Steps for Setting Goals

STEPS FOR SETTING GOALS



There is an ancient anonymous quote which captures some of the idea of goal setting: "Luck is the residue of design."


People tend to make comments about how lucky a person was to accomplish a certain dream, reach something that others thought might be unattainable. However the quote above reflects that luck is the residue of design, meaning good planning. Perhaps more importantly good goal setting.


Goal setting is far more than seeing the big picture or even planning the individual steps or objective and methods of obtaining your goals. It is also a realistic analysis of what is reasonable and attainable. This article will look at several key examples of realistic goal writing in order to help everyone attain their dreams.


First and foremost one must look at if the goal is concrete. Can you measure it? How specific is your goal? Is it something like I will increase my sales, without saying by how much or how many or how much money might be linked to the amount of sales increase? Just like saying that you will lose weight, and failing to set a number of pounds. Be specific. Be realistic. You may want to establish a short term goal of losing 5-7 pounds per week, which is the average amount of weight lost to water weight and should be attainable realistically the first week. Saying even ten pounds per week might be setting the goal too high. You might set a long term goal of losing 100 pounds, but your goal has to have other aspects built in or the 100 pounds will seem overwhelming and you will have more problems in reaching your goal. One of the issues of an unrealistic goal is also motivation.


Each individual must ask themselves if their goal motivates them and if so how does help them get started. In the example already listed, losing 100 pounds is a good goal, but to break it down into more realistic objectives measured week by week is far more motivational. If you set your initial goal at 5-7 pounds and reach that goal you will be far more motivated for the next week. Since we know this is a standard weight loss measurement from the first week of dieting and exercise, through water weight, then indeed this is building in some motivational success.


Men tend to lose more weight than women the first week and that also goes for the differential. A man is more likely to lose the 7 and the woman more likely to lose 5. Allow yourself some cushion, or leeway in your estimates and goals. They must be motivational and concrete.


Realistic goal setting includes the idea of whether or not the goal can be attained. Do you have to ability to attain that goal or is it outside your ability. Do other forces, events, or outside individuals control the situation so that by setting yourself an unattainable goal you are setting yourself up for failure. Make sure you have control over the outcome.
In order for the goal to inspire you, and be important motivationally, it must also be applicable or relevant to your life. Does the goal have meaning for you? Shape the goal so that it is worded and has an impact, make it have meaning for you. If it is weight loss then indeed make it meaningful with ideas of new clothes and many other relevant dreams and thoughts that can help spur you on to the goal. Do not set goals for things you really don’t want to do. In this sense, if your spouse says they want you to quit smoking and you do not and will not, why bother setting goals. Not to say that smoking is healthy. Just that IF this is not something you want to accomplish or is relevant to your life you are unlikely to succeed.


Finally we must look at how you track your goal, can you use a timeline to help you accomplish you goal within a time standard. Is there a deadline? You have to set those objectives of losing five pounds per week, and then arrive at twenty weeks later with hopefully the long term weight loss goal of 100 pounds. You might want to figure in a few extra weeks for mistakes, holidays, or anticipated problems or backsliding. But you should establish signposts and small goal dates leading up to a final goal date. Don't let the whole project overwhelm you. It may seem to be an insurmountable mountain if you look at it that way. Instead of taking it one small part at a time.


In conclusion you are most likely to succeed in obtaining your dreams if you start with realistic goal setting and solid planning. Looking at the key elements of how concrete and measurable your goal is, are you motivated, can it be realistically attained, is it relevant to your life and is there a deadline or timeline? All these questions and planning are more than luck. They are a design, a plan that will leave other people amazed at your success. By setting goals and solving problems.