Professional Development: Setting and Achieving Goals
Do you have a long list of action items that you want to accomplish, but haven’t quite gotten around to setting and achieving these goals? Or do you have a vague sense of how you want to move forward in your career, finances, or just in everyday life, but, don’t have a concrete path on how to get there?
You are certainly not alone!
Almost everyone has an internal list of accomplishments and goals that they want to achieve. But the details are sometimes a little hazy. For example, you might want to start a new business venture, grow your career, drop a few pounds, or enhance your personal relationships, but you might not have a detailed action plan to achieve these objectives.
Everyone has dreams, both big ones and small. But there is a huge difference between having a dream and having a goal. A dream is a vague aspiration that may or may not come to fruition. But a goal is a finish line that you will reach with foresight and effort.
Setting goals for yourself is one of the best ways to turn your dreams into reality. Simply because the process creates an actionable plan that will get you to your desired destination. In fact, a recent study at Michigan State University discovered that 76 percent of participants who plotted out and wrote down their goals went on to achieve them. In comparison, only 43 percent of participants who just dreamed about future aspirations made them a reality.
Clearly, having concise goals can do a world of good to keep you motivated and moving forward towards your ambitions in life. A few key steps will help ensure that your process of goal setting. And reaching your goals is as streamlined and simplified as possible.
So, if you want to turn your dreams into actionable objectives. And finally, get started on that long list of future accomplishments, adhere to the following steps that will put you on a clear path towards your goals:
When it comes to goals, the important question is not necessarily how you’ll move forward, but where, exactly, you want to go.
What is your desired endgame? Do you want a bigger bank account or more satisfaction in your career? A happier outlook on life, or better relationships?
Your first consideration should be the results that will stem from your hard work and goal-setting. By indicating where the finish line ends, you’ll have a better ability to find your way there.
One of the first hurdles for people who want to achieve their goals is setting realistic ones to begin with.
It may not be possible to launch a multi-million dollar business in a few months. Or to drop 10 pounds in a week. But both of these ambitions are not necessarily out of reach either, with the right and realistic perspective.
So, before you start on a path towards your goals, consider exactly what you want to achieve. And use the time-tested SMART method to narrow down your aspirations:
Essentially, your goals can be whatever you ultimately desire. But you want to make sure that you frame your goals in a way that success isn’t just possible. It’s probable.
List-making is a time-tested tool for all tasks, and this is especially true when it comes to setting goals. Research has found that people who write down what they want to accomplish are four times more likely to get these things done, and as any avid list-maker will attest, it is a satisfying feeling to cross off those to-do items on a piece of paper
So, start by writing down your individual goals in broad strokes, and then get down to the details. For each goal, have a subsequent list of the items that need to happen in order to make your ambitions come to fruition.
For example, if your goal is to obtain a promotion at your job, you might include items such as “Get the ABC project finished before the deadline” or “come up with five new actionable ideas for management.” The more specific you can be on the tasks and actions that will help you achieve your eventual goals, the easier it will be to get the ball rolling.
Now that you have a written list of your goals and a few details on how these goals can be achieved, it’s time to put your plan into action!
Using your goals list as a guide, create a timeline of things you can do today, this week, this month, or even this year that is an integral part of your action plan. You can be as ambitious as you’d like, so long as you remain realistic and set deadlines that can be achieved. A timeline is important for successful goal setting, simply because it creates a sense of urgency and a schedule that you can stick to both today and for the long run.
It’s perfectly OK if you are not entirely sure how to reach your goals, or if you need a little assistance along the way. Finding support, encouragement, and professional guidance in transforming your aspirations into accomplishments can be imperative for ensuring that your goals are successfully reached.
If you need a hand getting started setting and achieving goals or just a little boost to help you stay on track, then consider joining one of our acclaimed and highly helpful Prince Performance Group Training programs. Tailored to your specific goals and ambitions, a personalized training program can go a long way in helping you develop your goals and create realistic and simplified strategies to easily get to your personal finish line.
With a little help, you’ll undoubtedly discover that whatever you want out of life is totally within your reach!