Setting goals isn’t complicated, but like everything else, there is a right and wrong way to go about it. Making goals to change your behavior -- whether it’s to decrease procrastination or be friendlier when you’re under stress -- can be a lot trickier than creating goals to change performance. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Focus on Future Performance

It’s cause and effect -- today’s behavior affects tomorrow’s performance. If you’re having trouble meeting a performance-based goal you’ve set for yourself, consider that you might need to change a behavior instead. For instance, many people set goals to increase productivity. But regardless of how fast you type, if you spend all morning surfing the web you’ll never meet your goal.

When it comes to behavior-based goals, your focus should be on future performance. Go out of your way executing your behavior-based goals, stay consistent, and really work hard on changing the...

What's stopping you from taking action? Is it fear? Perhaps you're waiting for the right break instead of making your opportunities in life? Or maybe you believe you're not smart or talented enough? These negative beliefs are holding you back.

There's a reason why so many intelligent people fail. They tend to overthink everything and are often afraid to take risks. If that's your case, here are some powerful reasons to become an action-taker:

Get Rid of Doubts

If you don't take action, you'll keep wondering What if? You will struggle with self-doubt and question your decisions. Taking action builds experience and boosts your confidence. It also allows you to discover new resources and information that will contribute to your success.

Your Time Is Limited

Steve Jobs once said that remembering you're going to die is the best way to stop thinking you have something to lose. Your time on this earth is limited. You never know what’s going to happen a month or a year from now on.

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If your life is starting to feel out of control, you can make things easier for yourself by automating your life. Small, routine tasks such as deciding what to eat and what to wear can occupy a lot of brain space. You can reduce the amount of brain space that’s taken up by putting these routine tasks on auto-pilot.

Sit down with a pencil and paper and think of the repetitive, but important decisions you don’t need to keep making every day. Here are some examples you can implement:

1. Wear a work "uniform"

Steve Jobs famously wore the same black turtlenecks every day, so he didn’t have to think about what to wear. Think of something simple and easy, a standard outfit or a capsule wardrobe of basics (preferably easily laundered and drip dry), so that’s one less decision or stress point in your day.

2. Streamline your breakfast options

The easiest option is to eat the same thing for breakfast every day, but you can also think of a limited menu. Muesli or...

When you think about the advantages of behavior-based goals, a few things come to mind immediately. You might be excited to get more done, or be promoted, or increase your leadership skills, or just lead a happier life in general. All of these things are possible with hard work and dedication, but setting the right goals makes it much easier.

Increase Productivity

Being a goal-oriented person means making the most of your time. When you start to act on behavior-based goals, you’ll find yourself getting more done. In fact, one of the biggest reasons that people seek change in the first place is to increase their productivity. With a few changes, you can stop procrastinating and accomplish more with less stress.

Behavior-based goals like cutting down on procrastination, managing your time more effectively, and concentrating on the task at hand can all increase your productivity. Instead of making explicit goals like finishing a report in record time, focus more on staying...

Have you ever read articles about how people like Oprah or Brendon Burchard start their day? They claim the practice of gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to change your life, and they are living proof. Keeping a gratitude journal is an excellent way to start noticing and counting your blessings. It’s simple, yet powerful.

But there’s no need to stop there!

There are many ways to add the practice of gratitude into your life so that you stay focused on appreciating all the amazing things you have in your life. Here are a few simple ways to add more feelings of gratitude in your life, starting now.

•  Compliment a stranger—how many times have you admired someone’s haircut or blouse, but not complimented them on it? Start today!
• Let someone ahead of you in line—remember how it feels when you have one item, and all the people in front of you have a shopping cart full? Guess what? Everyone feels that way. The next time you get the...

Want to be happier? Most people do! The good news is there are some simple practices to make you happy, and they don’t cost a cent! And, you can get started as soon as you finish reading this article.

Appreciate

Appreciating people for what they have done for you helps improve your level of happiness. It strengthens your relationships and draws more positive people to you. Studies have shown that people who show gratitude consistently live a healthier life. They don’t have constant ups and downs in emotions, they sleep well and have fewer health problems.

Give

Sharing what you have with people who cannot afford to own such things not only makes them happy, it also makes the giver happy, abundant and fulfilled. Merely showing simple acts of kindness boosts people’s trust in and love for you. Studies show that those who show kindness felt happier than those who didn't. Having the desire to share your time and resources with others starts with acknowledging and...

Setting goals are not the same as just wanting something, or even making resolutions. Deciding you want something won’t get you anywhere without goals and a plan to achieve them. Whether it’s losing that spare tire, writing your novel or expanding your business, there are some key things to focus on if you want to reach your goals.

1. Be your best you

If you want to achieve your goals you need to be the best you that you can be. Show up, work hard, be kind, live the life you want to have, and be the person you want to be. Know that you’re doing everything you can and a bit more to achieve the life you want. Be your cheerleader and know that you can do it!

2. Look after yourself

Part of being your best you is for you to take care of yourself, mind and body. Make sure you eat well, exercise, get outside for some fresh air, and take time out for rest and fun. Looking after yourself and having a balanced life will keep you focused and energized and help you avoid...

What's stopping you from taking action? Is it fear? Perhaps you're waiting for the right break instead of making your opportunities in life? Or maybe you believe you're not smart or talented enough? These negative beliefs are holding you back.

There's a reason why so many intelligent people fail. They tend to overthink everything and are often afraid to take risks. If that's your case, here are some powerful reasons to become an action-taker:

Get Rid of Doubts

If you don't take action, you'll keep wondering What if? You will struggle with self-doubt and question your decisions. Taking action builds experience and boosts your confidence. It also allows you to discover new resources and information that will contribute to your success.

Your Time Is Limited

Steve Jobs once said that remembering you're going to die is the best way to stop thinking you have something to lose. Your time on this earth is limited. You never know what’s going to happen a month or a...

There are many different ways to grow personally daily, and it’s important to keep in mind that small efforts will create change and encourage you to grow in ways that you cannot even imagine right now.

I encourage you to do something daily that your future self will thank you for, and today, I’m sharing seven ways that you can incorporate time into your day for personal growth!

1 - Know Yourself

Knowing yourself is not just about knowing your likes and dislikes. It is more about knowing who you are as a person deep within yourself. Consider taking some time to identify your core values as a person. Many businesses have core values, but bringing your values back to personal development will help tremendously in the business world.

2 - Cultivate A Positive Crew

Surround yourself with positive people and people you want to be like. I’m talking about people who encourage you, help you grow and challenge you to achieve greatness. These people have a story to tell,...

One of the biggest issues regarding setting goals is to keep them at a high level. We all want to accomplish things in life. But setting goals that are too general is going to make it difficult to accomplish them. It’s also going to be difficult to measure how you are doing. The best approach is to break big goals into chunks.

Think of the chunks as action items. These actions are measurable units that you put to milestones. You need to set them up in a way that holds you accountable. Otherwise, they won’t get accomplished.

Write your goals and action steps down on paper. Put it in a place where you can view it every single day. It’s okay to record them electronically as well, although some people find it difficult to keep both the paper version and electronic version in sync. It’s a personal preference. If you feel you can succeed with just one or the other, that is the way to go.

It’s okay to dream big with your goals but be realistic about...