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Did you know that the way you approach setting goals significantly influences your success rate at achieving those goals?
Traditional goals tend to focus on results-oriented outcomes such as; losing x pounds in x months, or finally getting a promotion at work.
These kinds of targets can be motivating (I mean, who doesn’t want to lose weight or get a promotion?!), but we are often frustrated by these kinds of goals because we really have no control over when we can reach them. You might be doing “all the right things” to lose weight or get a promotion, but you can’t control how quickly your body will react to your diet and exercise plan, or you can’t control your company’s promotion rates for the year.
However, if you set action-based goals, which focus on some specific behaviors and actions necessary for progress, you’ll have more success. You can control your behaviors and actions. You can even modify them to get different results. Action-based goals are the way I coach my clients to success.
By shifting your attention away from what you want to accomplish and onto the steps necessary for achieving a result, you can foster a sense of control and purpose which can lead to you achieving your goals more easily. And it can keep you from quitting before you reach them.
Adopting action-based goals could unlock your full potential and keep you on your journey toward success!
Here are three reasons why action-oriented goals tend to be easier to achieve over results-oriented ones:
Action-based goals offer more clarity and direction, leading to deeper understanding of the tasks you need to accomplish to reach the goal. Goal-setting that emphasizes actions--such as exercising for thirty minutes five times each week, or dedicating two workouts each week to strength training, can foster an active mindset. Action-based goals provide a roadmap for reaching ambitious objectives by breaking them down into manageable steps that are easy to take action on. Focusing on smaller tasks rather than the final result allows you to feel like your efforts are manageable and achievable. This provides a motivating sense of progress and accomplishment. Each completed action serves as a mini-victory, inspiring your motivation and solidifying your dedication to the goal.
Action-based goals offer a key advantage: they are flexible enough to adapt as our circumstances or objectives change.
Goals that focus on results depend on specific outcomes that are often beyond our own control — economic fluctuations, personal life changes, family emergencies. When we set goals based on fixed outcomes (I will lose 10 pounds by March), you may become discouraged or demotivated when you encounter a setback or changed circumstance (my mother got sick and I had to travel out of town for three weeks to help her so I wasn’t in control of my menu anymore). If your goal was merely to lose weight, it may not happen because of the travel, stress, sleep disturbances, and food choices available to you. This can derail your goal and make you feel like a failure.
Action-based goals allow for adaptability and allow you to easily respond to obstacles or changing circumstances. For example, an action-based goal could be: I will walk two miles three times a week for the next three months. If you have the same circumstance of your mother becoming sick, you still have control over your ability to walk. You can still reach the goal of walking three times a week and other factors like sleep, stress, or food choices won’t derail your actions as easily.
Focusing on actions rather than outcomes allows you to maintain momentum, even during tough times, while simultaneously cultivating a growth mindset which embraces learning and resilience.
Action-based goals tend to resonate more strongly with our intrinsic motivations than results-based ones, often making the task of reaching goals more satisfying and enjoyable than fixating solely on their results.
Intrinsic motivation means you are being driven to perform an activity because of the satisfaction or enjoyment you get from doing it without the need for external rewards or pressure. Essentially, you are doing something because you find it personally fulfilling or interesting, not for the external benefit.
This kind of motivation has a far stronger and longer-term effect on behavior. When you identify actions you find pleasure in, you are more likely to stay consistent and committed to that action. By focusing on the journey rather than the destination, you can create a positive feedback loop where your actions become the reward themselves. This can be powerful motivation.
Results-oriented goals can provide a roadmap for personal achievement but action-based goals are often easier to achieve because they are more flexible and have clearer focus and direction.
Action-based goals can help you shift your focus from outcomes to the behaviors that will bring success. Action-based can also foster a more fulfilling journey toward personal development. Action-based goals offer powerful and efficient means of realizing lasting success.
Action-oriented goals provide a practical and efficient framework for realizing personal and professional ambitions. By setting specific, concrete actions at the center of any goal setting process, you will gain clarity, sustain motivation, and increase your capacity to adapt in an always-changing world. Prioritizing actions over results may not only increase your success rate but also enrich your journey along the way.
When setting your goals this year, be mindful of action-oriented thinking - it could transform your aspirations into tangible realities. If you want help setting action-oriented goals, especially when it comes to your health, feel free to reach out to me. I specialize in helping people take daily actions to improve their health and well-being. I’d love to help you!