How to Set Effective Goals
There is a correct way and a wrong way to write out effective goals. Poorly written goals may mean that you fail to achieve them or even worse, you achieve the goal and find out it’s not what you wanted anyway. How bad is that?
What follows is a formula that will ensure you have the correct goals, written in a way that will make it easier for you to achieve.
1. State the goal positively
I will lose weight is not a positive goal. Better to write:”I am now my ideal weight of x stones and pounds.”
2. Specify the present situation
You really do need to know where you are now, don’t bury your head in the sand. Eg. What is your current weight now?
3. Specify the outcome as if it’s happening now
(See, Hear, Feel). Make it compelling. So expanding on the goal above: “I am delighted, I feel as light as air as stand on the scales and it reads my ideal weight of x stones and pounds.”
4. Specific Date
Give yourself a specific date by which your goal will be achieved. This is so crucial, you must be realistic, but you must have a deadline.
5. Specify the evidence
How will I now when I have achieved it. It must be MEASURABLE (no per goals)? For instance, instead of “I will save 10 percent of my income per month”, write “By the 31st December I will have £XYZ in my savings account.”
6. Is it congruent
What will the outcome be? Now we have to do a bit of soul searching. Honestly, is the goal really you? For example during my “too many goals over-load stage”, one of my goals was to become a black-belt in Shaolin Kung-Fu – I had never before done any martial arts, it just seemed like a really cool thing to take up. It wasn’t really me though. I’ve since dropped it.
7. Is it self-initiated and self-maintained
If not make it so. This is your destiny, don’t spend your time achieving other peoples goals – what do you want?
8. Is it appropriately contextualised?
Make sure you can describe the Where? When? How? With whom? about your goal.
9. Resources
What resources do you need to help you on this goal? What do you have now? Have you ever achieved this goal or similar before?
Who else has done it? This is extremely important. You can save a lot of time and effort modelling people who have already achieved what you want. Check on-line, read books or ask people. Better still get someone who has already achieved it to coach or mentor you.
10. Can you act as if?
How? Can you behave like a slim person? What do they do? Copy them. Want to get that promotion to management? Why not dress like management?
11. Is it ecological?
This means does it fit in with your long-term purpose or will it effect those people closest to you? What will you gain or lose. What is the sacrifice? Will you miss your kids growing up, spending more time at the office?
12. Final Set of Questions
This final set of questions will uncover any hidden beliefs or obstacles, which could stop you from achieving your goal. It will also to point you towards what you can do to overcome these obstacles.
- What will happen when you do achieve your goal, what will you get?
- Then what won’t happen when you do achieve it?
- What will happen if you don’t achieve it?
- What won’t happen if you don’t achieve it?
13. Statement
Finally, state your goal as a short statement for example:
“By 31st December 2018, I will have £xyz saved in my savings account”.
Making a Start
If you feel you need more purpose in life, you should start with your long-term vision.
Perhaps, however, you feel you need more focus in your day to day priorities, instead of being bogged down with the busy-work. Then start by writing out one thing you will achieve tomorrow. Once you get consistent at achieving your daily goal, then you can start adding other goals.
By the way if you are looking to lose weight contact me and I will show you how I did it.