Goal Setting for 2022
Do you set the same New Year’s resolutions every year? Do you recommit to the same goal, promising yourself that you’ll finally finish it?
If you answered yes, know that you’re not alone. Many people are stuck in the same cycle of setting goals, forgetting about them or failing to complete them, and then setting the same goals again with a renewed (but temporary) resolve to meet those goals.
But you can break the cycle by learning about a goal-setting process.
Goal setting is a purposeful and explicit process that starts with identifying a new objective, skill, or project you want to achieve. Then, you make a plan for achieving it, and you work to complete it.
Instead of just running with no particular purpose, a true goal would be more along the lines of starting a training program to complete a specific race, say a summer half marathon, which requires much more careful planning, motivation, and discipline.
Before you set a goal, take a closer look at what you’re trying to achieve and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this goal something you truly want?
- Is it important enough to pour hours of time and effort into it?
If you’re not willing to put in the time, it may not be worth pursuing.
All goals should conform to the following and be written down. They need to be:
- Focussed
- Achievable
- Measurable
- Realistic
- Time-limited
When you write your goals down, they become real and tangible instead of a vague idea that lives only in your mind. Once you’ve written your goals down, keep them somewhere visible. Put personal goals up on your mirror or near your computer screen, maybe work goals on a wall.
As you're writing down your goals, use a positive tone so you stay excited about completing them.
Many people decide on a goal but never create an action plan to determine how exactly they will meet that goal. Your action plan should include the overall goal you’re trying to meet and all the steps you need to take to get there.
As part of your tasks, milestones and deadlines to achieve your goal. You need to set dates. Once you’ve set those dates, try to stick to them as closely as possible. A timeline creates a sense of urgency, which in turn motivates you to stay on schedule and finish your goal.
Now that you’ve planned everything out, it’s time to take action. You didn’t go through all that work just to forget about your goal. Every step that you take should lead to another until you finish your goal.
I hope that 2022 be the year you achieve your goals.
Until the next time,
John
