Goal setting is an important process that helps you organize your thoughts and plan your future. It lets you think about what you would like to do and how to accomplish it. Goal setting can be about any type of goal, whether it is related to career, finances, fitness or even relationships. There are ways you can approach goal setting to make your goals seem more attainable.
SMART Goals
Using SMART goals is one of the best strategies for goal setting. According to the website MindTools, SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. All these are important to setting and achieving goals. For example, if a goal is not specific or measurable, it is hard to track success. When writing down goals, understand how each fits the SMART criteria.
Journaling
Instead of creating goals in your mind and thinking about them every now and then, actually write them down. According to the University of New Hampshire Counseling Center, if you write goals down, they will be more clear. You can break larger goals into small subsets. For example, write, "Mail 100 marketing letters a month" instead of "Mail 1,200 marketing letters each year." Describe your goals in terms of what you will do rather than the outcome you want, because you can control what you do more than you can control the outcome.
Share them with Others
You can help yourself stick to your goals by letting other people know about the goals you set. After writing your SMART goals down, show your journal to a few family members, friends or co-workers. This will help to keep you accountable to another person.
Set Up Feedback
According to the University of New Hampshire Counseling Center, setting up strategies to get feedback when you set goals is essential for making sure the goals are both appropriate and realistic. Feedback can let you know if you are on track or if you need help. You can ask friends or family members for feedback on your goals. You can also give yourself feedback. For example, if you found your goals easy to accomplish, try setting harder goals next time.
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