This week’s blog covers goal setting and why it can be helpful to implement it into your work life. Goal setting involves developing an action plan in order to achieve a target or objective. Through this plan you are consciously taking active steps to achieve your desired outcome.
Why goals are important
Goals are paramount to success and organisation for your work and personal life. Setting goals that are achievable can give you direction, as well as helping identify what is important to you. When you have decided on a certain goal your mind will almost automatically keep you focused on that and eliminate distractions that would have wasted time previously. Goals can help trigger new behaviors and help with sustaining momentum, while creating a sense of purpose and satisfaction in your life.
How to implement them – Set SMART goals
- Specific.
- Measurable.
- Attainable.
- Relevant.
- Time Bound.
Specific
In order for a goal to be effective it needs to be clear and well defined. Questions such as, ‘What needs to be accomplished?’ and ‘What steps need to be taken to achieve it?’ can help you define precisely what you’re aiming for.
Measurable
Setting dates and exact amounts on your goals is helpful when trying to track progress. If your goal is too vague, you may find it difficult to know when you’ve reached it.
Attainable
At this point in setting your goals you need to stop and ask yourself, ‘Are these realistic and achievable for me?’. Setting goals that are impractical for yourself can damage your self-confidence, finding the balance by setting realistic yet challenging goals helps keep you on track.
Relevant
Keeping your goals aligned with the direction you want our life and career to towards, can help keep them relevant. Ask yourself ‘Why are you setting the goal that you are setting?’. Setting insignificant goals can potentially waste your time and take away from more important goals.
Time bound
In order to measure success, your goal must have a timeline. Holding yourself accountable for a specific date that has been set, increases a sense of urgency to get that goal done within a designated time frame.
Goal setting requires a lot of commitment and tenacity to follow through, it is an ongoing activity that can be used to reach targets and objectives, no matter how big or small they may be.
