Two Steps for How to Set Goals in Life—and Stick to Them

What are Failure Habits? 

Say you have a BIG task to complete, but instead of getting it done, you say, “it’s alright; I can just do it tomorrow.” But guess what—you don’t. I’ve totally been there! This is just one example of a failure habit. 

These are repetitive actions/choices you do that work to hinder some aspect of your well-being, such as your happiness and success in life, much like an ax continually picking away at your positive outcomes. But no need to worry; transforming failure habits is my jam, and you can start by learning how to set goals in life.  

Now I know what you're thinking: how do I start flipping my failure habits into successful ones? Your mind has been conditioned to clench onto those bad habits, but it IS possible to remove that iron clench in favor of successful habits—with time and persistence. 

The positive side: once you break through those old habits, the success habits that have replaced them will have just as much of a grip on you, but they will work to help build your momentum instead of tearing it down. This begins with routine, and learning how to set goals in life is a part of that success. :) 

You can listen to the entire podcast episode on Lifting Yourself To Success, Escaping Failure Loops

 Taking My Own Advice: The #1 Failure Habit I’m Trying to Crush 

2020 was a difficult year for everyone—I was no exception. I was (and have always been) a dawdler. It’s something I’ve attempted to get through, and I have to some extent.

But this year hit me like a ton of bricks (and oh boy, did it hurt)! I had no clue how to set goals in life, and I began giving it to dawdling again over things I couldn’t control.

I was able to sell my business, Doorstep Delivery, in 2019 for $321 million. With this, I gained a half-stock purchase—something that should have only been joyful but instead brought me stress because of my occupation of worrying over it. 

During six months when the stock could not be sold, the price per share dropped drastically (and I mean drastically). I knew there was nothing I could do to control the impossible, but my prominent failure habit shined through, causing me to worry—all for no reason. I needlessly spent so much time growing grey hairs only to find they started to climb back up.  

When failure habits get the best of us, the first step is to climb back up. While the stock isn’t exactly where it used to be, it’s getting closer and closer every day, just like how I’m getting closer and closer to perfecting how to set goals in life every day. I’m pledging myself to only check the stock once a month (and maybe once a year eventually)! But baby steps; it’s all about sticking to a goal! 

Speaking of dawdling—In 2020, I spent a little too much time worrying over my son’s educational growth. I know, “Will, don’t worry and DON’T compare your son to the other kids,” you’re probably thinking. 

You’re right, but I just couldn’t help it because I allowed my failure habits to take hold. I used to be able to find myself doing it and stopping, but my fixed-victim self steadily began to let it seep through the cracks. The lack of control I had begun to eat away at my failure-focused self.  

For 2021, my #1 goal is to break this failure habit. I don’t need to worry about things out of my control, especially when I feel bad about my son’s development. 

Instead, I’ll practice setting goals in life by turning those negative thoughts into proactive ones. Rather than dawdling on everything I’m scared about, I’ll focus on pushing him to search for HIS interests and strengths. 

I’ve already started this mission, and WOW, the results are already amazing! One of my son’s main areas of focus is that of cognizance and perception, and so I looked online for some fun and engaging ways to build up his success.

I quickly discovered a popular game (dubbed “The Marshmallow Game”) in which you lay a marshmallow down and tell him that you’ll be back in a moment. You tell him not to eat the marshmallow, and if he doesn’t, he’ll get another. 

I tried this, and it worked! I was beyond proud of his self-control not to eat it, and the growth in his behavior was thoroughly noticeable! By considering how to set goals in life and applying them to my son, I found something that worked! 

Hey there, 2021; watch out because I’m crushing it (and so can you)! 

So How Can Learn How to Set Goals in Life Help Create Success Habits?  

Now that you know what failure habits are and what they need to be replaced with, only one thing remains—the best ways to get started. Here’s what you've got to do: 

Step 1

The first step for how to set goals in life that yield results are to know what exactly stops you from reaching them. You can’t crush a failure habit unless you’ve identified it!

Start by creating a list of all the things that hinder you from getting that dream job or completing that homework assignment. 

Step 2

The second step involves the act of transforming those failure habits into success habits. Prioritize the failure habits that affect you the most, and work to actively change them for the better. By training yourself how to set goals in life by closing the door on bad habits, you’ll be building positive momentum every day!

By following these simple steps, you’ll elevate your cores to live a happier, more fulfilling life. You can even take things a step further by to gamify your life using success habits. 

For example, if you go a week without giving in to a failure habit, you can allow yourself more time on social media. By gamifying your life and letting technology work FOR you instead of against you, you can grow to become your best self. 

By doing that, you’ll be crushing how to set goals in life in no time. If you transform your habits, you’ll be prepared to take on 2021 with no problem!  

Let’s gooooooo! 

This podcast episode is all about Setting the Right Goals and the Power of Thinking.

One Last Goal:

Want to know where you stand in the five values of life tied to happiness (Your 5 Cores)? Take this two-minute Core Values Quiz to get your core score in the five values of life.

For more gamified habit hacks to build momentum in your life, follow me on IG, FB Group, and Tik Tok.