How to Set Goals - Goal Setting

[immy]

Goal Setting

A goal is a specific, measurable occurrence, object, or accomplishment that you would like to achieve, or obtain in the future. A key component in this definition is that a goal points to what you want to be in the future, not where you are right now.

Why is it important to set goal?

Do you ever feel sometimes that you are not happy with your life, maybe you are not in the job you want, maybe you are not as fit as you would like to be, maybe you just thought things would be different? It is difficult to end up where we want without first knowing our destination. What job do we want, what level of fitness, what type of lifestyle? To explain it better imagine a group of people travelling through life. Some people travel the high road and by roads of life taking side roads, detours even retracing their steps from time to time and while they may have exciting experiences on their travels, meet really interesting people, learn a great deal they may be also disappointed when they reach their final destination. People, who have a clear knowledge of where they want to go, can point themselves in the right direction and end up where they want to be.

Most of us have careers to think if, futures to secure, people to provide for, and things to do. We need maps; we need direction- we need to set goals.

What are the benefits of setting goals?

There are many benefits to setting personal goals in your life. These include the following:

You often get a sense of security and purpose from setting clear and focused goals
Setting goals means you make full use of your time and energy in order to get what you want
Things in life that sometime feel unachieved can be achieved by breaking your pathway to it into smaller achievable goals
When you have clearly defined goals your enthusiasm is high for what you want and you are more motivated in your daily life
By having goals your self esteem, confidence and belief in yourselves is enhanced as you reach your ultimate goal
How do I set personal goals?

Before you start to set your personal goals take mind out to consider the following questions. It is important that you write down everything that you can think of, do not limit or censor yourself in this exercise. The more you write the more creative you can be and the more ideas you will have.

To assist you in listing all that you want, use the following questions:

What do you want less of?
What is truly important to you?
What new things do you want to do?
What is it that makes you unique?
What makes you happy?
What are your talents, traits and skills?
What would you do if you won a million euros tomorrow?
What gives you your greatest feeling of self esteem and personal satisfaction?
If you knew you could not fail what would you choose to do, to be and to have?
When you have completed the above questions list and prioritise your responses in the following categories:

All the things I want to be
All the things I want to do
All the things I want to have
The Seven Step Goal Achieving System

There is a direct relationship between how clearly you can visualise your goals as accomplished and how rapidly you achieve them. The following seven step plan will enhance your ability to achieve your goals:

Write your goals down

This is the first step to achieving your goal. Write down your goal in full detail. For example instead of writing ‘Travel the world’ describe it in more detail. For example, ‘I want to travel to Australia, stay there 3 months visit Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Travel home through Asia and visit Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. I want to learn how to scuba dive and taste the local foods and learn a bit of the culture. I want meet new people and have lots of adventures.’

By writing the goal down in as much details as possible you are implanting the goal into your subconscious and giving your mind a set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clear the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.

Write your goals in the present tense and keep them positive e.g. ‘I want…’ instead of ‘I do not want…’

Desire a desire and belief

For each of your goals, list at least five reasons why you want to achieve that goal. Make a list of all the ways you will benefit from your goal. The more reasons you have the more motivated you will be.

Analyse your starting point

In order for you to achieve your goal you will need to know what steps you need to take. Know where you are starting from in order to properly define the steps to your goal.

Set a deadline

It is vital to have a deadline for the goal as this will focus the mind and create a sense of urgency for achieving the goal. If the deadline passes without achieving the goal then just set another deadline and continue working on the goal. To help you identify possible pitfalls as you work towards your goal, think about having achieved the goal and looking back over the time taken to achieve it. Imagine how you did it and what you found easy and difficult on the journey to achieving your goal. This will be helpful in seeing where you need to be careful and what may need extra attention now so that you can achieve your goal without having to make as many mistakes.

Make a list of all the obstacles

Make a list of all the possible barriers and obstacles that stand between you and your goal. Your main obstacle may be internal (perceived lack of ability, skills or attribute) or external (in the wrong job, relationship etc)
Make sure to list all possible obstacles.

Make a list of all the people who can help you and any additional information you may need
There are so many people around us with a wealth of experience and knowledge. For example if it’s information on finances Mabs can be of help, if you need more information about where to go to learn a language, night courses is a good places to start. People closer to home, like your partners, family or friends, can be a great source of encouragement and support when things seem difficult and if feels like your goal is a long way away.

