Friday, 31 January 2014 00:48

How to Set Goals―Part 1 Featured

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The last time we define goal as the object of your personal ambition or effort. The aim or desired result you intended to achieve and you must be committed to achieve it so it is not a wish. We have so far discussed about “New Year Resolutions and The Importance of Setting Goals.” How

do we set goals? If you have goals and you lack the awareness on how to bring them to reality then it makes no difference. You want to be able to achieve your goals so you can have a successful life in whatever capacity it is at the moment. Achieving small goals and growing gives you the advantage of achieving bigger goals as you will be using the same principle.

I will say that setting goal is just a road map on how you want to navigate to ensure you arrive at the success end of your goal and objectives. Setting goals allows you to choose how you want to move through life. Some achievements can take a lifetime to attain, while others can be completed in the course of a day. Setting and meeting goals leads to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment that your desired ambition has be attained. It is always not easy to start anything no matter how small they might be but the moment you start things will begin to fall in place.

You need to spend enough time thinking about what you want from life, this will enable you plan and have goals to achieve. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? You are about to embark on a very important journey. Everything you will achieve in the next twelve months will depend on how you set out to achieve your goals. Setting goals is not just another thing you do, it is the most important thing you must do to become successful.

Setting goals doesn’t always mean you need something new. It could be that you want to improve on what you already have, maximising it to get the best from it. If this is the case then I admonish you to first think through the past year and specifically the past three months. Jot down what you want to maintain, improve, and change across your Personal Life, Fitness & Health, Relationships, Personal Finance, Employment and every aspect of your life I have not mentioned here. In case you are all for fresh goals then you need to spend quality time thinking about what you want. The answers will be delivered to you.

Take a few moments and think deeply about your life. In the big picture, what do you hope to experience and accomplish? In what ways do you want to improve your status? What bad habits do you want to change? What relationships patterns do you want to improve? What skills do you want to learn? What other things have you been thinking about changing? This is the time to start listing your thought so they become real. You are writing the vision, the goal, and the idea so it is no longer a verb but a noun. From thinking it becomes real―a thought.

Your goals must be S.M.A.R.T. They should not just be a wish. What does S.M.A.R.T stands for?
S― Specific
M―Measurable
A―Attainable
R―Realistic
T―Timely

Specific Goals
Great goals are well-defined and focused. Focus creates a powerful force. The moment you focus on a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies, the more power you generate. A specific goal is a well-defined goal that is exact and precise. These are goals that really matters and you truly want. Here you need to make your aim real. Make it important for you to achieve. Put your heart into your efforts. Give a little of yourself in order to receive something in return. You need to be specific, clear and definite. You must be able to define what you want as closely as possible and distinguish what you want from what you do not want. This has to be special - for you. There is nothing to lose so long as you are very particular about what you want - let it stand out for you.

Measurable Goals
We have specified the goal we wish to go for and now we need to see what needs to happen in order to determine whether it is a measurable outcome. A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re on track. These days we have Apps like Evernote that will help us align and measure our goals.

Attainable Goals
Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Don’t set out goals that cannot be attained as soon you will be discourage and stop trying. You don't want to be an hindrance to your own achievement so you must set goals that you won't stand in its way. If you are not excited and motivated by the goal you are setting then you have no chance of attaining it. You have made things difficult for you. If we set ourselves too high a standard or set the bar too high we may be setting ourselves up for failure. Setting the bar that little bit higher can be an incentive. Are our attainable goals within our grasp? Is it an incentive to grow and develop and to continue on and on towards realizing our potential?

Realistic Goals
I always teach that faith respond to realities. It is not abstract. The events are real and we apply faith to these real events. You can make anything happen if you know how to set goals, but they need to be realistic. Essentially, setting realistic goals means selecting ones that you can actually achieve. Don't ignore your strengths and weaknesses -- realistic self-assessment is important. Where you think you need help you go for it. Best way to be realistic is Writing down your gaols; setting short term milestone; you need to be very specific about the goal; you need to be able to measure both action and progress; you need to start with just a goal; your goal should have its own time schedule and set goals that you actually want to achieve.

Timely Goals
Goals and objectives just don’t get done when there’s no time frame tied to the goal-setting process. Your goal is a project and every project is managed with time. Already your gaol is specific so this means there is an allotted time in it. Your time must be measurable, attainable and realistic. You are not a magician. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

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