Goal Setting
A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.
A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true
What is goal setting
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating you to turn your vision of this future into reality. If you want to succeed in life you need to set yourself goals. Goals give you focus and direction.
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible
Goal setting is a major component of personal development. Studies by Edwin Locke have shown that more specific and ambitious goals lead to greater performance improvements than easy or general goals.
5 Top Tips For Effective Goal Setting
- Set goals that motivate you: You are much more likely to work towards and achieve goals that you are motivated by. If you are not motivated, you will quickly find ways to avoid completing any work towards your goal.
- Write your goals down: This makes your goals more real. You are actually putting it out there into the universe that this is the goal you want to achieve. I would also recommend creating a vision board. This is a visual representation of your goals. You then put this up where you will see it on a daily basis and it will act as a constant reminder of what you are working towards.
- Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.
- Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. E.g I would like to lose 5kg by the 15th
- Measurable: When you measure your progress, it helps you to stay on track.
- Achievable: Is the goal reasonable enough to be accomplished?
- Relevant: Is reaching the goals you have selected relevant to you and where you want to be in your life?
- Timely: Always put a time frame around your goal. This involves detailing the date you want to achieve your goal by. This will make it easier to measure whether you have achieved your goal or not.
- Create an action plan for each of your goals. This gives you the opportunity to break a big goal down into smaller more manageable and achievable steps. Each step towards your goal can be ticked off along your journey. Progress is progress.
- Review your progress against your goals on a regular basis. If you need to make changes to your actions then do this, but keep chipping away at your to do list.
A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement
What are the benefits of goal setting?
- Clearer focus and direction on what you actually want to achieve in your life
- Measurable results
- Motivation
- Efficient use of your time and avoiding procrastination
- Clarity in your decision making process
- Success!
I challenge you to set yourself three goals. Break the goals down into achievable actions. You will be amazed at what you can achieve. Go for it! Live an amazing life, not an average life.
What Should You Do Next?
Life coaching is all about setting and achieving goals. At each life coaching session I have with my clients, the focus is on actions to get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future. If this sounds of interest to you then please contact me for a free 30 minute taster life coaching session at caroline@raisethebarlifecoaching.co.uk
[…] The starting point will be for you to complete a goal setting task sheet where you will set your goals for the month, including target dates and an action plan. Check out this blog post on effective goal setting http://www.raisethebarlifecoaching.com/goal-setting/ […]