Use visualization

What you see in your mind is what you get. The subconscious mind is activated by pictures. Attract what you want in life with clear mental pictures. Maintain persistence by regularly visualizing or picturing the goal. The pictures we regularly hold in your mind are what help to create our experiences in life on a daily basis. So it’s important that we choose our pictures carefully. One way of doing this is by choosing to picture ourselves in a particular way and focusing on this for a short time on a regular basis. This is called visualizing and is a very powerful tool for creating positive change in our life and for achieving the goals we set ourselves.
SMART Goals- what are they?

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound By ensuring that your goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound you are ensuring that your goals are concise, clear and focused.

Specific

In order to ensure that your goals are specific list the What? Why? and How? elements i.e. what you want to do? why you want to do it? And how you are going to do it?

Measurable

Every goal needs to be measurable as you need to be able to see progress and you also need to be able to see if you have achieved your goal. For example compare the goals ‘I want to be a good reader’ and ‘I want to have 100 pages read of my 1000 page book by Friday.’ The first goal is not measurable and you cannot track it. By setting smaller goals within each goal you can see progress and be motivated by that progress.

Achievable

It is important that the goals you set are achievable. If you set goals that are not achievable your sense of self worth and motivation to continue striving for that goal will be affected. A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and requires a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that is not achievable or advisable. But setting a goal to loose 1-2lbs a week and when you have achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1-2lbs, will keep it achievable for you. The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.

Realistic

A realistic goal does not mean an easy goal. Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you are not very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement.

Timely

Set a timeframe for the goal be that one day, seven days or three months. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now. Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

So you now have your goals- what’s next?

Now that you have your goals you need to develop an action plan to achieve the goals. An action plan will help you to measure your progress towards your goals, keep you motivated and focused and give you a sense of accomplishment on a regular basis. A detailed action plan will contain a list of tasks that needs to be completed in order to reach your goal. A detailed action plan will contain the following:

A list of smaller tasks / daily to do lists with deadlines that you must do to accomplish your goal
A list of resources available e.g. people, tools, assets, skills etc
Internal and external obstacles and strategies for how to deal with them.
Other information and/or support required
Steps and tools for maintaining focus and staying motivated
Mechanism and format for reviewing progress
Journaling/ recording system to capture learning and insights as you get towards achieving the goal
Persistence and commitment

How do you stay on track with your goals?

Once you have decided your first goal plans, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your to-do list on a daily basis. Some people recommend doing this at the end of each day, others recommend doing it first thing in the morning - this is up to you. Periodically review your other plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities.

Constantly Evaluate Your Progress

Having an action plan is not enough. Unforeseen obstacles are sure to arise. Notice what is working and what is not. If an approach is not working, don’t waste your time with it. Change your approach.

Never Lose Sight of Your Goal

Take the time to review your goals every morning when you get up and every night before you go to bed. This will keep them fresh in your mind. If you think reviewing your goals twice a day is too much to ask then set other timeframes. However ask yourself, “How important is it to me that I attain my goals?” and if reviewing them twice a day keeps you focused then put the time aside to do it.

Don’t Procrastinate

Procrastination is a major threat to the completion of your goals. Understand that the only way to achieve your goals is to take action! Knowledge means nothing if you don’t apply it. Do something right now that will help you to achieve your goals. There is no time like the present! Get the ball rolling. Each step you take brings you one step closer to the life you want.

And Finally

Finally keep your key goals in front of you on a regular basis. You should look at them at least weekly to ensure you are making progress and to see if you need to modify your plans in anyway.
There are various ways of accomplishing this periodic review and planning activity. A simple one is to have a reminder set up on your mobile or computer in which you have listed your key goals. Also as you are reviewing your goals at the end of each day or week, write out your daily tasks and set reminder for those also.

You may think, goal setting is a lot of work but if you reading this wondering why is my life going around in circles? Why am I not getting what I want? How can I take control and change this, then goal setting is for you. Take the time to try it outside, before long it will become second nature to you and you’ll soon see the success you deserve.

