Successful Goal Setting
People who want to succeed always start any endeavor with a carefully-constructed goal statement. Goals give you focus on what you want to achieve within a given time frame. Your goal statement also serves as a benchmark upon which you can measure your success. It’s a target that sets the tone for the different activities that you have to perform. Setting goals should not be difficult. In case you don’t know where to start, here are some tips to help you set your own goals.
Start By Reflecting On Your Values In Life
One of the best ways you can set successful goals is by reflecting on your own values in life. The reason here is quite simple. Goals should be congruent with the things that we are passionate about. Our values in life define us. As such, if we value money more than charity, then the goal should also be congruent to our passion for making money.
If you’ve lost track of your personal values, you can use your old student planners, journals, and diaries. These are repositories of the things that you hold dear. You’ll have to read each one so you can come up with several themes that can help you define your values in life. These items can also give you an idea of what your core priorities are. There will always be a recurring theme in these documents.
Define What You Really Want
Now that you have a very clear idea of what your personal values are, the next will be to describe what you really want. It is important to be very clear and specific about this. The key here is to be as inclusive as possible. You don’t want to have questions later on when you’re already trying to accomplish your goals.
You can use diary planners or journals to write what it is that you want to achieve. In many cases, you may have several things that you want. If such is the case, then it’s important to prioritize. Don’t attempt to accomplish everything at the same time.
Write A Tentative Goal Statement
In writing a goal statement, remember that it should be S.M.A.R.T. The goal needs to be very SPECIFIC. Vagueness has no place in goal-setting. It has to be very clear and very precise, leaving no room for questioning. Your statement should also be MEASURABLE. For instance, instead of saying you want to build muscle mass, it is better to say you want a lean body mass of 75%. This gives you a very clear idea of what you’re aiming for. So, when you take out your workout clothes, you’ll have this 75% lean body mass target in mind.
Your goal statement should also be attainable or ACHIEVABLE and REALISTIC. One of the most common mistakes of individuals is that they write goals that are unrealistic or impossible to achieve. For example, it is not realistic to achieve a 75% lean body mass in 1 day. But if you’re going to achieve it within 90 days, then it is possible.
This leaves us with the last characteristic of a good goal statement. It should have a specific TIME FRAME to accomplish it. If you say “I want to increase my lean body mass from 60 to 75 percent”, then the question here will be within what time frame? Is it 1 year? 2 years? Or 2 months?
Get Others To Critique Your Goal Statement
However, there will always be instances when there may be some elements in your goal statement that are not clear or not realistic. For instance, setting a lean body mass goal of 75% within 90 days may be realistic for you. But, if you do not factor in the other life circumstances that may affect the accomplishment of your goal, then it may not be realistic anymore.
Having someone critique your goal statement can help. Let them read the statement and try to evaluate whether they understand what you really want to accomplish. If they have questions, then there’s still some improvements needed on your goal statement.
Describe How You Intend To Accomplish Your Goal
Writing down a goal is easy. But it should never stop there. A goal gives you direction or focus on what you want to accomplish. The next question now is how do you intend to accomplish such a goal?
If your goal is to achieve a lean body mass of 75%, then you have to identify the different activities you need to do. For example, you can perform weightlifting, bench presses, and other exercises. The next thing is for you to identify how much effort you’re willing to put into each activity. Will you be lifting weights 3 times a week, starting with 30 lbs and gradually increasing the resistance? Describe each activity in a very clear manner so you will have better focus on what you’re doing.
Review Your Goals
Regardless of your goals, it’s crucial to review them on a regular basis. It can be every day or every week. The point here is for you to gauge whether you’re moving in the right direction. Most folks get disheartened because they don’t see any results. The problem here, of course, is that they don’t have a basis for determining whether they’re progressing or not.
Goals give you a very clear purpose in life. They provide you with clarity of focus and purposeful action. These tips should help you set your own goals in life.
Sources:
- 10 Steps to Successful Goal Setting – Huffington Post
- Golden Rules of Goal Setting – Mind Tools
- Powerful Goal-Setting Tips for Creating Your Extraordinary Life – Jack Canfield
