The word ‘goals’ is thrown around a lot these days. So much so that it can be confusing to pin down what a goal really is.
Are resolutions and objectives the same as goals?
Why do we need to set goals?
Research by a psychologist and career coach at Dominican University of California shows that there’s a direct correlation between setting goals and achieving success. Properly defined goals help trigger new behaviors and help you focus on what’s important to you.
Of course, it’s not just about setting goals. It’s also about achieving them.
Let’s look at the top strategies for how to set goals and achieve them in both your personal and professional life.
Before setting goals, you need to know what a goal is.
A goal is something you want to achieve. It’s the desired result that you, or a group of people, plan and commit to achieving.
Put simply, a goal is a dream with a deadline.
Still a bit confused? Here are some characteristics of what goals are and what they aren’t.
There are various types of goals that people can set for themselves. Here are some of the most common types of goals:
It's important to identify the types of goals that align with your values and priorities to make goal-setting more effective and meaningful.
Goal-setting is the process of identifying something you want to accomplish and establishing measurable and specific objectives to achieve it. Goals are your desired results that you or your team are committed to achieving within a specific time frame. It involves setting long-term and short-term objectives that help you stay focused on your goals, track your progress, and attain the desired result.
Goal-setting is important because it provides direction and purpose in life. When you set goals, you identify what you want to achieve and what you need to do to achieve it. It motivates you to take action, whether it’s in your personal or professional life, and gives you a sense of control over your future.
Goals also help you to see the bigger picture and provide you with a sense of accomplishment once you achieve them.
Here are some of the many reasons why setting realistic goals for yourself and your team is important.
Taking the time to think about what you want in life gives you a sense of purpose.
For example, you could create a five-year plan based on what you want your life to look like in five years. Having this long-term plan can help you move from just dreaming to actually doing.
In the workplace, setting goals helps to set a clear path to where you want your team to go. It also helps to set expectations for different team members.
Setting goals helps us take a step back and get some perspective on what’s really important. It’s the first step toward creating a life full of meaning.
At work, setting goals as a team helps everyone get the whole picture. Knowing the long-term goal and what a company is striving toward can help each team member perform better in their role.
By nature, consciously setting goals gives you something to aspire to. Having a specific goal will motivate you (and your team) to put your best foot forward.
As a team member, having a clear vision of what your team is aiming to achieve provides inspiration and motivation. Working with your team to move toward a common goal is motivating and satisfying, giving your team purpose.
Setting goals puts you in the driver’s seat of your life. Just by writing down goals, you are actively acknowledging what you want out of life.
It’s the first step toward taking control of your future.
Goal-setting theory is a motivational theory that explains how goals affect behavior. It suggests that setting specific, challenging goals leads to increased performance, persistence, and motivation.
The theory states that setting goals gives individuals a clear understanding of what is expected of them and helps them to focus on the most important tasks. Furthermore, it indicates that individuals who set specific and challenging goals are more likely to achieve better results than those who set vague or easy goals.
The theory suggests that feedback and commitment are essential elements in goal setting and achievement. So ensuring you are not setting and going after your goals in a vacuum will help you to be more successful in achieving them.
Now that you know how beneficial goals are, it’s time to dive into how to set goals and achieve them.
Whether you’re setting group goals for your team or personal goals, it’s important to start with goals that are big enough but still realistic.
Here are tips for setting both personal and team goals:
Let’s take a look at three tips for setting personal goals.
Part of the process for how to set life goals should be deciding what inspires you and what your values are. You should be passionate about your goals if you want to achieve them in the long run.
Your goals should be meaningful to you and provide you with a sense of pride once you meet them.
If your goal is based on something outside of your control, you won’t be able to control whether or not you actually achieve it.
Your personal goals shouldn’t be dependent on other people. They also shouldn’t be reliant on external factors that you have no control over.
Be realistic about what you can and can’t be directly responsible for.
Take some time to really think about what you’d like your life to look like. What does your ideal future entail?
For example, if you’re setting personal career goals, ask yourself some questions that will point you in the right direction.
How much money do you ideally want to earn? Do you want to work for yourself? How many hours do you want to commit to on a daily basis?
Even if these questions don’t immediately help you pick a single job, they will certainly make you realize what you don’t want your career goals to be.
Let’s take a look at three tips for setting team goals:
Before you write down the first goal that comes to mind, take time to brainstorm as a team. Asking big questions like “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” will get the creative juices flowing.
