Goal Setting Tips: Characteristics of Effective Goals

It is important to set your goals if you really want to achieve success in life. Statistics reveal that those who have achieved phenomenal success in their lives, were setting and following their goals.

These days so much is being talked about setting and achieving goals. Going by that wave, most people do a great job of setting their goals, but very few are able to achieve them. The reason is, most people are not able to differentiate between simple and effective goal setting. For effective goal setting, you have to understand the process, discover the inner motivation and develop a systematic approach.

At the outset, the number one question you have to answer is, whether you are merely interested in achieving certain goals or you are committed towards it. If you are merely interested then you’ll do what is convenient, what everyone else does. But if you are committed, then you’ll do whatever it takes to achieve your goals.

So the essential prerequisite of effective goals is commitment! Once you reinforce your commitment, you’ll stop blaming your circumstances, people etc. Then you’ll put all your attention and focus on how you can achieve your goals.

Let me now share, what are the characteristics of ‘Effective Goals’.

Effective goals are essentially SMART, i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound.

 

• Smart: To reach your goals, you must precisely know what you are trying to accomplish. You should never set a goal with vague terms like some, little, more etc. Be specific! Let’s say you want to lose weight. Then instead of framing your goal as ‘Getting into shape’, you got to establish it in clear, specific words like ‘Join a health club, work out 3 days a week to lose 5 kg in a month’.

• Measurable: Just setting goals is not enough, you have to establish concrete criteria for measuring progress towards them. When you do that, you stay on track. It’s truly said, “What gets measured, gets done!“

• Attainable: When you set your goals, you must evaluate what are the attitudes, abilities, skills and resources you would need to achieve them.

• Realistic: Whatever goals you set, must represent an objective towards which you are both willing and able to work. Your goals should be such that you should be able to stretch towards them and not something that you believe is impossible to achieve.
• Time bound: There should be a specific time frame for your goals. When you have a time frame, there’s a sense of urgency to pursue and achieve them otherwise procrastination kills all the enthusiasm.

 

Along with the aforesaid rules, there are other parameters of effective goal setting to bear in mind:

 

• You have to set your goals in present tense, like it’s actually happening. For example: I earn $50,000 more by the year end; I lose 5 kg in 1 month etc.

• You need to use positive language. For example, instead of saying I do not waste time, say I make constructive use of my time.

• Always begin by using the word ‘I’. It creates a sense of ownership and answerability towards your goals.
• Most important is to identify and remind yourself of the single most important reason to pursue your goals. Once you know that purpose, you’ll have all the motivation it takes to achieve your goals.

 

To know more about the Goal setting process, check out: http://www.success-route.in/goalsetting.html.