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Goal Setting Made Easy

Home » Goals » Goal Setting Made Easy

Goal setting basically means:

• Formulate a goal
• Decide on the best way of achieving it
• Set up a plan of action
…. and then begin.

Simple, but not always easy, so here are some tips to help you at each stage of the process:

Goal Setting Made Easy- The Goal

You need to spend some time on setting up your goal; doing a good job of this will help you get where you want to be.

So, make sure you cover the following:

► Be specific

Your goal needs to be specific – nothing vague. You must be able to measure it so that you know when you have attained it, and you must be able to take definite steps towards the outcome.

For example:
Not good: “I lose weight”
Rather say, “I lose 10 kg”

Ask yourself:
• How will I know when I have it?
• What will I be doing?
• How will I be feeling?

► Be time-oriented

A goal must have a time limit. If it doesn’t, procrastination can easily slip in.

Continuing with the above example:
“I lose 10 kg before December 2009”

► Be positive

Your goal must be stated positively.

Avoid this kind of statements: “I am never late” Rather word it as: “I am always on time” or “I am always early”

Goal Setting Made Easy- The Solution

When you deciding on the “how” in terms of achieving your goal, take note of the following:

► What has happened previously

If you have set goals in the past and didn’t achieve them, definitely spend some time looking at these. You have to know where the problems were so that you don’t fall into those traps again.

Ask yourself:
• What prevented me from achieving a goal previously?
• What needs to change in order for me to achieve this goal? (By the way, you didn’t “fail”; it was an opportunity to learn)

► Use a pen and paper

Write thoughts and ideas down. If they are floating around in your head they seem disordered and not possible.

► Learn from others

Look at others who have been successful in the past. What has worked for them?

► Use creative thinking techniques

These can really kick-start your thought process. (And they are often fun.) Here just a few:

• Mind-mapping
• Brainstorming
• Doodling / free writing
• Lateral thinking

(Search the web and you’ll find loads of methods.)

Goal Setting Made Easy- The Plan

Once you have your solution, the plan is then the series of steps you need to take in order to implement this solution and reach your goal. Make sure you take the following pointers into account:

► What you need

A good start is to ask yourself: “What do I need in order to achieve this goal?”

For example, it could be certain books, access to a gym, maybe you need to go on a course etc. It’s no use missing a target because you didn’t have necessary resources.

Also, what is very important is to consider what you need from yourself: perhaps you need confidence, perhaps you need to change a belief.

► Creating the action plan

When you are drawing up a schedule for action:
• Break the goal into small, manageable chunks
• Set fairly frequent targets

Each step is then easier to complete and you will be able to see your progress regularly and stay enthused.

Try to find something that you can do towards your goal daily. This will keep you focused and maintain momentum.

Finally...

Ask yourself: “If I really wanted to achieve this goal I would...”

Go and do it now!

Written by Juliet du Preez

Go from Goal Setting Made Easy to Main Page Search for more resources on how to set and achieve goals.