Do you have goals for studying English? Do you know what you want to do in the next few months? What do you want to accomplish?

Short term goals can be really helpful because they help you stay focused and motivated. However, it can be really hard to keep to your goals sometimes. Today, I'm going to go over a few simple tips on how to keep your short term goals.

21 Days to Set a Goal

Research shows that it only takes 21 days to set a goal. That's it! If you can keep with a new habit for 21 days, then you'll have no problems keeping it.

So, tell your mind that you are only going to do your new study habit for 21 days. After the first 21 days, it will be easy for you to keep the habit.

Make Sure you can Measure it

It is important to set a goal that you can measure. This is important because you will know when you have accomplished your goal. This will also help you see your progress.

A good example of a goal that can be measured is to study 400 new words a month. You can measure it because you can check how many words you know at the end of the month. An example of a bad goal to set is to become more fluent. What is 'fluent'? Many people will have different opinions on what fluent is, so you can not measure it.

Don't Go Too Fast at First

When you first set a new goal, it is very easy to get very excited about it and start studying right away. Some people will start a new studying habit and overwork themselves on the first day. It's important to start small and slowly add more and more to your studying.

For example, if your goal is to learn 400 new words every month. You can start by learning 100 new words every month, then 200, then finally 400 new words. This way you can gradually adjust to the new study schedule.

Get a Trigger

A good way to start a new habit is to have a trigger. What is a trigger? A trigger can be a habit that you are already doing. If you schedule a new habit right after the old habit it will be easier to follow. For example, if you always wake up and check your email in the morning, you can go through some vocabulary cards right after that. If you do that it'll be easier to stick with the habit.

Or better yet, you could schedule the new habit to 'block' another habit. For example, put your study book next to the TV remote, so before you watch TV, you have to study.

So there are four easy steps to set a goal and keep it. What are your short term goals for studying English (or any other language)? Let me know in the comments.