It’s the start of a new year, a time for reflection. It is also a time for New Year Resolutions. Have you ever set your resolutions only to have them fall to the wayside before the end of January, and another year rolls around and you still have not lost that weight you promised yourself you would? Let’s adjust the strategy by engaging in a deeper process of personal goal setting that will likely have greater impact on success.
Much like the goal setting process used by organizations, personal goal setting is the process of identifying specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that you aim to achieve. The process helps to provide clarity of objectives and focus, and further allows individuals to track their progress towards achieving their goals.
Effective personal goal setting is crucial for personal growth and development. Engaging in the activities required to set personal goals can, not only help individuals to set challenging yet achievable goals and take action to achieve those goals but also to identify their strengths and weaknesses and take the necessary steps to either leverage strengths or close gaps. This all goes towards living an intentional life.
Here are some key steps to follow when setting personal goals:
- Reflect on your values and priorities: The first step in personal goal setting is to identify your values and priorities. These are the things that are most important to you and that you want to focus on in your life. Consider crafting a personal mission and vision statement. These statements summarize your goals, values, and priorities and helps you focus on what's most important to you and guides you in making decisions that align with your values and goals.
- Set specific and measurable goals: Your goals should be specific and measurable so that you can track your progress and know when you have achieved them. For example, instead of setting a goal to "exercise more," set a specific goal such as "exercise for 30 minutes at least three times per week."
- Make your goals achievable: While it's important to set ambitious goals, it's also important to ensure that they are realistic and achievable. Setting unrealistic goals can lead to frustration and low morale.
- Make sure your goals are relevant: Your goals should be relevant to your overall objectives and should align with your values and priorities. Goals that are relevant give you a sense of purpose and direction.
- Set a deadline: Giving yourself a deadline helps to provide a sense of urgency and ensures that you stay focused on achieving your goals. Without a deadline, you may be tempted to procrastinate. A deadline keeps you accountable.
- Make a plan of action: At time, the goal itself may seem daunting to accomplish. Therefore, once you have set your goals, it's important to create a plan of action to help you achieve them. This plan should include specific tasks, deadlines, and who is responsible for each task. The actions within your plan should all be related to the achievement of the overall goal and will provide a roadmap towards goal achievement.
- Track your progress: It's important to track your progress towards achieving your goals to ensure that you are on track. This can involve setting up regular check-ins with yourself or others, tracking key performance indicators, and making any necessary adjustments to your plan. It is important to understand that a level of flexibility is needed as you execute the activities towards achieving your goal.
- Celebrate milestones and successes- Celebrating your successes along the way will help keep you motivated and give the confidence needed to tackle your next challenge.
By following these steps and best practices, you can set and achieve personal goals that will help you grow and develop as an individual and create the life that you envision for yourself.?