It’s important that everyone is heard during the goal-setting process. Each member of your team should feel they can speak openly and contribute their ideas for goals.
Having everyone’s input will help create goals that everyone is invested in.
Write down each team member’s ideas, no matter how silly, so that they feel heard. Together, you can go through each goal to decide if it works for the whole team.
It’s important to discuss the purpose of your group goal so that everyone is on the same page. During your goal-setting session, create a relaxed atmosphere that encourages questions from everyone if there is any uncertainty.
What are we doing? Where do we want to be? What does success look like?
Every team member should have a shared vision for why you have set this common goal. It will give your team clarity on what you want to achieve and make it easier for everyone to work together.
Setting goals is just the beginning. After taking the time to identify what your goals are, achieving them is a whole other ball game.
Working to achieve your goals can feel overwhelming at times. Here are some effective goal-setting tips on how to achieve life goals to the best of your ability.
You’re not going to achieve your goals if they aren’t SMART. If you haven’t heard of SMART goals already, they are goals that are:
By setting goals that have these characteristics, you’re setting yourself up for greater success.
Now, let's walk through some SMART goal examples.
Example 1:
S. Provide more growth and learning opportunities to each member of my team
M. Give feedback to each member at least 2 times per month
A. Feedback should come from the manager
R. Improves team communication and feedback culture
T. Provided before the end of the next quarter
Example 2:
S. Have customers complete satisfaction rating surveys at the beginning of their contract and again after two quarters
M. Increase customer satisfaction by 15% over the next two quarters
A. Customer success team to analyze and report improvements every two weeks
R. Become well-known as a company for our focus on customer satisfaction
T. The following 2 quarters
Example 3:
S. Begin new social media campaign
M. Generate 75 new content downloads
A. Marketing team responsible for running campaign and measuring performance
R. Promote our new feature
T. In the next two months
Don’t just daydream about your goals — put pen to paper and write them down. This makes your goals more tangible and makes them seem more real.
A study by Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University of California shows the effectiveness of writing down goals. According to his research, people who write their goals have a better chance of accomplishing more than those who do not write down their goals.
To keep your eyes on the prize, put your written goals somewhere you’ll see them. It should be a place you visit regularly so that you’re constantly reminded of where you want to be.
If it’s your personal goals, put them on your bathroom mirror or fridge as a nudge every morning of what you want to achieve.
For teams, your group goals should be somewhere all your team members can see them. This could be a bulletin board or incorporated online into your group management software.
Because goals are often long-term and abstract by nature, make them more digestible by breaking them down.
Use a “goal ladder” by writing your main goal at the top rung of the ladder. Work your way through the rest of the ladder steps, writing down the smaller goals you need to achieve in order to achieve your main goal.
Now that you know what you’re working toward, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to get there.
Write down the individual steps you need to take to achieve goals. Creating an action plan will keep you on track. As you work your way through each step of your plan, cross it off so you can see how much further you have to go and feel optimistic about your progress.
Goals aren’t going to achieve themselves. Once you’ve got a clear plan of how you want to achieve your goals, it’s time to get proactive.
Put your plan into action. Even the smallest act makes you one step closer to your goal.
It can be easy to become obsessed with achieving your goals. You might reach a point where you feel you would do anything you have to in order to get closer to achieving your goal.
But this can lead to burnout and even abandonment of your goal.
Avoid burnout by living a balanced life. Take breaks from your plan and look at the bigger picture. Practice kindness toward yourself and give yourself time.
Be realistic in that you’re going to face challenges along the way. Recognize what these problems might be and make a note of them.
Being aware of your potential obstacles will make them less intimidating if you are faced with them along your journey toward success.
Trying to accomplish a goal entirely by yourself can be lonely and overwhelming. Accountability helps you make consistent, steady progress and keeps you striving toward your goals.
Keep yourself accountable by sharing your goals with a friend. If it’s a group goal, have your team share their goals with another team.
Maybe you haven’t achieved your goals in the time frame you wanted to. Maybe your goals were a bit too unrealistic. And that’s ok.
Rather than feeling defeated, take time to review your goals and see what you can change. You might need to adjust your goals or maybe just tweak your plan to achieve them.
Now that you know how important goals are, it’s time to take the first step toward setting goals and achieving them.
Whether it’s personal goals for yourself or company-driven goals for your team, the goal-setting process can help you find purpose and meaning in your life.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and your team members. Even if you don’t reach all of your goals, just having them written down can provide a deeper sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.