I'd give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter." (And, hey, there are some health benefits to having a little chocolate every now and then.) We use the word "quit" to denote someone who has given up and thrown in the towel. It's not exactly a champion's power word. So why do we employ it in our goal-setting?

Instead of quit, say stop.

Never

Never knowing puts a lot of strain on us. In a world where there are few absolutes, it's a rarity. When you tell yourself you'll never do anything, you're setting yourself up for disappointment if you don't achieve your goal. Never isn't a term that can be forgiven.

Instead of stating "never," consider taking concrete steps to avoid doing what you wish to avoid.

You may have noticed that the title of this article includes the word never. According to research, negative words predominate in our language, and the human negativity bias means that these words always get our attention before good phrases. Negative words, on the other hand, are counterproductive to goal-setting, so keep your vocabulary positive to maintain your motivation.