1. It has been found that individuals who learn the secrets of goal setting and committing to those goals throughout completion will typically achieve more of the things that they want to, and perhaps some unexpected things in their lives making life more “full” in general. 2. People who successfully implement goals and work strategically to ensure that they meet their goals often experience more success in their performances throughout life. 3. Goals can be beneficial in creating a great deal of motivation in a person. 4. Those who set goals and are successful in meeting those goals are often the ones that are more satisfied with their work, and have higher levels of self-confidence. 5. Effective goal setting is beneficial in many ways because it creates a general “can do” attitude and results in higher levels of happiness throughout life
If you know that you can do more with your life, but struggle with the means of acquisition, consider your goal setting skills. By learning to effectively set goals, you are taking the first step to a happy, more productive life that is fulfilling. Once you learn how to set goals, moving into the ability to commit to those goals and seeing them through to completion will enable you to experience the many benefits of goal setting, and the general success that you want! Goal setting is a powerful way of motivating people. In fact, goal setting theory is generally accepted as among the most valid and useful motivation theories in industrial and organizational psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior. Locke's research showed that there was a relationship between how difficult and specific a goal was and people's performance of a task. He found that specific and difficult goals led to better task performance than vague or easy goals. Telling someone to "Try hard" or "Do your best" is less effective than "Try to get more than 80% correct" or "Concentrate on beating your best time." Likewise, having a goal that's too easy is not a motivating force. Hard goals are more motivating than easy goals, because it's much more of an accomplishment to achieve something that you have to work for. A few years after Locke published his article, another researcher, Dr Gary Latham, studied the effect of goal setting in the workplace. His results supported exactly what Locke had found, and the inseparable link between goal setting and workplace performance was formed. In 1990, Locke and Latham published their seminal work, "A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance." In this book, they reinforced the need to set specific and difficult goals, and they outlined three other characteristics of successful goal setting.
To motivate, goals must take into consideration the degree to which each of the following exists: Let's look at each of these in detail. Clarity Clear goals are measurable, unambiguous, and behavioral. When a goal is clear and specific, with a definite time set for completion, there is less misunderstanding about what behaviors will be rewarded. You know what's expected, and you can use the specific result as a source of motivation. When a goal is vague – or when it's expressed as a general instruction, like "Take initiative" – it has limited motivational value. Challenge One of the most important characteristics of goals is the level of challenge. People are often motivated by achievement, and they'll judge a goal based on the significance of the anticipated accomplishment. When you know that what you do will be well received, there's a natural motivation to do a good job. Rewards typically increase for more difficult goals. If you believe you'll be well compensated or otherwise rewarded for achieving a challenging goal, that will boost your enthusiasm and your drive to get it done.
Commitment Goals must be understood and agreed upon if they are to be effective. Employees are more likely to "buy into" a goal if they feel they were part of creating that goal. Feedback In addition to selecting the right type of goal, an effective goal program must also include feedback . Feedback provides opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goal difficulty, and gain recognition. It's important to provide benchmark opportunities or targets, so individuals can determine for themselves how they're doing. These regular progress reports, which measure specific success along the way, are particularly important where it's going to take a long time to reach a goal. In these cases, break down the goals into smaller chunks, and link feedback to these intermediate milestones. Task Complexity For goals or assignments that are highly complex, take special care to ensure that the work doesn't become too overwhelming. People often push themselves too hard if measures aren't built into the goal expectations to account for the complexity of the task. It's therefore important to do the following: Give the person sufficient time to meet the goal or improve performance. Provide enough time for the person to practice or learn what is expected and required for success. Make sure that the conditions surrounding the goals don't frustrate or inhibit people from accomplishing their objectives. Pick one of the goals you have identified you want to accomplish
Smart goals are specific. Specific goals are much more likely to be accomplished than vague ones! A specific goal can be determined by asking the following questions: WHO is involved? Smart goals don’t depend on the involvement of too many people - remember, the only person you can control is yourself, so the achievement of your goal should depend on you. WHAT do you want to accomplish? Define your aim, so you will have a clear idea of what you are aiming for. A vague ‘I want to be a better person’ is not specific enough! WHERE will you work on your goal? Identify a location or locations where most of the work towards your goal will be carried out. If your home is the main base, you may need to revamp a few things. WHEN do you hope to accomplish your goal? Set a time frame and specific deadline for completion. Having a specific end date will keep you from procrastinating. WHICH factors will affect the success of your goal? What requirements do you have, and what limitations will you have to deal with? Being prepared for obstacles makes them easier to surmount. WHY do you want to reach this goal? The reasons behind your choice of a goal are just as important as the goal itself. Looking at those reasons can often tell you quite a bit about yourself!
Smart goals are measurable. You should be able to see the progress you are making. This allows you to feel the thrill of each milestone reached, and keeps you on track for completion of your goal. The way you find out if your goal is truly measurable is to ask another set of questions: How much (weight do I want to lose)? How many (laps do I want to swim)? How will I know when the goal is reached? Charts are a great way for you to track your progress and measure how much of your goal you have achieved.
Smart goals are attainable. Not easy, but attainable. They aren’t based on a premise that you will suddenly become superhuman, and they don’t follow a plan of action that could be hazardous. They simply represent what you know you are capable of if you just put some effort into it. Each goal you reach makes the next one seem more attainable, so as you grow so can your goals! As you stretch to reach the goals you set for yourself, you find out you are capable of more than you ever thought possible. You set goals higher each time as you grow more confident.
Smart goals are Relevant. Some say realistic but lets say relevant instead. Can you agree that winning the Indy 500 was not a relevant goal to Florence Chadwick? Goals that move here closer to her ultimate goal. Relevant meaning your goals must fit into what you are trying to accomplish in the various aspects of your life (career, finances, spiritual, relationships, etc. )
Smart goals are timely. If you don’t have a time frame for the reaching of your goal, you have no real impetus. ‘Someday’ is not an acceptable deadline. Setting a date for the completion of your goal puts you in motion mentally and sets the pace for a steady race to the finish. Smart goal setting takes into account all of the guidelines above, and helps you develop a right state of mind and a game plan for getting things done. Is your goal a SMART one?
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