Star Goal Setting is a simple method for achieving success in any area of life. This article will teach you how to use this technique to accomplish your goals and reach your personal best.
Let’s get started with the Star Acronym. Star stands for: Specific, Timely, Action-oriented, and Realistic.
In this post, we will dive into each step of this goal setting framework so you can use it in your daily life! We will also provide some tips that will help you on your goal setting journey.
Additionally, you may have also heard about the smart framework – we are covering the STAR format today but we highlight the SMART goal setting format at the end of this post.
How to Use the Star Goal Setting Format
Let’s cover each letter of the star goal setting format because it’s the best goal setting guide.
S – Specificity is key for setting goals. It’s important to get specific on the goals you want to achieve. Your goal will shape your plan, timeline, and focus.
Why is specific goal setting so important? Well, when there’s a vague goal, it’s hard to measure your progress. Also, it may also leave you in a position where you struggle to plan and stay motivated. You cannot track a goal with vague targets and tracking progress is key to achieving a goal.
We will share an example of a good goal that’s specific v. a goal that needs some work.
Goal that needs work – I will work out regularly
Good example of a goal – I will work out 4 times a week. I will do yoga once a week and weight training 3 times a week. Each session will be 1 hour long and I plan on doing this for 1 month.
As you can see, if you use goal #2, your targets and plan is clear. You’ll be able to use this goal to track progress and stay on track.
Just for fun, here’s another example:
Goal that needs work – I want to learn another language.
Good example of a goal – I will learn Spanish and I plan on being able to speak fluently in 6 months. I will use DuoLingo and study 5 hours a week. I will track my progress through the app.
T – Timely
To make your goal timely, plan a date that you want to accomplish the goal by. There are many benefits of a timely goal. One is – it helps you break down the goal and plan it out weekly, it gives you a timeline to work with, and it will allow you to understand your progress in real-time.
You’ll be motivated to stick with your goal and you can break it down weekly or daily so you achieve the key results desired. Additionally, you’ll want to think about time management as you go through every step of the star process.
Block time for your goals on a daily or weekly basis and stay consistent.
Action-Oriented
Think about how you’ll achieve these goals. When you’re first planning, write out all the intricate steps. We want you to get deep into each goal. Take your specific goal to the next level by breaking down every step.
If you want to work out 4 times a week, do yoga and weight lifting – make it action-oriented.
Think about what time you’ll go to the gym, how long you’ll go to the gym for, and what weight training exercises you’ll do daily. How long do you want to maintain this schedule? Create an end-date when needed.
You’ll want to think about goals that are action-oriented and can be broken down into small attainable steps which can be tracked during a time frame.
Realistic
We’ve touched on this in the topics above but we want to drive this home. Aspirational goals are important – You don’t need to make your goals too easy but you also don’t want them to be out of reach.
If you’re 5’5, there’s no way you can grow to 6 feet if you’re past your prime growing stage. Set a realistic goal that you actually achieve. Realistic goals are key so you can track the progress and work towards personal or professional development.
At the end of the day, most goals are always tied back to either personal or professional development. Try to have a balance of both types of goals if you can.
We’d also like to remind you that even with realistic goals, sometimes you may not achieve them. If this happens, it’s important to not get down. Here are a few ways to practice self-love if your goals didn’t work out.
Other Tips to Make Goal Setting Easy
Start with a Big Picture
If you’re struggling to come up with goals, start here and think big picture.
Think about what you really want out of life. Do you want to live a happy life? Are you looking to make money? Or maybe you just want to learn something new. Whatever it is, write it down. What are some goals you can set to be happy? Make money?
Break Down the Goal into Smaller Tasks
Once you’ve written down your big-picture goal, break it down into smaller tasks. This will help you stay focused on achieving each one.
You can use a simple list format or even a spreadsheet. Just make sure you keep track of how much progress you’re making toward each task.
Write Out Each Step
If you’re having trouble getting started with your goal after you’ve defined it, try writing out each step. This helps you see what needs to happen before you reach your ultimate goal.
Before you work out, you need to get to the gym. Plan your day so you can wrap up your other activities and put your gym time on your calendar.
Create a Plan
Once you have your plan written down, start working your smaller activities into your calendar as mentioned above. Consistency is key and so is planning!
Execute
If you’re looking for ways to make sure you reach your goals, just get started.
This is as simple as doing what you say you’re going to do. It also means being consistent with your actions. If you tell yourself you’re going to the gym, go to the gym. Don’t throw on a Youtube exercise video for 5 minutes.
Follow through with your commitments to yourself and you’ll see that you’re more likely to follow through with your plans.
Other Quick Tips for Star Goal Setting
You’ll want to look at your goals daily. Write them out on a sticky note, put them on a vision board, or use a set of worksheets that you can review regularly.
Setting goals does work and there are many studies that show that when you put your focus into something regularly, it’s likely you’ll see results. Conversely, goals do not work if you write them down once and you don’t think about them again.
Create a morning routine that integrates your goals and plan/schedules your goal-focused activities – make it your new way of life.
Set goals that are important to you
This might seem funny but if you’re new to setting goals, you might not know where to start. You’ll want to feel passionate about your goals and you want them to be important to your personal life.
What is something that would make your life better? What is important to you?
A key to goal setting is creating goals that you’re passionate about and goals that you believe are possible. If you don’t know where to start, think about your core values and where you want to be in 5 years.
Tell other people about your goals
This may seem funny to some but hear us out. By telling people that you are setting goals, they will help hold you accountable. When a friend, family member, or significant other knows about your goals, they can cheer you on and motivate you.
Setting goals and following through is no easy feat. You’ll want cheerleaders on your side and you’ll want to share the excitement with others. If you can, you and your friends can start a small group where you share goals and successes.
Utilize Strategic planning
Make sure that your goals make sense for the available resources you have and your environment. We love that people want to shoot for the stars but be realistic with what you have. For example, if you want to learn how to ride a horse but you have no access to horses, you may want to rethink that goal. It’s important to set goals that are within your means.
Create an action plan that excites you – you want to wake up every morning with excitement.
Plan for days when you’re just not motivated
Sometimes achieving goals will take hours and hours of work and your goals will challenge you. What is your plan for days when you don’t feel like you want to take action toward your goal?
It might be a great idea to reach out to your friend group for motivation, maybe you look at your sticky notes with your goals. Do whatever feels right for you.
It’s not realistic to think that you will wake up every day and you’ll be motivated – that’s not possible for most. Think about what you’ll do when you’re not motivated and how you’ll motivate yourself.
One suggestion is that you track your goal. Looking back at progress will allow you to feel good about the progress you’ve made and you’ll feel the passion to reach your goal.
Start small and go big
When you first start setting goals, start with a small goal. When you achieve a small goal in a short time frame, it’s likely that it will give you the confidence to work towards bigger goals. Do not set your first goal as climbing Mount Everest if you’re new to goal setting.
We always like to say – never say never but we believe starting small is best in the beginning. Climbing Mount Everest may be totally attainable for some but if you’re new to goal setting, get a quick win first. Additionally, if you need some help building up confidence, try these affirmations.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a business owner learning a new skill, a student in your last year of school, or stay at home parent setting personal goals, we hope this star goal setting framework helps you!
The star format is also similar to smart goal setting. SMART Goal setting stands for: Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timeline. It’s almost identical to star goal setting, it just breaks attainable and realistic into two different categories.
Let us know about the goals you’ve set and if you found any of these tips to be beneficial.
xx,
T&W