Goal-setting parameters
As has always been a widely accepted truism about goal-setting, the task of setting clearly defined short-term and some long-term goals, often enables the goal setter to measure his/her progress, achieve personal satisfaction
and, after successfully meeting the goals set, establish parameters for future goals and objectives. Charting one’s progress will also enable him/her to actually see the stages of completion leading to actual realization of goals, thereby eliminating that sense which always seems to sneak into a goal setter’s thinking, that the journey towards achieving such goal is a pointless grind.
The act of charting the progress of a particular goal or objective also instills within the goal setter, a sense of self-confidence and a level of competence which will go a long way to improve goal-setting skills and refine the process, while heightening awareness of the goal setter’s capabilities as s/he complete or achieve the set goals. Keep in mind that the basics of goal-setting is an open secret known and adhered to by top-caliber athletes, successful business people and numerous other high achievers in all different fields.
Breaking down goals
In other words, the basics of goal-setting provide you – if you are the goal setter – short-term and long-term motivation and focus. Goals help you to focus, and maintain that focus, on the acquisition of critically important knowledge needed to help you plan and organize your resources, as well as your time, so that you will be able to get the best out of both your personal and professional life. Goal-setting basics often involve decisions pertaining to what you really want to do with your personal life, and what short-term and long-term goals you need to achieve in order to get it.
Of course, you always have to reduce goals into smaller, more manageable targets which you must complete on your way to achieving your lifetime targets; and once your list is complete, you should waste no time in tackling the overall goals you’ve set. One effective manner in which you can have a manageable list is to create daily and weekly sets of goals; and by doing this you will always be in a position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal, thereby creating within yourself, the feeling of accomplishment.
Following are a few tips that should help in the goal-setting/process.
Attitude • Time • Education •
Attitude – This controllable characteristic plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals and, as such, you must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind could be impeding the progress in completing your simplest goals. And if you can identify any part of your behavior that is a hindrance to your plans or throws them into disarray, it is important that you immediately address this problem. Some solutions may include a visit to your doctor or psychiatrist in an effort to control your emotions.
Time Management – Many a career have been made as a result of good time management practices, while failing in a career have often been attributed to bad time management. Most successful business people will attest to the fact that a career requires a lot from the individual; and the kind of commitment an individual must make in order to achieve a successful career can become a consuming force in the life of that individual. To avoid this destructive side of “commitment to your craft,” make sure to plan how far you want to go into your career and stick to your plan.
Education – This is key to achieving your goals, especially if those goals require you to have a certain kind of degree, require a certain specialization or demand a certain skill to be developed; so make the necessary plans to get the appropriate education where and when applicable.
Family! Finances! Physicality!
Family – Your family should never be left out of any plans you make pertaining to your career choices. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent, or when you want to be a parent. You should also considerable thought to whether or not you would really be a good parent, and how well you would relate to extended family members.
Personal Finances – An individual’s personal financial situation will probably always play a major role in achieving his/her goals, since almost everything s/he does, or is able to do, is predicated upon affordability. That having been said, if you are that individual it is important that you have realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.
Although it is not something most of us can control, physical ability is another characteristic that can be categorized when setting goals; meaning that physically gifted individuals are also able to achieve sports-related goals, whether they compete in the NBA (National Basketball Association), NFL (National Football League) or MLB (Major League Baseball; so determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities, since physical limitations could sometimes be conquered with proper planning.
Plan good and work hard
While it is important to plan good and work hard, it is just as important to rest and have a little fun along the way. According to the old adage, which you’re probably familiar with, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, or something to that effect; and which this saying is probably true down to the last the letter, giving yourself a little pleasure (rewarding yourself for accomplishing your goals?) should be included in all your plans.
A good way to start achieving your lifetime goals might be to set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans, then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily. After that, create a things-to-do list for the day; but always review your plans and prepare for contingencies, and the basics of goal-setting should really not be as difficult as some folks make them out to be, once you become familiar with the process.