This article was published here http://www.headsup.ie/goalsetting.php

[wiseambitions]

I was at a conference of my firm the other day and leading on from SMART we were told to think of PECSAW

It's all about NLP (Neurolisting programming of the mind)

Below is some blurb


For me, the keys to progress in trading are every morning tell yourself

1) I believe in the strategy

2) I am a good trader

3) I will maintain my discipline




Going through the six PECSAW questions creates a detailed internal image or concept in your mind – an important step in creating a belief in your objective.

The 6-step PECSAW process ensures you focus on what you DO want rather than on what you do NOT want. Your attention is on what to do and how to do it rather than on problems, excuses, alibis, and explanations.

Outcomes directionalise a person’s thoughts and actions. Use them for your goals, dreams, wishes – and watch what happens. The six questions distinguish between those factors which are relevant to getting what you want and those which are in the realm of history, complaint, etc.

Using this process improves your rapport with other people. If you have a joint project using the well-formed outcome process to match and align your objectives adds to the rapport already existing between you – since you now have a joint commitment to the outcome towards which you are both moving. And when you use it to assist someone in clarifying what they want for themselves they are likely to appreciate your concern and interest.

It provides a means of evaluating progress. Having a well-formed outcome makes it more likely that you will quickly recognise when you are thinking or acting in ways that are at variance with your well-formed outcome, giving you a signal to stop and re-evaluate your activities.

The 6 PECSAW Qualifying Questions
The PECSAW method can be used on your own goals or used to assist others in designing their goals.

Positive
The goal must be stated in the positive i.e. you decide what you (do) want rather than what you don’t want e.g.

What do you want?

What do you wish to achieve?

Evidence
Decide what is the evidence which will indicate that you have successfully achieved your goal. This evidence needs to be objective i.e. it’s what you or somebody else would recognise – not what you will feel, since feelings are too subjective and cannot be measured e.g.

How will I recognise when you have this?

What will you see and hear that will you know when you have achieved this?

Context
Some of the qualities or skills that you might like to have in your working life could be inappropriate in your personal life. Let’s say your goal is to become more authoritative in your role as shop–floor manager. That’s a skill which you might not want to have running when you’re at home in the evening playing with your two-year-old child. This step enables you to be very clear on which areas you wish to apply this goal e.g.

Where and when do you want to have this?

Where and when do you not want this?

Self achievable
It is very important that the your goals or outcomes are within their own realm of influence i.e. they are things over which you have control. You can develop the skill of being in charge of your own moods – you cannot be in charge of the moods of others. So I want my partner to treat me better is an aspiration but it cannot be a goal.

What resources do you need to be able to achieve this?

What do you need to do to achieve this?

Is this something which you, yourself, can achieve?

In this goal dependant on other people changing their behaviour?

Advantages & Disadvantages
Any change we make in our lives will have advantages and disadvantages. This step requires up to weigh up the pros and the cons regarding our goal before committing time and energy to it.

What are the advantages of making this change?

What are the disadvantages of making this change?

What will achieving this lose you? Become?

Worthwhile
Knowing what the goal will help you to feel and to avoid feeling links your motivation to your goal-pursuing actions and keeps you on track. This step enables you to recognise how your personal values will be affected by the goal.

What’s important to you about getting this?

What will this outcome help you avoid feeling?

What is the benefit of this outcome?

[immy]

I've stopped adding to this section. You know why? People just want entry method. They don't understand that entry is nothing. They don't understand that trading is a personal thing. They think if they know how to make entries that will mean they get to keep the profits just like everybody else. But the fact remains, HARD Work outside of trading hours is what makes success a reality. If you don't work diligently outside trading hours, i.e. trading plans, journal writing, analysis of your trading, strategies etc, you will end up "working hard during trading" and that will destroy your trading. Trading can be and MUST be effortless prcoess but that will only be possible if you work hard outside trading hours. Meditations, Relaxation techniques, Strategy formulation, written documented plans with goals and objectives and all other tiny little details have to be done... but no, they just want, a buy arrow and a sell arrow that should work like the Elixir of life, the secret code to eldorado, the open sesame of Ali Baba ... Trading is a business and a Skilled Business...

[baldeagle]

Thanks to Ray for re-opening this thread that I didn't know existed. Immy, you really have a gift! I have been studying goals and goal setting all of my (long) life and you have really done a great job capturing this important activity.

Ray, I appreciate your perspicacity!

Ed