If there was a rule book of life, there would be one particular page that was highlighted, bold, and titled as most important. It would be the one which told you that you need to have an aim in your mind before you get on with the process. Yes, goal setting is important. In fact, it's more important than achieving the goal itself. This is because it is the sense of direction that is needed for you to fulfill any task in life. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed if this sounds new to you because, today, all the following information has got you covered. Today you’ll find out all about the importance of goal setting, types of goals, and tips to define realistic goals for yourself!
What is Goal Setting?
So, what exactly is goal setting? To understand that, you need to first recognize what goals are and how they are different from objectives, dreams, and expectations. A
goal is basically your aim for the relative long-term future. It is the bigger umbrella, the main focus.
Objectives, on the other hand, fall under the umbrella of goals. They are the stepping stones that help you achieve your goals. Let’s say you want to learn a new foreign language. Your goal here is to be fluent in the new language. Everything you do to achieve this goal, such as the daily tasks and learning aims, are the objectives. Similarly, your expectations, visions, and dreams are not your goals. If you wish to learn a new language someday, that is your dream. If you see yourself fluently speaking multiple foreign languages, that is your vision. If you think you’re capable of learning a new language, that is your expectation. However, if you aim to fulfill these visions, dreams, and expectations practically, that is your goal.
Why is Goal Setting Important?
Why should you bother with goal setting at all? Wouldn’t it be more convenient to just get on with your daily objectives, follow a dream or vision, and let life take you wherever? Well, if that’s what you want to do in your life, go ahead, but if you actually want to tick off things from your list of goals to achieve, goal setting is necessary. Setting a goal
puts your brain to work in one specific direction. Believe it or not, by having a defined goal, your brain does its magic unconsciously, 24/7, with full efficiency, to achieve the desired results.((Confluence:
Goal Setting Theory)) Goal setting is important to shift your focus, boost your motivation, and give you a sense of direction. Without formally defining a particular aim that you want to reach, you won’t be able to keep your objectives in line. Hence, this one tiny step can end up saving you a lot of hassle and time while also encouraging your productivity in the right regard.
Types of Goals
Before we move onto the technique of setting effective goals, we need to first take a look at all types of goals. These categories will not just help you brainstorm new goals for yourself, but it will also guide you to list down goals in the right way.
Time-Based Goals
One of the two broad categories of goals is based on time. These goals define how far in the future you want to achieve them.
Daily
There are certain small goals that you can easily achieve in a day or two. In fact, some of these daily goals can be recurring, too. For example, you may want to run for an hour every morning. Now, these daily goals can also serve as objectives for a long term goal. You may be running every day because, in the long-term, you want to increase your stamina.
Daily goals are highly effective for people who want to improve their mental wellbeing, time management skills, and stress management.
Short-Term
Next in line are short-term goals. As you would have already guessed, these goals are aimed for the near future. The great thing about these goals is that they are generally easier to achieve. This is because short-term goals are set for the foreseeable future. You are aware of the circumstances and have an idea of how much the situation can change. That is unless, of course, something extremely unpredictable happens, the chances of which are quite slim. Just like daily goals, short-term goals may also serve as objectives for a long-term goal. Your short-term goal may be to lose 5 pounds in one month. That could be a goal in itself, or maybe it is just one objective to fulfill your goal to adopt a healthy lifestyle in the next 2 years. Another example of a short-term goal is to fulfill the checklist for promotion within the next 6 months. Or, you may want to reduce your screen time within the coming week.
Long-Term
Lastly, we have
long-term goals that are meant to be completed over a stretched period. Whatever you want to achieve in a later stage of life is a long-term goal. An insurance plan, for example, is a long-term goal. Some long-term goals don’t have any time frame at all. They are goals that you want to accomplish at some point in your life. So, something like traveling the whole world is a lifelong goal with no specific time constraint at all. There’s one thing about long-term goals that isn’t great. They are the hardest to keep up with since you’re not seeing any huge achievements regularly. This may take a toll on your motivation. To tackle this problem, it is best to divide a long-term goal into various short-term and daily objectives so that you’re always tracking the progress you’re making.
Life-Based Goals
Moving forward, you can also categorize goals based on the results you want to achieve instead of the time period.
Career
Like all humans, you will always want to succeed and excel in your career. No one wants to stay where they are forever. Anything that has to do with this intention, regardless of the time frame, is a career goal. You can learn more about
how to set successful career goals here.
Personal
The past few years have all been about emphasizing your personal health. So, when it comes to goals, how can we forget the ones that have to do with our personal gains? From health to finances to relationships, everything that brings you happiness and composure as a person is a personal goal. Whether you want to get rid of your debt, quit smoking, start a side hustle, get married, or have children, all these goals are personal and very important to have in your list of goals.
How to Set Goals
The best way to guarantee the fulfillment of goals is to set them the right way. Here’s how to do that.
SMART Goals
Every goal you define has to be smart.((University of California:
SMART Goals: A How-To Guide)) No, we don’t mean the adjective. We’re referring to the acronym here. SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
In summary, every goal should be very well defined. It shouldn’t be generic or broad. Every detail should be clarified. If you want to start running, how often do you want to do it? How long will each session be? For how long will you continue this habit? There has to be a connection between your goals and beliefs or you’ll never be able to achieve the results you want. Most importantly, do not be unrealistic. You cannot learn to fly, and forcing yourself to try it is only going to demotivate and stress you out.
Some Rules
Whenever setting goals, keep a few things in mind. First and foremost, prioritize your goals. Things that you want to achieve the quickest should be worked on first. Never be selfish. There are people around you who will be affected by the things you do. Keep them in mind when defining goals. Lastly, do not let yourself forget the bigger picture. Whether it is the long-term result or the connection of the goal with your desire, keep it in mind to keep yourself from getting distracted.
How to Reach Your Goals
You can ensure your progress by following some foolproof tactics. The use of relevant helpful tools can also keep you on the right track.
Tactics
Now that you’ve set goals, you might be expecting some magic to happen and voila! Your goals have been achieved. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s no magic involved. You’ll have to work hard yourself. One rookie mistake that most people make is that they work on too many goals simultaneously. Focus on one thing at a time. Divide your goal into smaller, easily achievable tasks. Taking it one step at a time makes it way easier. However, do not break them down too much. For example, for long-term goals, you should go for weekly checkpoints instead of daily ones. Also,
keep track of your progress. This will keep you motivated to work harder.
Tools
With so many categories of goals and so many aims, it is almost impossible to remember, let alone work, on all of them. Luckily, numerous
goal tracker apps will help you keep track of your goals, as well as your plan to achieve every single one. Have at least one installed in your smartphone so that your plan is always within reach.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, goal setting is not rocket science. All that it takes is strong will power along with all the knowledge that you’ve learned so far. Try out the tactics and tips mentioned above to be able to set successful goals so that you can achieve the life that you want!
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