How to set goals and achieve them.

So, why do I need to know about goal setting? Goal setting is a process most of us are familiar with. It’s a skill we apply to all parts of our lives either in a formal or informal way.  Goals represent where we want to be, they identify a change we want to make and help us make step by step adjustments to reach our destination.

How do I set goals? What goal setting techniques should I be using?

The goal setting process is a huge topic with millions of words devoted to the topic of how to do it right.  There are many methodologies and structures out there we can use to help us such as SMART, Goal setting theory and the golden rules.  All offer a structure to create an effective goal, but I feel they only help if you have a clear understanding of what each element looks like.

In my experience goals are often too general, too big, or too impersonal. Frequently clients describe a goal such as wanting to be more organised or be fitter. This might describe where they want to be but doesn’t answer more specific questions. For example, what does fitter look like to you, do you want to be able to run further, lift heavier weights or have a lower bmi? Or if you want to be more organised, is it with cleaning the house, admin, paperwork, diary admin, or at work?

Over time I found I was using the same questions and prompts to ensure that together we create a goal and plan that accurately reflects where they are wanting to be. To help me do this I use an analogy to help clients, I suggest we set a goal by treating it like booking a holiday, breaking the process down using 4 distinct parts. It’s this analogy that I want to share with you today.

Vision board 

1.     Planning

Holiday – Let’s think about booking a holiday. This is the part when you dream, you ask your friends where they have been, you think about where you’ve been in the past, you consider where you’ve dreamt of going. You brainstorm by asking people and considering do you want cold weather, to be by the beach, or is it a city break you desire? Do you want solitude or to be in the thick of the action? Which country and so on. At this stage of the process, It’s all about clarifying the end point by assessing other alternative options, being clear about why you are choosing this particular destination.

Goal Setting – So how does this translate into goal setting? Well, this is where you think about what you want to achieve, making sure you have clarity of both what you want to achieve and why.  It’s a time to use brainstorming, to be free with your ideas and don’t apply limits. 

With goal setting it’s easy to say, I want to be fitter and go no further but when booking a holiday, you wouldn’t just say “I want to go to hot country” and expect to end up on a holiday that matched up with your desires. If you were planning a holiday, you’d be saying things like, I’d like somewhere hot, not too hot though, I don’t want to be in the shade all the time. I want to lay on a sunbed reading a book whilst relaxing in the warmth sipping a mojito (I think I need to book myself a holiday this sounds amazing!). If you simply said you wanted to go a hot country, you could end up in a desert which would be hot but doesn’t stock too many mojitos.

Be clear and be specific, if you aren’t sure how to be specific, then use this tip. When you have a goal in mind there is often a picture in your head, by exploring this image you’ll find out so much more about your goal. This is why I love vision boards, if you want to know more about these check out my kits here.

Vision Board Kit

2.     Setting

Holiday - This is the point in booking a holiday where you commit, where all the research happens, the decisions the compromises.  You consider which airports will you use, the type of accommodation you want, what facilities are important to you and how you book your holiday after deciding what options offer the best fit for your needs.  It’s a time to iron out all the specifics, organise the details so you are clear on what is happening and when. 

Goal Setting - For goal setting this is where you crystalize your goal and understand how to commit to it.  When I work with clients this is where we consider the changes you will need to make, the time impacts your goal has, what obstacles there might be and their potential solutions. Some other important work I do with clients here is to examine if any of this additional thinking now changes your goal? 

3. The Journey

Holiday - If this was a holiday this is the time where you’d have a countdown, you’d be thinking about the small details such as booking parking, what needs to be bought, canceling the milk. You’d make lists; chat to people about what the holiday is going to be like and how you feel about it. You’d envision yourself on holiday, you’d imagine how it will feel, all the things you’d do and how positive you will feel.

Goal Setting - Nothing changes just because it’s your goal we're talking about.  Each day takes you closer to your goal so try to capture each small win you make. 

With my clients we look at breaking down the goal into chunks giving opportunity to review progress and celebrate success. When breaking the goal down we can create action plans that help us understand what the daily actions are that will move us forward using habits and our mindset to support and make the journey as easy as possible.

4.     The Learning

Holiday - When you arrive on holiday you don’t stop thinking about the holiday.  You notice another hotel or site you might have preferred; you think about the things that have niggled you or that you’ve loved.

Goal Setting - This step is often overlooked in the goal planning process.  Achieving the goal is frequently where the thinking ends but there is so much to learn from the process we’ve just been through. 

Questions such as:

• What would I do differently for next time?

• Did my goal change or need amending along the way?

• What did I learn about myself along the way?

• What am I most proud of?

Are all excellent ways to capture this learning to help us next time.

The point of this blog post is to help you to confidently set goals that drive you or your business forward. Goals that are stretching but achievable and above all ensure you are clear on why you want to achieve the goal. 

If you have a goal you’d like to achieve but are struggling to move forward at the pace you desire then contact me to find out more or check out my website.