Goal Setting for Men: 5 Ways on How to Set Goals as a Man

How do I set personal goals as a man? How do I ensure I achieve my goals? Why is goal setting for men important? What are some life goals I should set as a man? What tips can I use to set goals as a man? If you are looking for answers to these and more questions about goal setting for men, this article is for you.

Hi, my name is Sean Galla. I have facilitated men’s groups and forums for the past 10 years. Part of our work includes encouraging men to set goals for their life and offering guidance and support to help them achieve these goals. There are many benefits of goal setting for men. This article has all the information you need about setting goals, including tips on how you can set goals and achieve them as a man.

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Written by

Sean Galla

An experienced facilitator, community builder and Peer Support Specialist, Sean has been running men's groups for 10+ years. Read Sean's Full Author Bio.

What Is Goal Setting?

What Is Goal Setting?

Every year, either towards the end or in the beginning, human beings are known to set goals for the new year, commonly referred to as new year’s resolutions. While most people set annual long-term goals with a lot of enthusiasm and hope to achieve them, statistics show that nearly 80% of new year resolutions or goals are abandoned within a month or two. This shows that most people know what they want to achieve but don’t know how to do it. This is where goal setting comes into play.

Goals can be described as the first steps you take towards a short-term or long-term plan. You can think of specific goals as the building blocks to a plan that plays the role of skill development in different areas of life. Goals are targets to which one aims their life’s arrow.

Goal setting is the process through which one creates goals. Statistics show that goal setting is an important aspect of life. Humans who set goals thrive more compared to people who go through life without setting goals. Goals setting is based on the belief that having conscious goals affects action that is purposeful and regulated by the goal. Simply put, goal setting is the process of determining what is beneficial and important in one’s life and setting intentional steps to achieve the goal.

Years of scientific research show that the human brain is a goal-setting organ. Whenever you present a goal in your subconscious, the brain activity starts to seek out information, data, opportunities, and resources that can help you accomplish the goal.

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Why Is Goal Setting for Men Important?

Without goal setting, life can have no clear sense of direction. One would merely bounce from one situation to the other, reacting to events happening in other people’s lives instead of proactively guiding their life towards the desired outcome. Goal setting ensures you remain in control of your life and well-being.

In other words, the only way to create a life you love is by setting clear goals for yourself and creating a plan to make the goals achievable.

Your belief and confidence in yourself grow with every goal you set and achieve. This is because goal setting forces you to step out of your comfort zone, gain a new skill and seek new experiences to be able to achieve your goal.

Goal setting also makes you confront your fears while taking action. Every time you overcome a fear, you boost your confidence to learn new things and overcome the next challenge. This increases the sense of what is achievable while inspiring you to take on more significant challenges to attain an even higher level of success.    

To be able to enjoy the benefits associated with goal setting, you need to learn how to set smart goals.

What Are Smart Goals?

Smart goals are the most ideal types of goals one can pursue. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (S.M.A.R.T). Ensuring your goals meet these parameters ensures you remain focused on setting and achieving realistic goals as you accelerate the process of reaching your ultimate goal.

  • Specific – every goal you set as a man needs to be clear and well-defined to you and anyone else. It needs to be detailed and precise and offer solutions to questions instead of creating more.
  • Measurable – any effective goal has to be measurable. This means that the goal has to include target numbers.
  • Attainable – to be able to make full use of the power of goal setting, you need to set realistic and possible goals. This includes determining what is achievable based on the availability of time, money, resources, skills, and personal abilities.

This is now to say that you shouldn’t set ambitious goals. However, you need to break down these big dreams into smaller, attainable goals as you work towards the bigger picture.

  • Realistic – your goals must be realistic and aligned with your purpose. This includes ensuring the goal aligns with your current circumstances and life.
  • Time-bound – any realistic goal has to come with a deadline. For goal setting to make sense, you need to set a target date by which the goal has to be achieved. This ensures you remain motivated to keep working on the goal and taking action to beat the due date. For instance, you can set a goal to complete an online course and start your own business by the end of the year. Ensure the deadline you set is reasonable, considering all your other life commitments. You have a better chance of attaining your goal if you dedicate enough time to it.

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How to Set Goals as a Man

How to Set Goals as a Man

To set achievable goals, you first need to decide what exactly it is you want. Some of the questions to ask yourself include:

  • Who do you want to be?
  • What do you want to accomplish?
  • What do you want to experience?
  • What do you want to acquire?

Set goals for important areas in your life

You need to have a clear vision of the kind of life you want to live. This will ensure goal the setting process helps you find achievement, purpose, and fulfillment in different areas of your life.

To start off, you can create three goals in areas of your life, including:

  • Financial Goals
  • Workplace performance goals
  • Health and wellness Goals
  • Career goals or Business Goals
  • Relationship Goals
  • Free Time management goals
  • Personal Growth or personal development
  • Social work and community service

You can segment the goals into smaller achievable ones that lead to achieving the main ones on your list.

Set a breakthrough goal

Along with your life goals, you also need to set goals that prompt you to seek growth outside your comfort zone. These goals may require you to learn a new skill or try a new activity outside your norm.

Setting breakthrough goals is a fantastic way of growing your self-esteem and boosting your self-confidence. Achieving each one of your breakthrough goals can change different aspects of your life for the better. Some common breakthrough goals include starting businesses, losing a considerable amount of weight, running a marathon in record time, writing a book, going back to school, or boosting your financial status.

Determine a method of measuring your goals

Part of proper goal setting for men is coming up with a quantifiable way of measuring success as you work towards your goal. How you measure success along the way depends on the goal you set. For instance, if you have a fitness goal to lose 100 pounds in 6 months, you need to determine how much you need to lose every month, create a plan to achieve success, and check in every month to see progress.

Setting measurable smaller goals in the first place is the only sure way of knowing whether you are on the right path to achieving your overall goal.

Create time to work on your goals

The only way to keep your mind focused on achieving your goal is by ensuring you create time in your schedule to work towards your goals. This is especially important if your goal is not linked to your day-to-day activities. Ensure you do something every day to work towards your goal.

Join a support group

Research shows that people have a higher chance of sticking to their goals and achieving them if they share their ideas and goals with other people. If you find it hard to focus on your goals and achieve them, joining a support group such as Men’s Group may be the best way to stay accountable and dedicated to your goals.

More About Men’s Group

Mens Group

Men’s Group is an online peer support group for men. When you join Men’s Group, you meet with fellow men who share your experiences. Here, you will meet other men willing to offer the support, guidance, and advice you need to make it easier for you to meet your goals. It also gives you a safe and friendly space to share, make friends and learn how to set better goals and achieve them. Being a man can be lonely, and being part of a men’s group can be the change you need to finally end procrastination and change your life.

The Bottom Line 

Goal setting for men is an ideal way of ensuring men establish a strategy that sets them up for success. Being able to track and quantify progress helps to build confidence as one achieves short-term goals leading up to the big ones. If you are a man interested in sticking to your goals, joining a support group like Men’s Group can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals and live a more satisfying life.

*Sources:
1. How To Set Goals and Achieve Them
2. Goal-Setting Tips to Create an Extraordinary Life
3. How the Fittest Men Set Health and Fitness Goals
4. Success Through Goal Setting, Part 1 Of 3
5. Set your goals and make them happen