The Art and Science of Setting Goals Effectively
How to master the skills of setting goals which materialise consistently?
Have you taken the time to look inwards and ask yourself how you can better yourself personally and professionally, what or where are you striving towards and how you are planning to achieve them and when?
When you set out to achieve a goal you need to ask the following questions.
- Are they Actionable?
- Are they Attainable?
- Are they Achievable?
Importance of Goal Setting to Achieve Success
We have all heard at some point or the other about goals and goal setting or goal mapping. Experts define goal setting as the act of selecting a target or objective you wish to achieve specifically.
The most important thing about goals is having one.
Geoffrey F. Albert
But why is it important to have goals? As the saying goes: “Failing to plan is planning to fail”!
An idea is just a dream with hope. We are often spinning in motion instead of taking action. When you write it down with an action plan consisting of goals, with intention it becomes a reality. Statistics suggest only around 3-4 percent of the general population, regardless of background, set regular written goals. Most of the time majority of us seem to be dreaming, wanting to achieve things a status or a lifestyle. Dreams don’t automatically come true.
Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.
Mark Twain
Many of us recognise the importance of Goal Setting in achieving success. So why is that only 8% of people achieve their goals according to studies by University of Scranton (2014)
Possible reasons are mentioned here:
- Unrealistic goals- Most people get overwhelmed and try to do a radical life change
- Underestimate completion time – it is important to be realistic. As the old saying goes, most people overestimate what they can get done in a day and under-estimate what they can get done in a year!
- Set other people’s goals – unless your goals follow your passion or aligned with the inner you, it is difficult to show up constantly.
- Don’t review their progress – having a system to review the process or lack of would make a difference.
- Do too many things at once or having conflicting goals – multitasking would make the intention to water down the purpose and slow the process.
There is a difference between being interested or committed, being interested doesn’t have any specific intentions or deliberate results whereas being committed will direct you to have a process in place to achieve that particular results. Universe is the extension of our mind which represents as law of attraction.
It is vital to understand, choosing a goal or writing it down is not the entire process. They are only small pieces of a large puzzle. The process of achieving the goal is the hardest part and is the major part of that puzzle. We need to be clear not only of what would be achieving this goal will feel like but most importantly are we willing to accept the cost or sacrifices we have to make in order to achieve these goals. Having this insight will help you stick with your process better and understand how to get there.
The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we’ve already achieved them.
Denis Waitley
Can science and strategy help you to determine how to accomplish your goals?
Goal setting theory was first coined by Edwin A. Locke who began to examine goal setting in the mid-1960s and continued researching goal setting for more than 30 years. By understanding goal setting theory, you can apply Locke and Latham’s principles to your goals. Their research confirms the usefulness of SMART goal setting and their theory continues to influence the way that Performance is measured even today.
To use this tool, set clear, challenging goals and commit yourself to achieving them. Be sure to provide feedback to others on their performance towards achieving their goals and reflect on your own progress as well. Also, consider the complexity of the task, and break your goals down into smaller chunks, where appropriate.
Locke and Latham’s Five Principles
According to Locke and Latham, there are five goal setting principles that can improve our chances of success:
- Clarity
- Challenge
- Commitment
- Feedback
- Task complexity
Exploring Your Individual Value System
It is very important to do some soul searching before goal setting. Discovering what you really desire is the first step in the process. Self-discovery, soul searching and self- awareness allow you to understand what you want your life to be like. Once you recognise what you really want, why you want that, how it would make you feel once you achieve that goal it is easy to stay motivated and face the challenges while trying to reach your target GOAL.
Writing down the answers to these questions often makes you more likely to achieve your goals and could be a reference when you need motivation. In other words, these answers will help you keep in track to achieving your goals.
Every thought or a goal is a command from your conscious mind to your subconscious mind.
Goals set direction and help you determine where you are leading to. It is easy to have multiple goals at the same time or to have conflicting goals as this will cause confusion and might hamper the progress towards your goal. It is vital to have an action plan with specific processes in place as the processes are the cornerstones of the progress you would be achieving. For example, if your goal is to fit into a dress or look slim for the holiday the processes or systems are the exercise routine and eating healthy daily.
Originally published in LinkedIn on August 8, 2018
