--- title: The Last Thing You’ll Ever Need to Read About Achieving Goals description: Huh? Set goals? Why? Setting goals can improve your life. Goal setting is one of the four techniques the military used to increase Navy SEAL... canonical: https://time.com/3222613/the-last-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-about-setting-and-achieving-goals/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-02T04:01:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:54:40.728Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Last Thing You’ll Ever Need to Read About Setting and Achieving Goals og:description: Huh? Set goals? Why? Setting goals can improve your life. Goal setting is one of the four techniques the military used to increase Navy SEAL... og:url: https://time.com/3222613/the-last-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-about-setting-and-achieving-goals/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a0dd889be331498/6986a1871eebf70068372766/dartboard.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3328 og:image:height: 1872 og:image:alt: dartboard og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Last Thing You’ll Ever Need to Read About Setting and Achieving Goals twitter:description: Huh? Set goals? Why? Setting goals can improve your life. Goal setting is one of the four techniques the military used to increase Navy SEAL... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a0dd889be331498/6986a1871eebf70068372766/dartboard.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Last Thing You’ll Ever Need to Read About Setting and Achieving Goals > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Sep 2, 2014 4:01 AM UTC  Dart hitting bullseye on target Dart hitting bullseye on target Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Sep 2, 2014 4:01 AM UTC **_Huh? Set goals? Why?_** * Setting goals [can improve your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-setting-goals-as-important-for-young-peopl). Goal setting is one of [the four techniques the military used to increase Navy SEAL passing rates](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-four-psychological-techniques-did-the-go) from 25% to 33%. * Studies have also shown it [makes you happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-setting-goals-make-you-happier). **_How do you set goals?_** * Initially, the research says, aim high. [Set ambitious goals](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-it-better-to-start-off-with-ambitious-goal). (But later on down the road [don’t be afraid to settle](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-it-better-to-settle) to be happy.) * Keeping goals vague sometimes [produces higher rates of success](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-make-your-new-years-resolutions-more-s) but being specific will [prevent procrastination](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-stop-procrastinating-and-make-pla). * Structure your goals so that the focus is to [learn and improve, not to outdo someone else](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/should-you-pursue-mastery-or-focus-on-outdoin). The former helps you grow. The latter can turn you into a jerk. * Make sure [your goals are aligned](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-your-goals-making-you-unhappy) to optimize happiness. * If you really have no idea what you want, [imagine your funeral](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-figure-out-what-your-real-long-te). In his[famous Stanford commencement speech](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/was-steve-jobs-right-can-thinking-about-death) Steve Jobs said: “_Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life._” And science [agrees with him](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/was-steve-jobs-right-can-thinking-about-death). **_What are the first steps in moving toward your goals?_** * Write them down. Writing about goals [makes you happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-should-you-write-about-if-you-want-to-in) and makes you[more likely to follow through with them](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-little-thing-can-increase-the-chance-peo). Use round numbers to [trick yourself into working harder](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-round-numbers-make-us-work-harder). * Sometimes the best way to figure out how to do something is [to focus on why you want to do something](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-changing-one-word-help-you-achieve-goals). * Grease the wheels for any behavior change by [manipulating your context](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-effective-way-to-change-you-be). * Don’t look at goals like a death march. Putting some time into [making them fun](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-making-things-fun-the-best-way-to-encourag) is both more enjoyable and more effective. * Make the first couple milestones easy. Track your accomplishments on a chart. Do anything so that you can see progress because [nothing motivates you more than seeing progress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-motivates-us-more-than-most-anything-els). **_How do I keep going and not give up?_** * Use checklists to make sure you’re accomplishing everything. They [work](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-something-simple-that-can-make-your-wor). And depending on your goal sometimes [you don’t need a “to-do list”, you need a “not to-do list.”](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-you-need-to-to-do-list-or-a-not-to-do-list) * Do NOT fantasize about achieving your goal. That’s [eating dessert first and saps motivation](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-fantasizing-give-you-the-motivation-to-a). Thinking about [what you have to do to prepare for a challenge](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-a-rocky-training-montage-what-you-need-to) was more likely to lead to success than imagining the victory. * The secret to avoiding goal-induced stress is [more planning](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-best-way-to-handle-stress). This reduces random factors that can throw a wrench into things and knock you off course. * You can measure progress by how much you’ve completed or how much you have left to do. [Research says you’ll be more motivated if you focus on whichever of those two is smaller.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-trick-for-sticking-to-your-goals) * Understand the steps to [expert performance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-steps-to-becoming-an-expert). Keep in mind [the lessons](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-really-motivates-us)from Daniel Pink’s excellent book on the science of motivation, [Drive](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594484805/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1594484805). Know [the techniques the Army uses to instill mental toughness.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-3-techniques-does-the-army-use-to-instil) **_What are 5 things that_** [**_make achieving goals easier?_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-5-things-help-you-achieve-your-goals-wha) 1. Make a step-by-step plan. 2. Tell other people about your goal. 3. Think about the good things that will happen if you achieve your goal. 4. Reward yourself for making progress toward your goal. 5. Record your progress (e.g., in a journal or on a chart). **_What are 5 things that_** [**_don’t work_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-5-things-help-you-achieve-your-goals-wha) **_when it comes to goals?_** 1. Motivate yourself by focusing on someone that you admire for achieving so much (e.g., a celebrity role model or great leader). 2. Think about the bad things that will happen if you don’t achieve your goal. 3. Try to suppress unhelpful thoughts (e.g., avoid thinking about eating unhealthy food or smoking). 4. Rely on willpower. 5. Fantasize about how great your life will be when you achieve my goal. More tips [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-proven-tips-that-will-help-you-achie). **Join over 90,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [How To Be Resilient: 8 Steps To Success When Life Gets Hard](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/07/how-to-be-resilient/) [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)**_._** ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3222613/the-last-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-about-setting-and-achieving-goals/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3222613/the-last-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-about-setting-and-achieving-goals/"},"headline":"The Last Thing You’ll Ever Need to Read About Setting and Achieving Goals","datePublished":"2014-09-02T04:01:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:40.728Z","description":"Huh? 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