Personal Goal Setting

Planning to Live Your Life Your Way

Set powerful goals with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson

Many people feel as if they!re a"rift in the worl" #hey work har"$ %ut they "on!t seem to get anywhere worthwhile A key reason that they feel this way is that they haven!t spent enough time thinking a%out what they want from life$ an" haven!t set themselves formal goals After all$ woul" you set out on a ma&or &ourney with no real i"ea of your "estination' Pro%a%ly not( Goal setting is a powerful pro)ess for thinking a%out your i"eal future$ an" for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality #he pro)ess of setting goals helps you )hoose where you want to go in life *y knowing pre)isely what you want to a)hieve$ you know where you have to )on)entrate your efforts You!ll also +ui)kly spot the "istra)tions that )an$ so easily$ lea" you astray

Why Set Goals'

Goal setting is use" %y top,level athletes$ su))essful %usiness,people an" a)hievers in all fiel"s Setting goals gives you long,term vision an" short,term motivation -t fo)uses your a)+uisition of knowle"ge$ an" helps you to organi.e your time an" your resour)es so that you )an make the very most of your life *y setting sharp$ )learly "efine" goals$ you )an measure an" take pri"e in the a)hievement of those goals$ an" you!ll see forwar" progress in what might previously have seeme" a long pointless grin" You will also raise your self-confidence $ as you re)ogni.e your own a%ility an" )ompeten)e in a)hieving the goals that you!ve set

Starting to Set Personal Goals

You set your goals on a num%er of levels/ 0irst you )reate your 1%ig pi)ture1 of what you want to "o with your life 2or over$ say$ the ne3t 45 years6$ an" i"entify the large,s)ale goals that you want to a)hieve #hen$ you %reak these "own into the smaller an" smaller targets that you must hit to rea)h your lifetime goals 0inally$ on)e you have your plan$ you start working on it to a)hieve these goals #his is why we start the pro)ess of goal setting %y looking at your lifetime goals #hen$ we work "own to the things that you )an "o in$ say$ the ne3t five years$ then ne3t year$ ne3t month$ ne3t week$ an" to"ay$ to start moving towar"s them

Step 4/ Setting Lifetime Goals

#he first step in setting personal goals is to )onsi"er what you want to a)hieve in your lifetime 2or at least$ %y a signifi)ant an" "istant age in the future6 Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall perspe)tive that shapes all other aspe)ts of your "e)ision making #o give a %roa"$ %alan)e" )overage of all important areas in your life$ try to set goals in some of the following )ategories 2or in other )ategories of your own$ where these are important to you6/ Career 7 What level "o you want to rea)h in your )areer$ or what "o you want to a)hieve' Financial 7 8ow mu)h "o you want to earn$ %y what stage' 8ow is this relate" to your )areer goals' Education 7 -s there any knowle"ge you want to a)+uire in parti)ular' What information an" skills will you nee" to have in or"er to a)hieve other goals' Family 7 9o you want to %e a parent' -f so$ how are you going to %e a goo" parent' 8ow "o you want to %e seen %y a partner or %y mem%ers of your e3ten"e" family' Artistic 7 9o you want to a)hieve any artisti) goals' Attitude 7 -s any part of your min"set hol"ing you %a)k' -s there any part of the way that you %ehave that upsets you' 2-f so$ set a goal to improve your %ehavior or fin" a solution to the pro%lem 6 Physical 7 Are there any athleti) goals that you want to a)hieve$ or "o you want goo" health "eep into ol" age' What steps are you going to take to a)hieve this' Pleasure 7 8ow "o you want to en&oy yourself' 2You shoul" ensure that some of your life is for you(6 Public Service 7 9o you want to make the worl" a %etter pla)e' -f so$ how' Spen" some time brainstorming these things$ an" then sele)t one or more goals in ea)h )ategory that %est refle)t what you want to "o #hen )onsi"er trimming again so that you have a small num%er of really signifi)ant goals that you )an fo)us on As you "o this$ make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to a)hieve$ not ones that your parents$ family$ or employers might want 2-f you have a partner$ you pro%a%ly want to )onsi"er what he or she wants 7 however$ make sure that you also remain true to yourself(6 Tip: You may also want to rea" our arti)le on Personal Mission Statements Crafting a personal mission statement )an help %ring your most important goals into sharp fo)us

