It also gives you themotivationand accountability to stay focused and follow through on your plans.
Setting goals can sometimes feel like adaunting task.
Thats why its helpful to have a roadmap to guide you along the way.
Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight
Locke, along with Dr. Gary Latham, came up with five principles of effective goal setting.
How Motivated Are You?
Specific
When you make your goal specific, you set yourself up for success.
Consider answering who, what, where, when, which and why when getting specific about your goal.
Measurable
What benchmarks will you use to see to it you are moving forward?
How will you know if youre successful?
How will you know if it’s crucial that you make adjustments?
Attainable or Achievable
Is the goal youre setting one you’re free to reach?
Realistic or Relevant
This goes along with attainable.
But now, under different circumstances, this goal may now be realistic.
Developing SMART goalsis critical to success.
That said, they often limit you to the what and the how of your goals.
Determining Your Goals
You canset goals in any part of your life.
Some of the more common areas include health, career, financial, and education.
You dont have to limit yourself to the most obvious parts of your life.
Take some time to think about your passions and interests.
Brainstorm some ideas around things that excite you.
If thats the case, youre ready to move forward with the goal-setting process.
There are also certain skills you better have in place when taking on a goal.
Fist and foremost, you should probably be able to plan out the steps for reaching your goal.
But, of course, somewhere in the middle, liesself-motivationand flexibility.
Here are some other tips and strategies to help you reach your goals.
For example, I will not complain so much.
Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome.
This is one of the most difficult parts of setting and achieving goals.
Because of the very nature of a goal, you start with the end in mind.
But its really the steps you take to get there that matter the most.
Lets say the outcome you want is to lose 20 pounds.
Did you fail at achieving this goal?
Not if you believe in the power of the process.
Make a Contract With Yourself.
Clear Out the Old to Make Room for the New.
This helps you purposefully and intentionally imagine your goals coming to fruition.
Then, Jackson says to break these into small attainable steps with realistic deadlines.
Seek Support
Seeking support from loved ones can help with reassurance and accountability.
Look at it weekly or better yet daily.
Rewards should be simple, consistent, easy to acquire, and healthy.
It really depends on the benchmarks you set and how long youve given yourself to meet your goal.
American Psychological Association.Harnessing Willpower to Meet Your Goals.
American Psychological Association.Frequently Monitoring Progress Toward Goals Increases Chance of Success.2015.
Dominican University of California.STUDY FOCUSES ON STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING GOALS, RESOLUTIONS.
Jackson, C. Personal interview.
2019
Science Direct.Towards a theory of task motivation and incentives.1968.
