How To Set A Goal And Hit It

We all have things we want to achieve, from stuff as big as buying a house or starting a family to getting a promotion or working in a certain career, to learning new skills or even just hitting a daily step goal. But, when you’re just starting out on the road to achieving your goals, getting to the end result you want can feel like an impossible mountain to climb. We’re here to help you set your goals, and smash them right out of the park – whatever they are!

Break your goals down

You wouldn’t try to shove a whole pizza in your mouth in one go, you’d slice it up into bitesize pieces and tackle them one at a time. And, working your way towards your goals is no different, no matter their size. Breaking them down into the steps you’ll take and the milestones you’ll hit along the way can help make reaching your goals feel more manageable, because your focus is on each step at a time, not the end result. Treating each step as a goal of its own can help you stay motivated as well, as you’ll have plenty of opportunities to give yourself a pat on the back as you make progress!

Let’s say your goal is to save up the deposit to buy your first home, from scratch. The average price of a property in the UK stands at £235,673, which means your savings to put down a 10% deposit need to hit £23,567 (and 30p). Or, if you’re aiming for a 15% deposit, which could give you access to more different mortgage options and lower rates, you’ll need to have about £35,000 stashed away.

The idea of getting together enough cash for a deposit of any size can feel completely unrealistic for a lot of people. So, we say, think like a pizza, and slice. Rather than putting all your attention on the big number, break it down. Slice up the number into a bitesize monthly savings goal that works for you, your budget and your situation. Every time you hit your monthly savings goal, give yourself a little fist bump for making progress, and keep that big number in the back of your mind.

Make your goals SMART

Anyone can set a wishy-washy goal that ends up on the “I’ll do it one day” list forever. If you don’t want that to be you, then make your goals SMART. And we don’t mean clever (although that too), we mean using the SMART framework to set up what you’re going to achieve, and how. You might have heard about SMART goals before, but in case you haven’t, here’s the rundown.

SMART is an acronym, and stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It sounds complicated, but all it really means is having the who, what, when, where, why and how of your goal figured out, with an additional check to make sure you’re gunning for something that you can achieve.

So, what does a SMART goal look like? Let’s go back to our goal to save up the deposit for a home, and make it SMART.

• Specific: This is the “what” and “where” of your goal. Think about the type of property you want to buy, and in what area. Maybe you’re after a two-bedroom flat in London Zone 3, or a 4-bed detached house in the Outer Hebrides! Whatever you’re looking for, write it into your goal.
• Measurable: This is how you'll know when you've hit your goal. When it comes to buying a house, it's the money question. How much do you need to save overall? And, what are you going to save per month? We’d include both numbers to make your goal super-smart and help you break it down into manageable slices!
• Achievable: This is your reality check. When you take your whole SMART goal into consideration, can you get it done? If it’s not realistic for you, then you probably won’t make it happen.
• Relevant: This is the why question. You no doubt have a good reason for wanting what you want. If you don’t, then you’d have to wonder why you’re doing it!
• Time-bound: The clock’s a-ticking! The time-bound part of a SMART goal is your “when”. How long are you giving yourself to hit this goal? Remember to make sure it’s achievable, especially if your goal's a big one like saving a house deposit!

How does this look all together? Here’s an example:

I am going to save up £25,000 over the next five years, saving £420 a month, so that I can buy a 3-bedroom semi-detached house in Manchester, move out of my parents’ house and get a pet chameleon I’ll call Jimmy.

Give yourself an easy ride

Hitting goals isn’t easy. That’s why they’re goals, and not just things we do day-to-day. But, there are things you can do to make the journey towards reaching your goals a bit smoother. If you want to hit a daily step goal, maybe you make it easier on yourself by always going for a walk as soon as you wake up in the morning, before you get distracted or bogged down by all the other stuff you have going on.

Or, if your goal is money-related, either saving up for something or paying off a debt, make it so that the money you need is spent on that goal before you even really realise you had it. Set up a direct debit or standing order for the day of, or day after your payday to send the money where it needs to go. This way, you don’t need to worry about mentally keeping it set to one side, and there’s no chance you can accidentally spend it if it’s not in your account. Plus, because it left your account straight after it arrived, it’s almost like it was never there in the first place, and you can’t miss what you never had!

Give these tips a go and see if your goals start to come a bit more easily!