Goal setting is critical for success in all aspects of life. ‘Fail to plan, plan to fail’. We have all heard that saying before. Setting goals and developing easy to follow road maps towards achieving those give us direction, solidifies our intentions, and can give us a sense of meaning and purpose. One of my favourite quotes in the context of business that I try to apply to each area of my life is “those who fail to plan are perpetually busy and never get anything done” – Kerwin Rae. Modern life is busy, and with so many things vying for our attention, its critical we have a grounded understanding of what’s important to us in life. Setting and achieving value aligned goals to insure fulfillment throughout the whole life.
Goal setting is a plan of action. It guides us to execute the right choices at the right time. One of the pioneers of psychological research on goal setting, Edwin Locke, found that those who had highly ambitious goals were more productive and performed better than those who did not.
Goal setting alone is not enough though, research says this must be accompanied by a willingness to work. But what creates that willingness? Well, it is ensuring our goals are value aligned. That they are intrinsically important us. The good news is that whose who do set and achieve goals lead a more successful, happier, and content life.
Our goals are incredibly influential in shaping how we see ourselves and others. Goal oriented individuals are far more likely to have a positive approach towards life. A growth mindset that sees failures as minor setbacks and opportunities to learn and improve, rather than as a result of a defect of character.
Goals make the invisible, visible (I think Tony Robbins said that). Studies show that if we train our brain to think about what we want in life, the brain rewires itself and incorporates that goal as part of ideal self-image, making it a part of who we are. If we achieve the goal, we feel fulfilled, and if we don’t, we continue to work towards that ideal identity.
Goals direct our actions and open us to a host of new possibilities. They help us stick to the relevant activities and get rid of what is irrelevant.
When setting goals we must ask ourselves a few key questions. How important is the goal for me/us? How confident am I/are we about achieving the goal? Is the goals consistent with my/our values and beliefs?
Those who succeed in setting and achieving goals use a systematic approach to goal accomplishments and use threads of positive psychology such as optimism, thought replacement, strength, and resilience.
Let's look at an easy to follow model for setting and achieving your goals that I use every day.
Firstly, we must understand how to set goals effectively, whether they are short, medium or long term. The SMARTER model provides guidance on effective goal definition that assists in successful goal execution.
SMART Goals
S-M-A-R-T goals stand for:
S (Specific) – They target a particular area of functioning and focus on building it.
M (Measurable) -The results can be gauged quantitatively or at least indicated by some qualitative attributes. This helps in monitoring the progress after executing the plans.
A (Attainable/Achievable) – The goals are targeted to suitable people and are individualized. They take into account the fact that no single rule suits all and are flexible in that regard.
R (Realistic) – They are practical and planned in a way that would be easy to implement in real life. The purpose of a smart goal is not just providing the plan, but also helping the person execute it.
T (Time-bound) – An element of time makes the goal more focused. It also provides a time frame about task achievement.
SmartER Goals
While this was the golden rule of goal-setting, researchers have also added two more constituents to it, and call it the S-M-A-R-T-E-R rule.
The adjacents include:
E (Evaluative/ethical) – The interventions and execution follow professional and personal ethics.
R (Rewarding) – The end-results of the goal-setting comes with a positive reward and brings a feeling of accomplishment to the user.
When setting goals, I look at 5 key areas in life (in no particular order):
· Relationships/Family
· Financial
· Career/Business/Education
· Health and Wellbeing
· Personal
I leverage off the ‘fresh-start effect’ we explored last week, and I use a funnel down principle. I am a big picture guy, but when I think too far into the future I can lose site on what I need to do right now to nudge me closer to the life I am trying to create for myself. I once heard Angela Duckworth (author of GRIT), describe the concept ‘positive fantasizing’. Without sustained incremental action towards my longer-term goals, and knowing/feeling I am on track, setting long term goals, or fantasising about them, can cause me more suffering than not having them at all. So, this is how I avoid that trap. (Thanks to Jack Corbett from Corbwood and Associates for your mentorship and guidance through this model).
1. I define my MUST-DO’s in life. I have a list of 10. If I achieve one, I replace it.
2. At the start of each year, I set yearly goals under each of the above 5 headings that edge me closer to my MUST-DO’s.
3. At the start of each Month, I set monthly goals under each of the above 5 headings that edge me closer to my yearly goals.
4. At the start of each week, I set weekly goals under each of the above 5 headings that edge me closer to my monthly goals.
And each week I plan. I review and set my calendar, I develop my daily to-do lists and utilise my calendar to ensure I allocate the time I need to execute daily. I take this time to review my progress against my monthly, yearly, and MUST-DO’s to ensure I am on track, and I re-evaluate and adjust as required.
I sincerely hope that this helps you as much as it helps me. Set goals, smash goals, and create the life you deserve.
Next week we will explore the topic of Character Strengths and some of Martin Seligman’s work in this area, and how strength aligned goals help to create a deep sense of meaning and fulfillment in life.
Martin Seligmen's work on positive psychology shifted the focus in the field of psychology from problems to solutions. Positive psychology incorporates the principles of goal-setting in several ways:
It commits to a specific set of actions for goal-setting.
It considers individual ethics and core values before setting goals.
It aligns actions to individual capacities and character strengths.
It has space for introspection and insight into one’s thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.
It helps in setting realistic goals and expectations, thereby aiming to boost self-confidence and energy by task accomplishments.
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