Step :/ Setting Smaller Goals

;n)e you have set your lifetime goals$ set a five,year plan of smaller goals that you

nee" to )omplete if you are to rea)h your lifetime plan #hen )reate a one,year plan$ si3,month plan$ an" a one,month plan of progressively smaller goals that you shoul" rea)h to a)hieve your lifetime goals <a)h of these shoul" %e %ase" on the previous plan #hen )reate a "aily To- o !ist of things that you shoul" "o to"ay to work towar"s your lifetime goals At an early stage$ your smaller goals might %e to rea" %ooks an" gather information on the a)hievement of your higher level goals #his will help you to improve the +uality an" realism of your goal setting 0inally review your plans$ an" make sure that they fit the way in whi)h you want to live your life Tip: -f you feel that you!re not paying enough attention to )ertain areas of your life$ you!ll fin" our arti)les on The "heel of !ife an" the !ife#Career $ainbo% useful

Staying on Course
;n)e you!ve "e)i"e" on your first set of goals$ keep the pro)ess going %y reviewing an" up"ating your #o,9o List on a "aily %asis Perio"i)ally review the longer term plans$ an" mo"ify them to refle)t your )hanging priorities an" e3perien)e 2A goo" way of "oing this is to s)he"ule regular$ repeating reviews using a )omputer,%ase" "iary 6

SMA=# Goals
A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMA=# mnemoni) While there are plenty of variants 2some of whi)h we!ve in)lu"e" in parenthesis6$ SMA=# usually stan"s for/ S 7 Spe)ifi) 2or Signifi)ant6 M 7 Measura%le 2or Meaningful6 A 7 Attaina%le 2or A)tion,;riente"6 $ 7 =elevant 2or =ewar"ing6 T 7 #ime,%oun" 2or #ra)ka%le6 0or e3ample$ instea" of having 1to sail aroun" the worl"1 as a goal$ it!s more powerful to say 1#o have )omplete" my trip aroun" the worl" %y 9e)em%er >4$ :54? 1 ;%viously$ this will only %e attaina%le if a lot of preparation has %een )omplete" %eforehan"(

0urther Goal Setting #ips

#he following %roa" gui"elines will help you to set effe)tive$ a)hieva%le goals/ State each goal as a positive statement & <3press your goals positively 7 1<3e)ute this te)hni+ue well1 is a mu)h %etter goal than 19on!t make this stupi" mistake 1 'e precise: Set pre)ise goals$ putting in "ates$ times an" amounts so that you )an measure a)hievement -f you "o this$ you!ll know e3a)tly when you have a)hieve" the goal$ an" )an take )omplete satisfa)tion from having a)hieve" it Set priorities & When you have several goals$ give ea)h a priority #his helps you to avoi" feeling overwhelme" %y having too many goals$ an" helps to "ire)t your attention to the most important ones "rite goals do%n & #his )rystalli.es them an" gives them more for)e (eep operational goals small & @eep the low,level goals that you!re working towar"s small an" a)hieva%le -f a goal is too large$ then it )an seem that you are not making progress towar"s it @eeping goals small an" in)remental gives more opportunities for rewar" Set performance goals) not outcome goals 7 You shoul" take )are to set goals over whi)h you have as mu)h )ontrol as possi%le -t )an %e +uite "ispiriting to fail to a)hieve a personal goal for reasons %eyon" your )ontrol(-n %usiness$ these reasons )oul" %e %a" %usiness environments or une3pe)te" effe)ts of government poli)y -n sport$ they )oul" in)lu"e poor &u"ging$ %a" weather$ in&ury$ or &ust plain %a" lu)k -f you %ase your goals on personal performan)e$ then you )an keep )ontrol over the a)hievement of your goals$ an" "raw satisfa)tion from them Set realistic goals & -t!s important to set goals that you )an a)hieve All sorts of people 2for e3ample$ employers$ parents$ me"ia$ or so)iety6 )an set unrealisti) goals for you #hey will often "o this in ignoran)e of your own "esires an" am%itions -t!s also possi%le to set goals that are too "iffi)ult %e)ause you might not appre)iate either the o%sta)les in the way$ or un"erstan" +uite how mu)h skill you nee" to "evelop to a)hieve a parti)ular level of performan)e

