Goal setting is a basic step everyone should follow in their personal as well as professional lives to grow effectively.
When you have no motivation to finish a task or end up procrastinating in the end, then goal setting might help you solve it. Although, it is important to set goals in mind for that. Understand what you wish to achieve and how you want to do it which will act like a guide for you to finish the work on time.
We usually have difficulties to plan effectively for our long and short-term goals. This article will help you find answers on how to set goals, face the obstacles and overcome the challenges that might come along the way.
What are SMART goals?
S.M.A.R.T means,
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Timely
Specific – You need to recognize and be certain of what you want in your life or what are your goals.
Measurable – You need to be specifically measurable towards the progress of your goals.
Achievable – The goals we set for ourselves should be true to life and not impossible to achieve.
Relevant – You should know why you are setting this goal and how it will help you grow.
Timely– The goals we set should have some time-related barriers so that we can measure our progress from time to time.
GOAL SETTING FOR YOURSELF :
Effective goal setting for yourself means small goals such as not eating junk for a week, reading a book daily, hitting the gym regularly etc.
To set and achieve these goals, one must follow the SMART goal techniques.
Pen your goals down, develop a plan and make an effort, is what all you need to do.
These small changes in your personal life help you focus and stay motivated during your work.
GOAL SETTING FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE:
Goal setting in your professional lives can help you improve your leadership qualities, teamwork, effective individual working and many more.
To set them, decide your short-term and long-term goals and again follow the SMART technique.
Go and tell your goals to close friends and colleagues for this will help you to complete it all on time.
HOW TO OVERCOME THE BARRIERS AND STAY MOTIVATED IN ACHIEVING OUR DESIRED GOALS :
You can overcome the barriers by developing certain plans. If getting distracted, ask for help from someone who can motivate you to achieve your goals.
To avoid distractions, you first need to identify them and break them into small manageable chunks.
Whenever you get distracted, always remember why you started and visualise the outcome you would get after achieving them.
Instead of pushing your obstacles try to handle them more realistically and maturely.
And most importantly never forget to acknowledge your small wins
NEVER FORGET TO REWARD YOURSELF EVEN IN THE SMALLEST OF YOUR VICTORIES:
While working towards our goals most of us usually forget to recognise the small wins and achievements of the success that we cover in this long journey. Not acknowledging these small victories might force us to overthink the situation which results in disappointment from ourselves.
Rewarding yourself brings a lot of motivation to work harder and achieve your goals. It immediately boosts your confidence and you start enjoying the process.
We often compare our wins and achievements with others which eventually makes us think our achievements are smaller or that we didn’t work hard, but that’s not true. To achieve your goals the only thing that will help is focus and believe in yourself.
And after you touch that finish line then give yourself a little treat of something that you like. But this does not mean something grand, even a little ice cream will do the trick.
THE POWER OF VISION AND THINKING IN ACHIEVING GOALS:
Seeing yourself fulfilling the goals actually makes you do that.
As they say, manifesting your dreams and goals really helps.
It is true that along with all the hard work, manifesting and visualising yourself achieving your dreams helps you stay motivated.
How can you visualise?
Think of yourself as working hard and achieving your goals easily through small step-by-step wins.
For example, you want to buy a new iPhone for yourself.
Think about it and how you can accomplish it. See yourself getting the phone and feel the happiness.
Try to make your mental imagery as real as possible.
Practise affirmations.
Affirmations are the positive sentences that you say or write for yourself. This helps your mind think of ways of achieving the specific goal. Affirmations are used in the present and not in future. For example, if you want to be fit and hit the gym regularly say, “I am now a healthy person, going to gym regularly and eating healthy regularly.”
This helps your mind think that you are actually doing it and you get the motivation.
Make yourself a vision board.
A vision board is where you attach all your short-term and long-term goals that you want to achieve in a specific time frame. It should always stay realistic and achievable.
Do keep your vision board somewhere where you can see it every day. When you see it every day, it will generate a sense of curiosity and urgency within yourself to achieve all your goals and see yourself succeed.
ADJUSTING GOALS, MAKING FLEXIBLE STRATEGIES AND BEING ADAPTIVE IN CASE OF CHANGE OF EVENTS:
When making a plan, we should always remember the challenges that might come in the way. No plan can be made perfectly. We all know the future is unpredictable so we should always be prepared.
Planning should be flexible and adjustable.
It is difficult to achieve goals with a fixed mindset, however, if your plans are flexible enough, it reduces stress that you might come across in a particular situation.
How can you make your goal planning flexible?
Review your plans and strategies regularly
Stay open to changes and feedback
Maintain your focus
Embrace challenges
So, I’m sure that by now you would have understood how you can set your goals smartly and what all are the things you need to remember on your journey of achieving all your dreams.
Wishing you all the success and growth in your journey to achieve your dreams!
Read my more related articles related to effetive goal setting like :
Decision making
Top books to read for personal development
