Why Is GOAL Setting important?
If you think of your goal as a target, something to AIM at, a focal point for your actions.
The best-case scenario is you hit the target right on the bullseye. Worst-case scenario, miss it altogether and land a little short; either way, you’re moving in the right direction.
You are closer to the goal that you would have been without a target to aim at, right?
That’s why so many people feel as if they’re adrift in their career or business, in life, floating around wondering when it’s their turn, their lucky moment,
They work hard, but they don’t seem to get anywhere worthwhile.
They feel this way because they haven’t spent enough time thinking about what they want from life and haven’t set themselves written goals.
“The goal is not the most critical part of the process; it’s the plan you create and your actions that drive results.”
James Fleming
After all, would you set out on a significant journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!
World-class athletes and highly successful business people achieve a high level of success by setting, planning and defining their goals and systematically moving towards them one step at a time.
Goals setting, planning & defining provides you with a long-term vision but short-term motivation – the perfect way to stay energised, organised and focused.
A recent Harvard Business School survey found that without goals setting & planning, less than 3% of people achieved their New Year Resolutions (goals) – that’s an astonishing 97% that end in failure within the first 4 to 6 weeks.
So WHY if we have resounding evidence of the power and motivation of setting goals, do we still fail to see them through or event set them in the first place?
The honest answer is: you’re probably doing it wrong.
Goals setting, planning, & defining should be a straightforward process; once you know what you’re doing, it can be.
As some would say, most people are doing it wrong, making it too complicated or setting their goals too small or too realistic.
My viewpoint on a REALISTIC goal is this: I would rather miss my £350K goal by 30% than my £120K goals by 20%, SIMPLE!
All Goals are realistic if you are willing to put in the effort.
“You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”
Steve Garvey
Those who set goals, spend the time to plan them and put them into action can:
- Focus on what they need to do, not want they think they should do!
- Enjoy more fruitful personal relationships
- Have lower stress levels
- Live longer and healthier lives
- Have a planned vision and purpose in life
- Advance more rapidly in their chosen careers or business
- Make more money, faster than ever before
How to Set a Goal
First, consider what you want to achieve and commit to it.
Set SMIT (Specific, Measurable, Inspirational and Time-bound) goals that motivate you and write them down to make them feel tangible.
Then plan the steps you must take to realise your goal, and cross off each one as you work through them.
When planning your goals, you also need to think about the challenges associated with the action steps.
- What could go wrong?
- What would I do if it did?
- How could I put an additional step in to counteract this possibility?
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, motivating yourself to turn your vision of the future into a reality that keeps you moving forward.
Goals setting is a systemised, consistent and persistent process. It takes time; however, you have massive results by taking small, specific daily actions over time.
Setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You’ll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”
—Pablo Picasso
Yes, there will be disappointments along the way; that’s the learning process; try to evaluate your actions every week.
- What went well this week?
- What went not so well?
- What can I do better/different next week?
Why Set Goals?
Top-level athletes, successful businesspeople and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses on your knowledge acquisition and helps you organise your time and resources to make the most of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you’ll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognise your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you’ve set.
SMIT Goals: A valuable way of making goals more powerful is to use my SMT process. SMT stands for:
- S – Specific (or Significant).
- M – Measurable (or Meaningful)
- I – Inspirational (Gets you up in the morning)
- T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
For example, instead of having “Total revenue of £350K” as a goal, it’s more powerful to use the SMIT goal principle: “Increase my revenue by 40% over the next 12 months by focusing marketing, profitability and cost control.”
The SMIT example is more defined and has action steps as part of the goal; you know exactly where to focus and why.
As you make this goal-setting process part of your daily life, you’ll find your career or business accelerating faster and your actions more defined; you’ll wonder how you managed without it.
Are you interested in finding out more and ensuring the future of your business or organisation?
Drop me a PM or Email, and let’s have a chat.
James Fleming
The Power Within Training,
The Motivational Intelligence Company
#motivationintelligence, #mentoring, #business, #growth, #thepowerwithintraining, #traininganddevelopment, #energytransition, #construction, #leadershipdevelopment, #thecompletegame
