4. Goals must be attainable and realistic.
We must have a realistic chance of reaching a goal, combined with a belief that we will reach it, in order for it to have long-range motivational impact. Oftentimes people make the mistake of setting goals that are completely out of reach, whereas others set them so low they represent no challenge. Both approaches are ineffective. Many people knowingly set impossible goals so they can have a built-in excuse for not achieving them. This practice is clearly self-defeating. Setting a goal of tripling your income in three years might not have much of an impact, but setting a goal to earn a yearly bonus check might provide you with the extra energy to make five extra sales calls a day.
5. Goals must be timely.
We need an accomplishment-point if the goal can be measured by a timeline. Formulate a plan of action with a deadline that enables you to measure your progress in incremental steps. Simply determining that you will jog in next year’s charity event helps you claim the time needed to accomplish the goal. For example, if you are not exercising regularly you may choose to spend the next three months walking two to three miles every day. At month three, you may choose to jog three miles every other day. Not only does this make the long-term goal more manageable, but it also motivates you to stay on schedule until it’s accomplished.
Absolutely. It all begins, however, with some proper goal setting. No worries though. Setting goals is not a long, dreary and tedious process. Rather, it is an exhilarating, enriching and freeing experience, one that can provide us with the much needed passion to set us out on a new course.
It’s one thing to want something to happen, but quite another to actually set a goal and go after it in a conscious, dedicated manner. Listed below are five keys to setting goals, so you can begin designing the life you wish to live.
1. Goals must encompass all aspects of our lives.
As we are not one-dimensional, we should never set goals that embrace only one aspect of our lives. Rather, we should set goals that encompass all aspects: physical/health, intellectual, social, family, career, financial, and spiritual. By doing such, we take several positive steps for ourselves. For one, we retain a sense of balance. Secondly, by improving in more than one area, we usually begin improving in other aspects. For example, if we begin experiencing greater accomplishments in our social and spiritual life, it often follows that we most likely will begin feeling the same effects with family, career, and health.
2. Goals must be specific.
Every goal should be written down with established boundaries so you know when it has been attained. We must specifically and clearly identify our target. Here are a few examples of specific and clearly defined goals:
• I will run in the local 5K race next year. (physical/health)
• I will earn an A in my mathematics class. (intellectual)
• I will take Irish dancing lessons this spring with my friends. (social)
• I will take my spouse out on a date every Saturday evening. (family)
• I will be the top salesperson for my company for the year. (career)
• I will reduce my monthly grocery expense by $100. (financial)
• I will spend 15 minutes in prayer every morning and night. (spiritual)
The more details we give, the more likely we are to get excited about our goal and develop the passion that enables us to focus on reaching that target.
3. Goals must be measurable.
If a goal cannot be measured, then we should not make it a goal. For example, if your goal is “to become a better friend,” how can you know when you have reached “better?” Or, if your goal is “to become a well respected co-worker,” how can you know when you have reached “well respected?” Putting measures on a goal helps us and others realize at any moment where we are in pursuing that goal. Here are some examples of how we can measure goals in each aspect of our lives:
• Physical/Health: Lose an exact amount of pounds in one year.
• Intellectual: Read a selected number of books every month.
• Social: Develop a certain number of new friendships in the next year.
• Family: Devote certain periods of each day/week to the family.
• Career: Earn a promotion within two years.
• Financial: Receive a bonus at work in the coming year (you pick the amount).
• Spiritual: Attend a spiritual conference every three months.
The more effectively you can measure a goal, the more likely you are to achieve the goal because progress itself is a tremendous encourager.
