Yesterday we talked a bit about setting goals and why it’s important to set meaningful and specific goals that are measurable. I hope you’ve spent a little time thinking about what some of your own goals may be. That’s because today it’s time to put the theory to practice and use writing down goals and checking them off as a confidence hack.

This isn’t going to be as hard or as complicated as you may think at first glance. Yesterday we talked about some pretty big, long-term goals. While those are great to have, there are also much smaller, daily goals we can use to get a boost in confidence. These are the small goals you want to write down and check off. Sometimes they are part of your bigger goals, sometimes they aren’t.

Think about what you want to get done today. Maybe this includes making a meal plan for the week, finding some time to read a book, or taking an hour for yourself to play a video game. Maybe it’s weeding the garden. Maybe it’s replacing the windshield wiper fluid in your car. It doesn’t matter how large or small, write those goals down on a small notepad that you can carry with you or leave at your desk or kitchen counter. Then, as you accomplish each small goal, check it off. You can put a check mark next to it or cross it out. Try them both and see which one feels better. Try transferring your goals to your Success notebook and reward yourself for completing them with charms from Reward Your Success™.

It’s very satisfying to check items off your goals or to-do list. Each time you check something off, you get a mini boost of confidence that will help motivate you to tackle the next task, and the next one. Mix and match goals or tasks that are very easy to accomplish, and those that take a little longer or require a little more will power on your part.

Play around with how much you put on your list to check off. If you find yourself overwhelmed with too many tasks and goals, limit it to no more than five things. If you find that you can’t possibly make it through your entire list and that not finishing gets you down, make sure you add no more than what you can comfortably finish. If on the other hand having quite a few extra items on that list motivates you to see how much you can check off before bedtime, load up that goals list. Make it work for you and see what system gives you the biggest boost in confidence and courage.

Let’s talk about goals and how they can help you boost your confidence. Goals help in many areas of our lives.  They help us get more done.  They can help us forward more quickly in life, work, or school. Not only that, they also force us to think about what we want, break it down into actionable items, and set a deadline.

With smart goals like that in place, you’ll be making in measurable progress in no time. That in turn will give you a big boost in confidence. That confidence is all you need to get the courage to tackle your next set of goals.

Let’s look at this process a little closer. The first step is to determine what you want. What is your specific goal going to be? Notice that I said specific. Wanting to lose weight, get in shape, or having a lot of money in the bank are a starting thought, but not a real goal. If you don’t know how much weight you want to lose, you don’t have anything to measure your progress on. If you want to lose 10 pounds, a two pound weight loss is a great first step. If you don’t know how many pounds you want to lose, you won’t know if those two pounds are where you can stop, or if they are a small drop in the bucket.

If you want to get in shape, you need to know what “in shape” looks and feels like for you. Does it mean keeping up with your toddler when you’re running around on the playground? Or does it mean running a marathon next year? They are two very different goals that both fall under “in shape”. Yet the preparation and what it will take to reach each goal will be very different. You can’t begin to measure your success unless you set a real, well-defined goal.

The same holds true for the idea of having money in the bank. That’s all it is, an idea. It’s not a bad starting point to set a goal, but it’s not an actual goal. Do you want a couple of hundred dollars in the bank after paying off all your outstanding consumer debt, do you want to save up $10,000 for a down payment on a house, or do you want to have six months’ worth of living expenses in savings as a financial safety net? Those are all very different goals that all fall under the idea of “money in the bank”. They may even amount to a fairly similar dollar amount, but the motivation behind them and the use for that money is different.

That’s another important part of setting a goal that will help you boost your confidence.

Don’t throw an arbitrary number out there, whether it’s money in the bank, pounds lost, or how fast you can run a mile. Make it mean something. It’s much easier to stick to the goal of saving $10,000 for a down payment on a house.

You’ll be able to stick to eating beans and rice twice a week and cutting back the cable package if you know it’s for realizing your dream of home ownership. Not only that, but as you get a step closer to that goal (by depositing and extra $1,000 when you get your tax refund, or a bonus at work), you’ll be proud of what you’re doing.

Each step that gets you closer to your goal has real meaning and it increases your self-confidence.