Goal Setting

Effective goal setting will allow you to visualize your goal in your mind and also the required steps to making that happen.

The desired goal or objective is often referred to as an ‘outcome’. Classifying our goals as outcomes will help distinguish between where you are now and where you really want to be.

By setting outcomes we typically achieve a change in mindset; one that is more focused on what we want to achieve.

By Effectively Setting Goals You Will:

• Have a clear purpose and direction

• Be able to visualize what you want, and how to chase after it

• Be able to assess progress

• Be much more likely to achieve a result

By considering our goals as outcomes, we must also understand that these same outcomes bring changes and consequences too. We should therefore answer a number of questions to help visualize ourselves at the end goal and what it may feel like as a result. 

When setting goals, they are typically long-term outcomes. Therefore, it can be difficult to measure the small changes or progress towards these larger more significant goals, and many people can get sidetracked or lost by not understanding how to track this progress.

By setting ‘mini goals’ we can see how our daily performances and processes are helping us progress towards our main goal. By breaking the goal down into daily performances or specific tasks that would need to be completed to achieve the main goal, progress is much easier tracked and noticed. 

It’s important to add facts and figures to these goals in order to get a detailed output, track progress, and evaluate results. Having a solid set of goals with numerical relevance helps to program plans, set realistic time frames, and allows your coach to provide the correct advice at the right times. 

SMART PRINCIPES
To ensure we can set effective and measurable goals, we can use the SMART principles. This means that all goals should be: 

Specific

Is the goal clearly written, with no ambivalence? Is it clear who needs to accomplish the goal, and any support that might be expected?

Measurable

Does the goal answer the questions of how many, how much and/or how often?

Achievable

Can you get the support needed to achieve the goal by the target date? Do you have all the resources needed to achieve the goal? Are the results expected realistic?

Relevant

Does the goal make a difference to your career/health/well-being? Is it going to make an improvement in your personal life? Is it going to significantly make a difference for you and your environment?

Timebound

Does the goal state a clear and specific completion date?

This technique ‘pulls’ the most important information, while also giving us a chance to think about our goal and how we will go about achieving it.

Download the "Goal Setting Worksheet" for every goal you want to achieve.