The importance of setting goals is an open secret known by top caliber athletes, successful businessmen and businesswomen and all types of achievers in all the different fields.
The point of setting goals is that they give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set your mind on getting to know what you need to know, developing your skills and planning and organizing your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.
Why Do You Need To Set Goals?
Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals.
Charting your progress will also enable you to see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal because you know how far you have come. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve because you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.
The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal and professional life and what short term and long term goals you need to reach to achieve what you want.
Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in tackling the first steps toward your goals.
A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards your life plan goals. It is easy to get distracted and having at least one goal for each day will keep you on track and bring you a feeling of accomplishment.
Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them.
7 Goal Setting Tips
1. Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you is holding you back from completing your simplest goals? If there are any behavior patterns that are preventing you from reaching your goals, there might be some subtle reason like a fear of success. If you do have problems in these areas then it is important to address the underlying cause and not just go on struggling with the negative behavior. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.
2. Successful careers are built on good time management practice. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. You may not always know how long a task will take you and you may need to reschedule some things. But always start the day knowing exactly what are your top priorities for the day, and do not let minor issues distract you from them for at least the first part of the day.
3. Education and training will be key in achieving your goals. Sometimes you can learn from experience but you will usually find there is at least one skill set where you need some formal training. Don’t get stuck on the thought that you don’t know how to do something. Go out there and find somebody to teach you how to do it.
4. Your family should never be left out of your plans. Involve them in your goals and help them see what’s in it for them. If you are a single person this may not seem so relevant, but your friends will still be important to you. Don’t become so wrapped up in achieving your career goals that you have no time for a personal life. Relationship goals are important too.
5. Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. It’s a good idea to create plans or stages, mini goals by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.
6. To start achieving your lifetime goals, imagine where you want to be in 25 years, then break it down to 5 year plans. Take the first 5 years and break that down to 1 year plans, then 3 months, then the first month, the first week and finally the first day. Then create a things-to-do list for that day, and you are ready to take the first step toward your goal.
7. Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies. Remember, they are YOUR goals and nobody else’s. They may change as your life changes. You don’t have to do something just because the person that was you 10 years ago wanted to do it. On the other hand, don’t let the dream of a lifetime be destroyed by the petty grind of daily life. Continually remind yourself of what your true goals are, and you will find they are not so hard to reach.
As the saying goes -’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans, as should rest and relaxation. Your goals are important but you can best achieve them if you are fit, healthy and happy.