Motivational speakers and self-help books, of varying quality, have flourished over the past few decades. However, it doesn't do you any good to get pumped up and excited without an effective plan, because the adrenaline always fades when "What do I want to do?" meets "How do I do it?" Effective goal-setting can motivate you because it facilitates performance and provides positive feedback. In addition, a strong motivational state can make you happier.
Passion
Although a wish isn't a goal, your goals should start off as wishes. Imagine your life as you would like it to be, and identify the differences between your ideal life and your current life. Formulate your wishes as a list of actions you have to do to get from where you are to where you want to be. If you have done this step correctly, your heart will beat faster with excitement. Exciting wishes are the raw materials of effective goals. Without excitement, you will lack the energy to accomplish your goals. Goals must be personally meaningful to provide motivation, according to Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, a psychology professor at Carleton University.
Specificity
Make your goals measurable and specific, advises the Special Olympics website. This allows you to track your progress and to know when your goals have been achieved. For example, "Get into shape" is a wish, not a goal. "Run 10 kilometers in less than an 40 minutes by May 30, 2011," is a goal. Use numbers whenever possible, and set a realistic time deadline for completion. Formulating your goals so that you can track your progress allows you to look forward to achieving them in the future, motivating you to work harder today.
Performance Orientation
You need to set your goals in terms of your own performance, because this puts the achievement of the goal within your reach. Setting a goal of winning the Cincinnati 10,000 Meter Mini-Marathon or being awarded the Nobel Prize is outcome-oriented, not performance-oriented, because the achievement depends on the actions of other people--other runners, or the Nobel Prize selection committee. Instead of trying to finish first in a marathon, set a target finishing time. Performance-oriented goals are motivating because they help you to "own" your goals.
Sub-Goals
Break your goals down into smaller sub-goals, says Hara Estroff Marano, editor-at-large of the "Psychology Today" magazine. Instead of waiting until you have broken the 40-minute barrier in the 10,000 meters to bask in a sense of accomplishment, set deadlines for completing the distance in 50 minutes, 49 minutes, and so on, and celebrate every time you reach a milestone. Constant positive feedback is a powerful motivator.
Momentum
Making progress in achieving your goals will reward you with a better sense of well-being, in turn providing you with the emotional strength for further achievement in a self-reinforcing cycle, says Pychyl. You can then set another round of even more ambitious goals. The cycle will not only make you more productive, it will make you happier.
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