Goal setting can be easy if you know some of the rules to follow. When you think about what you want to achieve, it is important to frame it in a positive way, make it specific and measurable and break it down into small steps you can accomplish along the way. Visualizing and mentally rehearsing what it will feel like to meet your goals can help your subconscious to grab hold of the concept and lead you in that direction.
What Is a Goal?
According to businessdictionary.com, a goal is an observable and measurable end result, having one or more objectives to be achieved within a fixed time frame. It is also called a "dream with a deadline." In comparison, a "purpose" is an intention or mission. The answer to the question of whether a goal has been achieved is always "yes" or "no," whereas a purpose is not achieved but pursued every day.
Why Set Goals?
If you have things you want to achieve in life, you need to set goals. Without them, you will not have focus and direction. By setting goals, you can take charge of your life's direction and have a benchmark to measure whether you are succeeding. To reach your goals, it is helpful to know how to set achievable goals. First, you must determine what you want to achieve and be willing to do the hard work it takes to get there.
SMART Goals
Although there is disagreement about who started the SMART goals concept, it is widely used in business and coaching. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding and Timely.
For example, you want to lose some weight. Instead of stating, "I would like to lose some weight," be specific and say, "I will lose 10 pounds by March 1st." By setting specific amounts and times, your goal becomes measurable. If it is January 1st and you are giving yourself two months to lose weight, this is probably attainable by that time. Losing 10 pounds should be relevant to the direction you want your health to take for it to work. By setting a date, your goal has a time limit which will prevent you from procrastinating. Goals should be written and stated positively.
HARD Goals
Leadership IQ, a leadership training and research company, studied 4,182 workers in 397 organizations to determine which goal-setting processes were best. Their analysis revealed eight predictors of whether someone's goals would help them achieve great things. These included being able to vividly picture how great you would feel reaching your goals, having to learn new skills in order to achieve them and the goals being necessary to help the company. It is important to participate in the creation of goals and have access to training necessary to achieve them. You must leave your comfort zone, plus the goals must enrich the lives of others besides yourself. Finally, the goals must be aligned with the company's top priorities. In effect, goals must be HARD: Heartfelt, Animated, Required and Difficult.
Enhancements to Goal Setting
In "Human Being," Dave Ellis and Stan Lankowitz talk about staging a mental rehearsal of a goal. Suppose you are giving a speech. Rehearse performing it really well, including everything you want to see and hear, such as delighted looks on the faces of the audience and applause at the end. If there are any other senses involved, like tastes or smells, add those in. Mentally rehearsing and visualizing successes are powerful ways to enhance accomplishing what you want.
Member Comments