Goal setting - it's not just about being SMART
Author: Julie Plenty

How many of us make the most common new year resolutions? (lose weight, make more money, give up smoking,make a career change for eg) and never stick to them?

We start out with the best intentions but at the end of the year, things remain resolutely the same. Then we go through the whole process all over again and with the same (non) result!

What we need to realise is that so many of our resolutions are merely wishlists. I use to make "resolutions" – make a career change, move to a bigger and better place etc. At the end of the year I was disappointed to find that I was still in the same place and in the same job. This wasn't surprising as I hadn't done anything towards it. I thought that saying it to myself was enough!

However, without actively and consistently doing something towards achieving my resolutions, I was always doomed to disappointment. What I didn't know then, but know now, is how to set and achieve goals.

The dictionary definition of a goal is "the object of a person's ambition or effort: a destination: an aim".

Achieving a goal is dependent upon commitment and action. Merely saying it is not a goal. We have to learn what is involved in setting goals and enhance our personal goal setting abilities.

As you consider setting goals - you need to look behind the goal. Who are you setting it for? What do you really want to achieve? Some of our goals may unconsciously be set to satisfy someone else or clash with hidden negative beliefs about our own abilities. So we may set a goal for getting a new job or aiming for promotion, but are subconsciously doing so to: (i) fulfil a parent's desire (ii) conform to cultural/social expectations (iii)trying to please a partner or loved ones.

If this is the case then it may be why our goals are so often unfulfilled. They're not crafted with our true desires in mind and self-sabotage is often the result.

The terms "goal setting" and "motivation" often go together. So often I've heard people say that they need to "get motivated" to do something. And so often this is a sign that they don't really want to do it (whatever it is). If they did then they wouldn't be talking about having self-motivation as if it was something they had to struggle to feel.

Motivation is desire - doing something because you really want to do so. You can use all of the best goal setting strategies available, but if the desire to achieve it isn't there, then:

(i) you're less likely to achieve this goal;
(ii) you feel a sense of emptiness about it if you do.

So when it comes to setting goals, you need to look behind and beyond the goal. To help yourself in doing this, ask yourself the following questions:

(i) Who am I setting this goal for?
(ii) Why do I want to achieve this goal?
(iii) Does working towards this goal make me feel excited?
(iv) What obstacles/challenges will I encounter?
(v) How will I deal with them?

For instance, if your goal is to lose weight, ask yourself what are the additional benefits that losing weight will give you. Will it improve your current relationships or give you the confidence to develop future ones and go for things that you didn't consider possible before?

It's very important to be excited by the possibilities that working towards and achieving this goal will bring. It is this excitement which will give you the fuel to keep going when you encounter obstacles or challenges.

Once you've gone through the above process of defining and refining why you are setting these particular goals and you feel the desire and excitement about it, then it's time to start goal setting.

SMART GOALS
If you're new to goal setting (and even if you're not). The following strategy is very effective.

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Action - oriented
R = Realistic
T = Time based

Specific: Goals must be specific. Wishy washy assertions get you nowhere. To say "I want more money by the end of the year" is meaningless. How much more money? Which year are you referring to?

Measurable: How will you know when you've achieved it? This relates back to how specific you've been initially.

Action: Incredibly important. The world rewards action. So begin to take action towards it. For eg if you want more money can start to look at cutting out unnecessary expenditure.

Realistic: If you want to be a millionaire by the end of the year, but the money in your bank account is in double figures, short of winning the lottery, you're unlikely to achieve this. If so, look at increasing the amount of time you give yourself to achieve this goal.

Time-based: When do you hope to achieve this goal? A month? three months, six months, a year, five years?

The key to setting goals is to set the bar high and think big but give yourself enough time to do things incrementally.

Write your goals down (or draw, paint them etc). It helps to make them real where you can see them, rather than swirling about endlessly in your head, where they have no outlet. This will also help to keep you on track.

The phrasing of goals is also very important. Phrase them in the present, so you can act as if they're already happening. This programmes your brain to start working towards it. Use "I am...." instead of "I will...". The latter refers to some indeterminate time in the future - which may never happen. The former keeps you firmly focused in the here and now, whilst keeping the future in sight.

Also remember that just because a goal is written down, doesn't mean that it is set in stone! You are always free to change and modify your goals as your circumstances change.

Many people are afraid to set goals because they are afraid of what happens if they "fail" to achieve them. They believe that it impacts negatively on their own self-esteem.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

One of the most positve aspects of goal setting is what not achieving a goal teaches you. If you don't achieve a goal there can be any number of reasons why - some of which are beyond your control. However examining why it wasn't achieved will yield valuable insights into your beliefs, attitudes and emotions.

Setting and achieving goals isn't about the end result. Ultimately it is about what you learn about yourself along the way about who you are and what you truly want from life.






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Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach who specialises in helping people raise their self-esteem. She believes that too many people do not fulfil their potential and lead less than fulfilling lives because of low self-esteem.

To address this she is currently developing the KickStart Your Self-Esteem! self-coaching programme on raising self-esteem which will be available in early 2003.

Subscribers to the free e-course: "5 ways to not improve your self-esteem" will receive prior notice of the programme at a special introductory offer. To subscribe to the e-course send a blank e-mail to:

selfesteemecourse@spearhead.par32.com

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