People often set very strong work-related goals and neglect to do it for any other area of their life. While career is typically the most structured part of life, it doesn't have to be only one that benefits from clearly defined goals. We should establish at least one solid goal for each area of their life. Here are some examples (some of these may not apply):
Professional
Relationships (family, friends, co-workers)
Fitness/Health
Intellectual
Community Involvement
Financial
Education
Artistic
A "good" goal has 5 distinct elements.
To define them we are going to use the SMART acronym:
Specific What do you want to achieve? How will you achieve it? Why is it important to you? Clearly define the outcome you want.
Measurable Establish concrete criteria for measuring your success. Use actual numbers, target dates, or specific events to indicate when your goal has been achieved.
Achievable Your goals should push you past your comfort point but you should still be able to attain them with effort and commitment.
Relevant Your goals should be important to you and the outcome should impact your life. Likewise, you should have the ability to directly impact them. Don't set goals that aren't significant or that you can't do anything to control.
Timely Your goals should have a time element established. This will keep you on track and prevent you from simply pushing a goal far into the future. It should matter now and you should have a sense of urgency about it.
Here are some tips that can help you set effective goals:
Develop several goals. A list of five to seven items gives you several things to work on over a period of time.
State goals as declarations of intention, not items on a wish list. "I want to apply to three schools" lacks power. "I will apply to three schools," is intentional and powerful.
Attach a date to each goal. State what you intend to accomplish and by when. A good list should include some short-term and some long-term goals. You may want a few goals for the year, and some for two- or three-month intervals.
Be specific. "To find a job" is too general; "to find and research five job openings before the end of the month" is better. Sometimes a more general goal can become the long-term aim, and you can identify some more specific goals to take you there.
Share your goals with someone who cares if you reach them. Sharing your intentions with your parents, your best friend, or your teacher will help ensure success.
Write down your goals and put them where you will see them. The more often you read your list, the more results you get.
Review and revise your list. Experiment with different ways of stating your goals. Goal setting improves with practice, so play around with it.