Goal setting has to be one of the most overlooked and taken for granted tasks in people’s lives. Many times it has been said that people spend more time planning their vacations every year than planning their future for success and other achievements commonly pushed under the rug.
There have been studies and much empirical evidence on the effect that goal setting has on particular groups of people. In most cases, groups that have written down their goals have far surpassed the opposite groups who have not written down their goals.
Many benefits come from writing down goals. To name a few, accountability, foresight, and commitment into your future desires have been enhanced and reinforced by simply putting them in writing. Some experts even note that writing down goals daily will just reinforce those wishes.
In looking at the specific process of writing goals, you should not simply list goals without looking into each of them critically and positively. Goals should be precise and broken down into increments. You should list your long term goals and your short term goals as far as breaking them down into daily goals.
First, start by being specific in each goal. Little detail in written goals may only hinder you as you will not key in on exactly what you want to accomplish in a given time frame. Then, make sure that each goal is practical. Many people have goals that are so impractical that the average person would never reach them in the short amount of time given for that goal. Allow yourself ample amount of time, but not too long of course.
Setting deadlines is critical because it keeps you on track. Whether you want to meet a sales deadline or finish a major project, setting a deadline and certain milestones in specific goals will ensure the most amount of accountability in your actions and results.
Next, make sure that you reward yourself once you have achieved your goals. Making it fun will keep you motivated as well and keep you going in the process because all work and no fun makes it pretty dull.
All goals should be positive statements. Never write negative statements that can inhibit you from accomplishing your goals. Your statements should be confident and definite, such as “I will complete this task by a such and such time,” or “I will make this amount of money in such and such time.” Doubt will only hinder you if not prevent you from achieving your goals.
