What Is Goal Setting?

By Author: Anagha Goraksha
Total Articles: 8
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What is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is the process of deciding on something you want, planning how to get it, and then working towards the objective.

There are different types of Goals:

Personal Goals (Social , Emotional , Financial, family & friends, Acquisitions)
Professional Goals
Spiritual Goals
Academic / Learning Goals

Let us take some time to understand the characteristics of a goal. Goals should be:

Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Realistic
Timed

Most of us start with strong motivation, but somewhere along the line, we tend to lose our momentum towards achieving pour set-goals. We face "Goal Paralysis".

The reason most people don't reach their goals is that most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable.

Faith & Conviction in your ...
... Goal is mandatory!

Let us take a lot at the possible road blocks that inhibit us from reaching our goals:

Setting unrealistic goals
Underestimating completion time
Not appreciating failure
Not reviewing Progress
Setting Negative Goals
Setting too many goals
Setting "Other People's Goals"

Planning and Execution are important for Goal Setting. However, there something else that is something more important for achieving a goal… Motivation.

Stephen Covey has succinctly put it. "Motivation is fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are that it will burn very briefly." Thus, Intrinsic Motivation is the best form of Motivation.

Many a times, we become demotivated and stop striving for our Goal. It is always wise to know our foes than our friends. So let us know more about some of the demotivators:

Unexpected challenges
Mismatch between concept and reality
Stress and pressure
Failure at a point
Emotional issues
Procrastination

Visualise
Realign
Reconnect

Visualise:
Your goal all over again. It is noted that Visualizing is far more powerful than writing. Human beings are the sum total of what they think about and focus on the most.
Realign:

Keep the operational Goals small.
Prioritize which goals are most important for you to focus on right now. Sometimes we may have too many goals to confuse us.
Identify the limiting beliefs that are holding you back from moving forward. Replace them with new healthy belief systems
Use WIFM – what's in (it) for me : costs and gains

Reconnect:

Don't set very low goals … Higher Goals lead to a greater effect
Identify environments and activities that unlock energy and creativity.
Positive self talk & self affirmations- Change the inner script primed for failure and criticism
Reassess strengths and weakness

If your Goals seem very big, divide it into Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals.
Remember, your Short Term Goals are the stepping stones to your Long Term Goals.

"The Victory of Success is Half Won When One Gains The Habit Of Setting And Achieving Goals"
–Og Mandino