Goal-setting is an excellent way to achieve favorable outcomes and attain desired results. One way to clarify your goals is by asking goal-setting questions. Asking the right questions can provide an essential first step in determining what actions are necessary and what resources you need to achieve whatever goals you set, small and large.
Desired Accomplishments
One goal-setting question seems obvious: what do you wish to accomplish? Vague concepts are unhelpful in determining desired outcomes, Mind Tools explains. Putting your thoughts into words helps to determine what you consider to be a good result, and can help you in developing a definite plan of action.
Write down your goals, MayoClinic.com recommends. A written goal is specific and concrete, according to the the Utah State University Academic Resource Center. You are much less likely to ignore a goal that you have to face everyday because it is clearly stated on paper or in a computer file.
Time Frame
When should you see the final results of your efforts? If you have a specific deadline to accomplish a task, such as saving money for an upcoming vacation, you have an increased sense of urgency, according to MindTools. Even without an actual deadline, picking a definite start date is important for getting your efforts off the ground, according to MayoClinic.com. Once you account for factors that may interfere with getting started, pick a date and stick with it.
When will you have time to devote to pursuing your goal? You may need to get up earlier or set aside a block of time like a regular appointment, according to the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Alexandra Levit, author of "New Job, New You," in an article originally published by CareerBuilder.com and reprinted by CNN Living, suggests including the actions you plan to take toward achieving your goal on a weekly to-do list.
Resources And Obstacles
What's standing in your way? Determining what roadblocks you face and what you can do to overcome them is essential in accomplishing your goals, according to Lisa Sebotnick McLean, M.D., writing for the "Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry." Acknowledge your personal circumstances and set your goals accordingly, MayoClinic.com recommends. Work with your nature instead of fighting it, the University of Michigan School of Nursing recommends. Schedule more challenging tasks for when you have the most energy.
Concentrate on your goal rather than on the effort you are making. If you want to lose weight but you can't afford a gym and you hate exercise, try walking with a friend. Focus on your weight loss goals and enjoying your friend's company, rather than on the fact that you're exercising.
How to Measure Success
How will you measure success? Set your goals according to what is important to you, rather than what your friends, family or society at large expect, the Utah State University Academic Resource Center warns. If you go against your own values, you will find it difficult to make the effort necessary to achieve a goal, according to Helen Zielinkski Landon, Ph.D., writing for her website.
Set realistic goals, Psych Central recommends. Break larger goals down into manageable segments and reward yourself along the way. This will make the goal less intimidating and help you maintain the motivation necessary to continue.
References
- Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry: Overcoming Obstacles -- Therapeutic Success Despite External Barriers
- MayoClinic.com: Weight-Loss Goals -- 10 Tips for Success
- CNN Living: 6 Tips on Keeping Career Resolutions
- elen Zielinski Landon, Ph.D.: Goal Setting for the New Whatever (Year, Decade, Century, Millennium)
- MindTools: Golden Rules of Goal Setting -- Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success
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