Goal Setting for Excellence

When you consciously embark on goal setting, it shows your commitment to a concise approach to issues in which you wish to excel. When your heart brims with hope for the future, goals give life to our dreams. Every goal becomes a step in the journey to success on a personal or organizational level. Goal setting and completion also improves Self-Confidence and creates an overall feeling of Joy within one’s Life.

Understanding a Goal

A goal is any planning you do for the future. It matters little how mundane or significant the tasks might be, but often deadlines or finite timelines come into focus when planning for the desired outcome.

Why You Need to Set Goals

We set different goals and consider different parameters depending on our different aspirations. Nevertheless, setting goals remains important in life for these reasons:

  • Goals inspire you

When you have a definite end for your effort, you gain motivation, and you feel excited at the prospects of attaining your desire. The targets you form become the driving force and inspire you regardless of how arduous it gets.

  • Goals facilitate evaluation of progress

You can break down your major goals into smaller achievable goals that are easier to achieve. Sometimes the ultimate target may seem insurmountable and the obstacles relentless. It is at such times that setting milestones and achieving them enables you to review your progress. You can then decide on any adjustments you need to make on your goals.

  • They help you question your failure

When you state your goals and their timelines clearly, you can evaluate your progress and see why you are falling behind on your aspirations. Sometimes you may need to go back to the drawing board to review your strategies or enlist more resources to improve your performance.

  • You can establish what you want

Some goals and aspirations may not reflect your true desires. Your notion of success may not bring you much joy or satisfaction. It is by following through with the process of accomplishing your dreams that the bubble may burst.

You realize that for instance your assumption that you need more money only means you need a more flexible environment, more positive work mates or a different approach to your duties to reignite your passion in life. Goals, therefore, encourage introspection as you try to find the true meaning of what defines contentment and success at a personal level.

  • Goals keep you focused

As you view your goals, you make conscious or unconscious decisions on things that you must give up to get what you want. When you do so, you avoid distractions that hinder you or may delay you in achieving your goals.

How to Set Goals

The goal setting theory explains that ultimately, performance depends on the type of goals you set. Edwin Locke, a proponent of this theory, identifies principles of setting goals as:

  • Commitment
  • Challenge
  • Feedback
  • Clarity
  • Complexity of the task

Given that, you need to engage the following rules in setting your goals:

  • Write down your goals

Listing these in writing makes them tangible and ensures you don’t forget or lose perspective. Use a power word like “will” instead of “might” or “would wish” or “would like to” in your statements. This tip comes handy when making long-term goals such as New Year resolutions that eventually get forgotten some weeks down the year.

You can make the statements as a To-do list or choose from a relevant goal setting worksheet to outline your plan of action. You may choose some of those available online as a guide or formulate yours to capture your goals and the desired deadlines.

Goal setting worksheets vary, and you could come across some for students, organizations or different personal aspirations. Written goals enable you to have tangible benchmarks against which to evaluate your progress.

  • Set Motivating Goals

Set goals for yourself so that you own them and strive to accomplish them because they are important to you. The motivation you feel shows the value of the goals. Your interest in the outcome makes your plan your personal coach in achieving your resolution.

To maintain focus, set few goals and focus on higher priorities. When writing down your goal, add the reasons why you need to fulfill the target. This way, you will feel the urgency and gain confidence in your ability to accomplish your plan.

Furthermore, by establishing the reasons for the said goal, you will define whether it is what you need in life and you will additionally evaluate its overall effect on yourself and others.

Sometimes, you may have to involve others in your plan as you inform them of your aspirations and to enlist their support. Such a step enhances your motivation as declaring your goal increases your accountability and commitment.

You may find it valuable to utilize a project planner (IE: www.Trello.com)or some form of organizational program to help you write down you big goals and then create smaller goals to help you achieve your larger goals. This bitesize way of functioning helps you stay on point and increase your feeling of accomplishment and achievability.

  • Choose Smart Goal Setting Strategy

The SMART goal-setting rule summarizes a design where the acronym SMART means:

Specific – State your goals clearly and concisely.

Measurable – Measurable goals indicate clear deadlines, the specific completed tasks or results expected by a specific date. This serves in measuring your progress and motivates you more when you achieve or exceed your expectations.

Attainable – Achievable goals realistically define your ability to achieve your goals. In this step, you should honestly evaluate your capabilities and resources to see if your plan is feasible. Unattainable goals lead to frustration as you struggle in vain, and this eventually erodes your confidence and purpose in life.  On the other hand, you should not set very easy goals. Be realistic but set challenging goals whose achievement will earn you satisfaction and encourage you to aim higher.

Relevant – Relevant goals align with the path you want your life to take. Irrelevant goals waste your time and distract you; they scatter your resources and eventually waste your life.

Time bound – Time-bound goals keep you focused, and make you work harder and with more commitment. They enable you to make sacrifices, and when you accomplish them, you have every reason to celebrate.

Don’t Give Up – When you set your goal, keep reviewing it and remember that goal setting is a continuous process. Although the end remains constant, the journey may need adjustments due to unseen circumstances. However, when you set SMART goals, your success in achieving them is more certain.


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Author: Esateys Stuchiner




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