Life is for living, and that means setting goals. Setting goals can be a daunting task – especially if you're trying to set more than one at a time. But it's also one of the most rewarding processes you'll ever go through.
In order to keep your motivation levels high, it's crucial to make sure that each goal you set is specific, measurable, realistic and timed. The clearer your goal-setting criteria are the easier it will be to succeed in achieving them!
Setting goals is vital to your success. It's what you need to do in order to get where you want to go.
But how do you set goals correctly?
That's the problem, isn't it?
You might have good intentions of setting yourself up for success, but if you don't take the time to plan out exactly what it is that you want, your chances of actually achieving your goal are slim.
Setting goals is a critical first step in any business strategy. You should have several types of goals and the proper steps for each type. Goals should be measurable and attainable, but also challenging enough to make them difficult to achieve.
1. What is a goal?
A goal is an explicit statement of what you are trying to achieve. It can be a task that needs to be completed, a target that needs to be reached, or an objective you want to accomplish.
A goal is a result you are trying to achieve. You and your team can create objectives for themselves.
When we talk about setting goals, there are two ways we look at them:
a) Short-term goals
Short-term goals, also known as short-term objectives or short-term aims, are the goals that you have to achieve by a certain deadline; they are the things that you have to do before you can move on to a higher goal.
Short-term goals are more focused than your ultimate goal and should work in tandem with it. Short-term goals help you stay on track and make sure you don’t lose sight of why you are taking action in the first place.
b) Long-term goals
Long-term goals are the engine that drives your business. With a long-term goal, you can easily measure your success and hold yourself accountable to move forward. Here's an example of how I go about setting my objectives:
- What size business do I want to have in one year?
- How many new clients do I need to generate this month?
2. Why do we set goals?
Unfortunately, most people don’t set goals, and then complain that they never achieve them.
Understanding you're why is the first stage in goal-setting. Think about what motivates you to do the things you want to do. It could be a person, a memory, a reason for living, or something similar. The next step is to write a goal statement that includes your motivation and the outcome.
3. Setting your goals, step by step!
A perfect process of setting goals, writing them down (on paper or using a tool like Trello), and then checking them daily (or weekly) is the way to ensure you get closer to achieving your goals.
I have learned over time that it's very important to have structure and routine when it comes to achieving your goals. You need to take action daily, weekly, or whatever the case may be for you personally. I have also learned that goal setting is not about achieving your goals, but about taking steps towards doing so.
Step 1: Identify your goal
You may have heard that goals are important, but you might not know why. Goals guide your decisions, they help you focus on what’s important, they keep you motivated.
When you were a kid, your parents probably told you to "go play outside." But why did they say that? They told you to go outside because the only way to truly enjoy playing is if you have a goal in mind.
In order for people (including yourself) to make decisions and get things done, they need goals. Your goal might be to lose weight, save money for a new car, or earn well. All you have to do now is figure out what your objective is.
Step 2: Set SMART goals
You know what a goal is. It's an objective you want to achieve, something you want to do, maybe something that you want to have or own. But do you know how to set a goal properly?
A SMART goal is a goal that is specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely.
- Specific - What precisely will you be doing?
- Measurable - How will you measure your progress? What metrics will you use?
- Actionable - How can you take the first steps?
- Realistic - Is this goal achievable?
- Timely - When do you need to achieve this?
Step 3: Create a plan of action
Plan of action: To get a job in financial services, you will need to finish an online personal finance course. The course requires that you spend 8-10 hours per week on average. You should plan for 2-3 weeks to complete the course. Just like this example, we need to create a plan of action for everything we do. Here are some ways to create a plan of action.
- Set goals for each week, and make measurable progress towards them.
- Track your progress by using weekly checklists.
- Ask your teachers questions if you don’t understand something in class.
- Remember that if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!
Step 4: Write it down!
If you're not currently writing down your goals, you're leaving yourself open to falling into the trap of letting life get in the way. If you take the time to write down your goals on a regular basis, they'll be easier to stay focused on and achieve.
We live in a society that's faster-paced than ever before which means we have less time for things like goal setting. In order to combat this and stay focused, it's important to keep our goals written down. It's also a great idea to revisit your goals regularly so you can adjust them if necessary.
Step 5: Be accountable for your action!
You’ve probably heard it before: setting goals is one of the most important steps to success. The problem with goal setting, however, is that few people actually achieve their goals. In fact, studies have shown that only 8% of people will reach their goals.
This is a huge problem for everyone, but especially for the 80% who don’t achieve their goals. If you’re a part of that statistic and want to change it, you need to create accountability for your actions.
4. Setting different types of goals!
People tend to accomplish what they set out to achieve. If you want to achieve goals and be successful, you need a plan for success. This plan includes setting mental goals, emotional goals, and career goals.
Mental goals are benchmarks for your personal development. They are about taking stock of ourselves and setting standards for what we want to achieve in the future. Mental goals are different from personal goals in that they focus on our inner world, and not on what the external world can give us.
Emotional goals are essential in life. They drive us and motivate us until we achieve our dreams. However, there is one thing that most people forget about - the role of emotions. Emotions are equally important for success as any other factor because our emotions are the ones that push us forward to achieve what we have set as our goal.
A lot of people want to change their careers, but they don’t know where to start. Identifying your objectives is the first step.
Figure out exactly what it is that you want, then ask yourself 2 questions:
Where are the jobs that allow me to do this?
How can I get those jobs?
5. Your Goals are all about you!
It’s true, your goals are all about you. It’s the New Year and it’s time to set some goals for the coming year. Most people don’t really think about it, but setting goals is important for everyone. You see, when you set goals for yourself, you give yourself a plan for where you want to go. Without a plan, you could be going in the wrong direction without even knowing it.
Everyone knows that goals are good to have because they help keep you focused on what matters most to you.
Conclusion:
If you start now and set the right goals for yourself, you can be sure that 2022 will be your best year yet. Tell us your goal in the comments below, and we’ll help get you there by sharing tips each week on how to succeed with blogging.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_setting
https://uprisehigh.com/build-yourself/exciting-emotional-goals/
