On Thursday I wrote about achieving your goals, and today I'm going to write an introduction into the process of goal setting. This is a quite a common subject in most personal development books, so I'm going to try and cover the most important elements.

What is a goal?

In its simplest form, a goal is a result you want to achieve. This can be anything, from a car that you want to own to a skill you want to develop. A goal is a target that helps you to focus your activities towards getting what you want, and gives you starting point for prioritising your actions.

What makes an excellent goal?

A lot of factors go into making an excellent goal, and some parts may work better for you than others. The common characteristics of a an excellent goal are:

  • It's written down – Not only will writing your goal down help you to remember it, but it will also help to drill it into your subconscious. If you're hesitant about writing your goal down, it may be a sign that it isn't actually what you want.
  • It's inspiring – It's all too easy to choose a goal that you know you'll achieve with minimum effort, but you're only selling yourself short. One thing you'll quickly realise when setting big goals is that even if you don't achieve them, you still achieve far more than if you'd set a tame, easily achievable goal. Big goals help to inspire positive action, and are a highly beneficial tool for personal growth. Don't be tempted into setting an uninspiring, tepid goal. It might seem like the best option, but you won't gain as much in the long term.
  • It has a deadline – Giving your goals a deadline is an important step. By setting a deadline, you automatically enter a phase of setting priorities. A deadline is also beneficial when creating a plan from your goal, because you can get a better idea of how long you have and what kinds of steps you should take.
  • It's flexible – People and circumstances change, and your goal should be able to adapt accordingly. Change is not a bad thing, and it's not a bad thing to modify your goals. After all, you'll be learning as you move towards achieving it and you'll certainly find ways to improve what you're doing.
  • It's specific – Goals should be as specific as possible. The more specific you make your goal, the easier it will be to create a plan to achieve it.
  • It's measurable – At any point in time, your should be able to say whether the goal has been achieved or not.

Getting help with your goals.

Don't be afraid to ask for help with your goals. There are several ways you can go about this, from telling everybody to telling nobody. Some methods may work better for you than others, so it's best to experiment to find what suits your style:

  • Tell the World – Tell every man (and his dog) about how you're going to achieve your goal. This can add a lot of pressure, so be sure it's something you want to do. Some people thrive on this pressure, whereas others can be stifled by it.
  • Tell a few friends – This time you're more selective about who you tell. Your friends can be a good source of encouragement, so don't be too hasty to overlook this option. Be careful not to tell friends who are overly negative, as they may discourage you.
  • Tell a single person – Find one person whom you want to motivate them and tell them of your goal. Have them contact you on a regular basis to see how you're progressing. This can be a good option if you have a friend who is willing to help you through to the completion of your goal.

Achieving the goal

This was covered in more depth in Thursday's post, but to briefly review it:

  • Plan your goal – Create an action plan toward completing your goal. This should outline the actionable steps involved, and possibly a rough timeline with milestones. The amount of detail depends on your individual style, but it should at least include one concrete action that will move you towards the completion of the goal.
  • Review it regularly – Review your goals and their plans as regularly as possible. I recommend taking half an hour every morning to read over your list of goals to energise you for the day ahead. This also keeps things fresh in your mind so you can prioritise your actions accordingly.

The most important thing to remember…

Don't be afraid to fail! Everybody fails at some point in their lives, but the real test is how you cope with your failure. Use it as a learning experience. Examine where you went wrong, and look at how you can prevent it from happening again. The chances are that in a few years you'll look back on the "failure" and realise it was the best thing that ever happened to you.