Set Your Goals The Easiest Way

Rajendra Sagolsem *

If I ask you why should you set your goals, what can be your answer? Most probably you may say it is a silly question. You are right. Without goals, what is the purpose of our life? Everyone should have some goals to achieve in life. The goals may be short term or long term. As the saying goes, if you have nowhere to go, you will reach nowhere. If you want to live a successful life, you have to set the goals for a successful life. If you want to excel in life, you just require the goals for that. The earlier you set your goals, the better. But the question is how to set the goals. Continue reading. I will tell you the basics of goal setting.

The basics of setting a goal are well known to all the toppers in the field of sports, in the field of business, and to all the high achievers in different fields including education. The basics of goal setting give you enough motivation and focus to achieve your goals. If you know the basics, it will be easier for you to set and achieve your goals. They will help you acquire the required knowledge. They will help you plan and organize your required resources and properly manage your time. Consider the following basic points when you set your goals.

Goals should be clearly defined

A clear goal is easily achieved. An unclear goal is not achievable. You should therefore define it clearly. Getting clearly defined goals will enable you to measure your progress. It will enable you to achieve personal satisfaction when you successfully achieve your goals.

Goals should be personal, familial or organizational

Decide what you really want to do with your personal life. Accordingly set the goals you require to achieve. The goals you set can be strictly personal. Or they may be related to your family. Or they may be related to your organization. For example, “I will write a novel” is your personal goal. If you are constructing a beautiful house, it is a goal related to your family. If you fix a goal to raise the fund for your organization in six months’ time, it is strictly organizational. You can’t use this money for your personal matters.

Goals should be Positive

Suppose your company’s turnover is 10 million last year and that of your competitor is 15 million. You can’t aspire to work hard to reduce your competitor’s turnover from 15 million to 5 million so that your turnover of 10 million becomes more than your competitor’s. This is a negative goal. And you can’t achieve it in any way. On the other hand, you can set your goal for 20 million next year and don’t focus on your competitor. Reach your goal by working hard, improving your relationships, business strategies and sales techniques.

Goals should be Practical and Realistic

The proverbial carrot in front of the horse must be properly spaced. If it is too close, the horse will eat up the carrot. If it is too far away, the horse will never try. For example, your company’s turnover is 15 million this year; it can’t become 60 million next year even if you manage your time and employees effectively and change your business strategies. If you are a student and you get 69% marks in aggregate this year, you can’t hope to achieve 96% next year. You may be able to get at the most 89% next year, considering that 20% improvement is possible. Therefore, any goal you fix must be practical.

Goals should be realistic. You should not set goals that are out of proportion. Think of achievable goals when you set your goals.

Goals should be Time-bound

Any goal you fix must be within a time frame. A goal without a time frame is not a goal. It remains a wish or a dream. Even in the regular football match, after the final whistle, whatever goals you score are not counted. If you say you want to reach a turnover of 20 million, it has no meaning until and unless you specify your time frame. The correct wording of your goal can be, ‘I will reach a turnover of 20 million in the next financial year.’

Goals should be Flexible

Any goal you fix must be flexible. It should be flexible at varying times depending on changing circumstances. For example, if you are a student and you get 59% this year, you can fix your goal at 79% next year. Suppose you notice that you have already obtained 75 percent in the mid term exam, you can re-fix your goal. Under the changed circumstances, you can now fix your goal at 95 percent.

Another example of fixing the goal in a flexible manner is: Imagine that your company’s turnover last year was 15 million. This year you fix the turnover at 25 million. But halfway down the six months, you notice that out of 25 million you targeted, you reach only 10 million. And you envisage that it is impossible to achieve another 15 million in the next six months. Under the changed circumstances, you may now consider a little bit of flexibility and say, “I will reach at least 15 million like last year.” It is possible to achieve a 5 million target in the next 6 months. Hence, any goal you fix must be made flexible enough so that you can review it once every three months or six months.

Goals should be Measurable

The goals you fix must be measurable. Any goal that is not measurable is not a goal. While framing goals, the following points may be considered:

I will become a wonderful manager. I will become an ideal husband. I will become a fantastic speaker. These statements are not measurable because wonderful manager, ideal husband or fantastic speaker can’t be measured. So it is better for you to specify clearly what you want for a wonderful manager. For example, the company’s turnover out of the employees’ turnover this year is 15 million. Then you may say I will manage my company and my employees in such a way that the turnover reaches 25 million next year.

Instead of saying I will become an ideal husband, you better say I will start treating my wife with love and only with love. I will make her happy every moment of our life. Likewise, instead of saying I will become a fantastic speaker, you better reframe your goal by saying, “In the next six months, I will present as many talks as possible or I will get the best speaker award within the next twelve months.” These goals can be measured easily unlike “I want to become a fantastic speaker,” which can’t be measured.

Then you have to break down your goals into the smaller and manageable targets so that you can complete them one by one in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in handling your goals.

Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal.

Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals stage by stage.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, make a 15 years plan, then break it down to 5 year plans. Then break it down to 1 year plans, 6 month plans, 1 month plans, then weekly, and then daily plans. Then create a to-do list for each day. Once you you’re ready with your to do list, accomplish everything in the list every day. Don’t leave anything undone. However don’t forget to review your plans and prepare for contingency.