A)hieving Goals
When you!ve a)hieve" a goal$ take the time to en&oy the satisfa)tion of having "one so A%sor% the impli)ations of the goal a)hievement$ an" o%serve the progress that you!ve ma"e towar"s other goals -f the goal was a signifi)ant one$ rewar" yourself appropriately All of this helps you %uil" the self,)onfi"en)e you "eserve With the e3perien)e of having a)hieve" this goal$ review the rest of your goal plans/ -f you a)hieve" the goal too easily$ make your ne3t goal har"er -f the goal took a "ispiriting length of time to a)hieve$ make the ne3t goal a little easier

 -f you learne" something that woul" lea" you to )hange other goals$ "o so -f you noti)e" a "efi)it in your skills "espite a)hieving the goal$ "e)i"e whether to set goals to fi3 this Tip *: ;ur arti)le$ +olden $ules of +oal Setting $ will show you how to set yourself up for su))ess when it )omes to your goals -f you!re still having trou%le$ you might also want to try 'ac,%ard +oal Setting Tip -: -t!s important to remem%er that failing to meet goals "oes not matter mu)h$ &ust as long as you learn from the e3perien)e 0ee" lessons learne" %a)k into your goal setting =emem%er too that your goals will )hange as time goes on A"&ust them regularly to refle)t growth in your knowle"ge an" e3perien)e$ an" if goals "o not hol" any attra)tion any longer$ )onsi"er letting them go

Goal Setting <3ample

0or her Aew Year!s =esolution$ Susan has "e)i"e" to think a%out what she really wants to "o with her life 8er lifetime goals are as follows/ Career 7 1#o %e managing e"itor of the maga.ine that - work for 1 Artistic 7 1#o keep working on my illustration skills Bltimately - want to have my own show in our "owntown gallery 1 Physical 7 1#o run a marathon 1 Aow that Susan has liste" her lifetime goals$ she then %reaks "own ea)h one into smaller$ more managea%le goals Let!s take a )loser look at how she might %reak "own her lifetime )areer goal 7 %e)oming managing e"itor of her maga.ine/ Five-year goal: 1*e)ome "eputy e"itor 1 .ne-year goal: 1Colunteer for pro&e)ts that the )urrent Managing <"itor is hea"ing up 1 Si/-month goal: 1Go %a)k to s)hool an" finish my &ournalism "egree 1 .ne-month goal: 1#alk to the )urrent managing e"itor to "etermine what skills are nee"e" to "o the &o% 1 .ne-%ee, goal: 1*ook the meeting with the Managing <"itor 1 As you )an see from this e3ample$ %reaking %ig goals "own into smaller$ more managea%le goals makes it far easier to see how the goal will get a))omplishe" Tip:

A goo" way of getting going with this is to use the Min" #ools !ife Plan "or,boo, Supporte" %y worksheets an" a"vi)e$ this gui"es you through a simple ?,step pro)ess for setting your life goals$ an" for organi.ing yourself for su))ess

@ey Points
Goal setting is an important metho" of/ 9e)i"ing what you want to a)hieve in your life Separating what!s important from what!s irrelevant$ or a "istra)tion Motivating yourself *uil"ing your self,)onfi"en)e$ %ase" on su))essful a)hievement of goals Set your lifetime goals first #hen$ set a five,year plan of smaller goals that you nee" to )omplete if you are to rea)h your lifetime plan @eep the pro)ess going %y regularly reviewing an" up"ating your goals An" remem%er to take time to en&oy the satisfa)tion of a)hieving your goals when you "o so -f you "on!t alrea"y set goals$ "o so$ starting now As you make this te)hni+ue part of your life$ you!ll fin" your )areer a))elerating$ an" you!ll won"er how you "i" without it( More +oal setting resources from Mind Tools: +oal Setting Main Page Personal +oal Setting !oc,e0s +oal Setting Theory +olden $ules of +oal Setting 'ac,%ard +oal Setting Ma,ing 1e% 2ear $esolutions 3sing "ell-Formed .utcomes in +oal Setting #his site tea)hes you the skills you nee" for a happy an" su))essful )areerD an" this is &ust one of many tools an" resour)es that you!ll fin" here at Mind Tools Cli)k herefor more$ su%s)ri%e to our free ne%sletter$ or become a member for &ust E4