GOAL:
n. that towards which effort is directed; an aim or end.
By
setting SMART goals and by measuring their achievement, you are able to
see what you have done and what you are capable of.
The process of achieving goals and recognizing their achievement
will give you the confidence and a belief in yourself that you need
to be able to achieve higher or more difficult goals.
Providing that you have the self-discipline to carry it through,
goal setting can be relatively easy. The following four steps to
smart goal setting will give you effective guidelines to help you to
use this technique effectively.
State your goal in very
specific terms that you can accept
Plan backwards from your goal to achieve the best
results
Confront your fears and expectations immediately
and progressively
Put your plan on paper and into action as soon as
possible
Using the example of planning a career
move we'll take you through the four steps of smart goal setting... and achieving your goals.
If you don't know where you are going, you won't know how to get
there, but if you do know where you are going, you’ll get there
faster. Vague goals like “Go back to school” are too general and not
specific enough. Translate these goals into specific statements such
as "Enter a college accounting program by next fall" or "For the
next two months, search for work in the computer securities field.”
You have to know exactly what you want to do and set a timeframe to
go about it.
Plan
Backwards
One of the best ways to move forward is to plan backwards. Start by
asking yourself if you can accomplish your goal today. If not, what
do you have to do first? Is there something you have to do before
that?
Keep thinking backwards like this until you arrive at tasks you
can do today. This will lead you to the goal’s starting point.
For example, if your career goal involves taking a two-year business
administration program, could you start today? No, you have to be
accepted into the program first. Could you be accepted today? No,
you have to apply first. Could you apply today? No, you have to
decide which post-secondary institutions to apply to. Could you
decide today? No, you have to do some research first and so on. Keep
working backwards until you reach the starting point for today.
Don't worry if your list of things to do becomes several lists.
Deal with your fears and
expectations
Look over the list of things you will have to do to achieve your
goal. Do you believe that you can do it? If you have doubts, take
some time to think them through now.
Are your expectations realistic? Have you succeeded or failed at
tasks that were similar to this before? What can you do to improve
your chances of success this time around? For example, if there is a
good chance you will not follow through with your plans, you have to
ask yourself why.
Are you a procrastinator? If so, what can you do to make sure that
you will keep going until you reach your goal? Are you afraid of
failing (and put off starting to avoid failure)?
If so, work at improving the skills you will need. Or test the
waters by taking an evening or distance education course before you
sign up for a whole program. If you are having trouble identifying
your fears or figuring out how to deal with them, talk to people you
trust. Ask for their suggestions, but always make your own
decisions.
Put your plan into action from to
do list
By now you probably have
more than one list of things to do and, if necessary, some plans for
avoiding or dealing with potential problems. Now you need to put
them all together into one comprehensive plan. You must list tasks
in the order in which they should be completed and set deadlines for
the completion of each task. See section on
time management
for additional help. Successful goal achievers keep themselves on track using a
variety of methods, such as:
marking tasks on a monthly calendar (noting
important dates such as application deadlines or action plans)
making weekly or daily lists of things to do and
cross off tasks as they are completed
using a computer program to create timeline
charts which give you your time limits for task completion
Using a commercial appointment book, notebook or
a PDA with a new page for each day or week.
Using
visualization tactics to
plant goals into their subconscious mind. Understanding the
mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most
critical elements in goal achieving success.
Use whatever method works best for you. If you find it necessary,
ask a friend to check on your progress occasionally or question you
on your successes because you are more likely to get things done if
you know you're accountable.
