Goal Planning and Goal Setting – Beginner Level

Goal Planning and goal setting is probably the most important aspect of any endeavor. This article is the first in a series that will enable you to plan and set your goals for maximum effectiveness.Should you be in any doubt about the importance of setting goals you could simply take a look at a host of successful people from all walks of life; sport, business, entertainment, academia.You will find that people at the top of their field, respected and acknowledged as such, have all decided on what direction that they wish to take, what they wish to achieve on a short, medium and long term basis and then devised the path to that end goal based on smaller steps.What I want to discuss is, how exactly do they plan their goals and subsequently achieve their dreams?Perhaps you have heard of SMART goals?This acronym is used in most goal planning strategies and texts.S = Specific – the more specific the aim, the easier it is to know when you have achieved it
M = Measurable – if the goal and progress can’t be measured how will you know how far you still have to go?
A = Attainable – aim for the stars but you can’t jump that high so your plan needs to be achievable
R = Realistic and Relevant – you need to know how success or failure will affect you
T = Time bound – without a time bond on the goal it becomes an open ended dreamI would like to take you to the next level and make your goals SMARTERE = Evaluate – exactly what do you want, when do you want it and what will be the proof that you have achieved it?
R = Re-evaluate – as you progress along your path, constant monitor and control systems are requiredOnce you have decided what you want to achieve, you should then give due consideration to where you are now in relation to the goal?Your goal might be a £20,000 car in six months time. There is a huge difference required in the planning if you already have £18,000 in the bank and earn £40,000 a year than if you have nothing in the bank and only earn £20,000 a year.Next, give consideration to your resources. What do you have and who do you know that can help you achieve the goal? Where can you go to find the resources you will need that you don’t already have and who do you know that can help you find them?Once you have calculated your resources, you need to figure and accept your limitations and then incorporate those limitations into the plan with ways and means of overcoming the limitations.Check that the goal and the plan make sense and then break the plan into smaller chunks. A six month plan would need to be composed of daily activity, weekly progress goals. You can’t get to five and a half months and only then start to wonder how it is going. And remember the “compounding effect.”Let’s for instance say that you want to build a network marketing group of 100 people, built by one person bringing one person into the business in each time cycle.You don’t need to concern yourself with having 50 people join you in week 1. The compounding effect starts slowly and produces big results over a longer term.Week 1 – you bring in one person = 2
Week 2 – you bring in one person each = 4
Week 3 – you bring in one person each = 8 etcConversely, let’s say that you want to run a marathon in a given time and you have never run any sort of distance before.In this scenario you will make most progress in the initial stages of your plan. You may be able to knock considerable time chunks off your personal best in the first few weeks, but as you approach the end of your training regime you are not going to be improving by a minute a mile and this has to be factored into your goal and the eventual plan.Finally, and possibly, most importantly, although you may not achieve your goal to the fullest extent by the date decreed at the start of your planning exercise you should not believe this to be a failure.When you can sit back and reflect in honesty and know that you gave it your all, you will undoubtedly be closer to the goal than you were when you commenced the exercise and one last tweak to the plan may be all it needs. It will also enable you to have a better insight into your next goal plan and ensure you set even SMARTER goals next time.