Golden Rules of Goal Setting
Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for
Success
Learn five techniques for setting effective goals
Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five
years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at
the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of
today?
If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals
you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take
control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for
determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a
million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to
amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the
money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.
To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to
set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen.
Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you
want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between
there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each
goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can
accomplish.
Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:
The Five Golden Rules
1. Set Goals that Motivate You
When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they
motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that
there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome,
or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you
putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to
achieving goals.
Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life.
Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you
too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so
to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and
have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk
putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves
you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are
de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do
anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.
Tip:
To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why
it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my
goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile
goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you
start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the
goal happen.
2. Set SMART Goals
You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already.
But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be
powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of
what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:
- Specific.
- Measurable.
- Attainable.
- Relevant.
- Time Bound.
Set Specific Goals
Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or
generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient
direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you
can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.
Set Measurable Goals
Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so
you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as
"To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful?
In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time
when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you
miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved
something.
Set Attainable Goals
Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set.
If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize
yourself and erode your confidence.
However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy.
Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic
at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of
non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the
balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise
the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.
Set Relevant Goals
Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life
and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the
focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and
inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.
Set Time-Bound Goals
You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you
know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your
sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.
3. Set Goals in Writing
The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and
tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the
word "will" instead of "would like to" or
"might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10
percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses
by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can
"see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives
you an excuse if you get sidetracked.
Tip 1:
Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve
your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for
the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover."
The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause
"allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.
Tip 2:
If you use a To-Do List
, make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of
it. If you use an Action Program
, then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.
Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every
day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer
monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.
4. Make an Action Plan
This step is often missed in the process of goal setting.
You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that
are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then
crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making
progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal
is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans
for more on how to do this.
5. Stick With It!
Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means
to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular
time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain
quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself
along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and
necessity remain high.
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