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Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

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69 views7 pages

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Uploaded by

danier
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years'

time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at
the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the
end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you
lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take
control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for
determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it:
having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one
of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of
charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary
to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set


them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal
setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what
you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually
do it. In between, there are some very well-defined steps that
transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow
you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting, presented in an


article, a video and an infographic.

Download transcript

The Five Golden Rules


1. Set Goals That Motivate You
When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate
you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and
that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in
the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then
the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are
slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this
type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you
too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires
commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to
feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude.
When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do
to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling
disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-
motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do
anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure that your goal is motivating, write down why it's
valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my
goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a
worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to
help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your
ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals


You have probably heard of SMART goals already. But do you
always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be
powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many
variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals
should be:

 Specific.
 Measurable.
 Attainable.
 Relevant.
 Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized


goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction.
Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy
as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely
where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can


measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as
"To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been
successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction
or in two years' time when you have a 10 percent reduction?
Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the
celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved
something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set
a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize
yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy.
Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be
anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future
goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet
challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the
types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring
the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and
career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop
the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely
scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and
your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

Your goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know
when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a
deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will
come that much quicker.
3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible.
You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the
word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I
will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I
would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this
year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see"
yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives
you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your


retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the
next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The
first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause
"allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List , make yourself a To-Do List template that
has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program , then
your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of


what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer
monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

4. Make an Action Plan


This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so
focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that
are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and
then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that
you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is
especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-
term. Read our article on Action Plans for more on how to do this.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity, not just a means to


an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make
regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end
destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the
action plan you set for yourself along the way can change
significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain
high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something
to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and
understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success
are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of
Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the
satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you
set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?


Five Golden Rules for Setting Great New Year
Career Goals Infographic

See how you can use the Five Golden Rules for setting career
goals, represented in an infographic .

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