In a world where achievement is a barometer of success, goal setting is an important tool we can use to help us become successful in the areas important to us. Some of the most successful people you will meet in life are goal setters.
What is goal setting?
Goal setting is a positive way of thinking about your future and coming up with a plan, in smaller steps in order to reach that desired finished result.
People who have no goals many times experience a sense of having no purpose and can easily fall into a mentality of life happening to them (a victim attitude) versus having some ideas or plans to where they would like to go.
Of course, not all dreams come true and life can throw circumstances beyond our control and drastically alter our direction, but people who are adept at goal setting take in those changes and create new goals. The other alternative is they redefine their original goal but change the method of getting there that takes into consideration the new set of obstacles or challenges they’re facing.
Day by day, our lives are full of challenges. Every challenge either positive or negative must be addressed accordingly. In goal setting, the ultimate objective is identified and usually is the most achievable positive step we can make. It might be a personal matter like a love life or a financial goal involving our employment or business endeavor.
In goal setting, we set a certain plan of action in place. The result or objective is to have in writing practical, measurable goals in the direction we want to go. Goal setting could be as simple as putting a good meal every day on the table or as sophisticated as making a million dollar business. The goal may be the source of one’s dream or the subject of a well-researched think tank planning session. It could cost nothing to do or be very costly, petty and simple, or large and complicated.
Strategies for goal setting
- Decide what topic you’re going to make goals for. Is it personal, career, parenting, what?
- What is the highest and best you could want for that subject? This actually may take some time to really think about, many times we think too small. For now, don’t look at obstacles or what reality is, dream big.
- Once you’ve had some time to dream big, now start adjusting to where you’d like to be and what you’d like to accomplish. Don’t sell yourself short here, but at the same time, don’t make it so unreachable that you won’t put effort forth in reality.
- Now that you’ve got your goal, write down a plan. Make it practical of steps you could do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis that would help move you towards that goal.
- Share this with someone you trust, it will help make it more real to you. Don’t allow it to remain an idea, you must follow through.
Business people use goal setting to market their products or penetrate a new market that result in increased sales, which is their bottom line goal. Goal setting therefore is an important phase of management strategy to direct and control day-to- day operations.
Wise people of all occupations and walks of life use goal setting methods to direct their futures. It is an effective tool to evaluate where we want to go so we’re not wasting time and energy either going no where, or a direction that’s really not where we intended. The formula for goal setting is varied and dependent upon the style and personality of the one setting the goals.
Valerie Garner - Hi, I'm Valerie a midlife lady who loves to learn new things, photography, reading, writing, and drinking coffee with friends. I've ...
