How To More Easily Reach Your Goals With Behavior-BasedGoals

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It’s a new year, and many of us are thinking of goal setting and possibly starting with behavior-based goals. Fromexperience, they are a sure fire way to propel your outcome based goals! Now, How To More Easily Reach YourGoals With Behavior-Based Goals.

We usually think of goals that are a particular outcome. Some examples include:

Lose 20 pounds.

Increase income by 10%.

Buy a larger house/newer vehicle.

Run a marathon.

Save money for college.

Of course, these few are more common goals that people set for themselves.

But what if we based our goals on changing behaviors instead of obtaining a particular outcome? Could we modifyor completely change behaviors that would lead us to the desired result quicker, healthier, and with less stress?Some experts certainly think so.

In my experience, without knowing of the term behavior-based goal setting, it is a steady, and purposeful process tolose weight or do a particular thing. But I have usually made the behaviors the action items.

Behaviors as regularly planned habits for goal setting

Could it be that if we focus on the behavior we want, make that behavior a habit, that we reach the goal more easily,and with more joy?

Many times, when we set goals, we focus on the negative, i.e. what we don’t want rather than what we do want. Myunderstanding from learning from studying some masters in the field – people like Brain Tracy, Zig Ziglar, and more,is that focusing on what we DO want is infinitely more productive.

Ripple effect of behavior-based goals

Behavior-based goals focus more on the behaviors we want to strengthen rather than the negative actions we wantto remove. Seriously, if you set out to, “quit smoking,” what do you see in your mind?

In enhancing the positive responses, we change the way we act and react in many situations – not just situationssurrounding a goal that is outcome-based. The ripple effect of creating more positive behaviors in our lives affects

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far more than just what we may have had in mind whencreating the goal.

Focusing on behavior-based goals, something more like ahabit, rather than outcome-based goals, has…

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Focusing on behavior-based goals, something more like ahabit, rather than outcome-based goals, like saving moremoney, has a ripple effect. Consider smart companies thatknow when behavior changes for the positive; the employeeis happier not only at work but in their personal life andfamily life as well. A happier employee is a more productiveemployee. So these days we can find managers learning tointegrate behavior-based goals at each employee review.

This type of goal-setting isn’t seen just in the office, either.Personal trainers, coaches, psychologists, therapists, andso many other professions add behavior-based goal setting to theirrepertoire of techniques. Focusing on behaviors helps those in theseindustries to help their clients reach success, whatever that may mean tothem.

Move faster toward your outcomes

Goals that change behaviors are a kind of intermediate goal that helpsone achieve outcome-based goals easier, faster, and with more residualbenefits. Like that daily habit action item I mentioned earlier.Strengthening a positive behavior to reach a goal will make it stronger inevery situation where we use that behavior.

With all the significant life events last year, I by treating myself morekindly I could – be at peace with life. But, that is your typical kind ofoutcome goal. Instead, I upped a particular behavior I am already doingdaily – meditating. At first, my three-year long practice of meditating dailyfor 10 to 20 minutes went to twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes. It trulyhelped with my guilt, sadness, and grief.

In other words, changing my daily habit in this particular goal, by increasing time in meditation, is moving me towardmy outcome goal to – be at peace.

Try setting a few behavior-based goals of your own, and you’ll see that positively changing a behavior helps in somany different areas of your life. The results are great, and your new positive behaviors will serve you well for therest of your life.

By the way, we can always change the behavior as we go along because as results appear in our outer world, wecan say to ourself, “Hey, I’m on to something!”

Stay with me as we explore more about behavior-based goal setting in upcoming posts, ideas around:

– using behavior-based goal setting in work and life

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– rewards in behavior-based goals

– making and using these “more like habit” goals

– difference between behavior and outcome-based goals

– advantages of goals around behaviors

Maybe also the SMART formula even though, many of us are familiarwith it and might use it too!

Question – Do you already set behavior basedoutcome goals? How do they work for you? What tipcan you share around goal setting?

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1. What's the chance you will stick to your goals, resolutions or intentions!

2. Reach Your 2008 Sales Goals in the Last 100 Days

3. 2014 Mantras or Intentions, instead of Resolutions or Revolutions

4. Short Guide to Easy Ways to Succeed with New Habits

5. Stubborn Introvert Can Have It's Upside

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