Effective Goal Setting Tips

I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential.”
M. Russell Ballard

Goal setting is extremely important in our life as it inspires us to action. Indeed, for us to be successful in any aspect of our life, we must have goals. Therefore, it becomes important for us to set goals for every part of our life.

Often in business we talk about the importance of setting SMART goals. These are goals that are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and time-bound. Specific means they are easy to understand and provide a clear understanding and direction. Measurable is a goal that can be measured frequently in order to track progress. Agreed upon simply means that you made the decision and commitment to put forth the effort to reach the goal—it is something you want. Realistic means it is obtainable yet requires you to work and focus on it. Time-bound simply means that there is a measurement of time involved of when the planned goal will be achieved. Using the SMART acronym when setting goals will help you in developing effective goals that you can reach!

Another important aspect of setting effective goals is making sure they are aligned with your personal values, and ultimate vision or plan for your life. Make certain short-term goals will help you achieve your long-term goals and your long-term goals will help you accomplish what you want to ultimately achieve in your life. Setting goals that do not align with your planned vision are pointless.

One more tip for setting effective goals is to set the bar high. Frequently we underestimate our own abilities and thus set easier goals—however, challenging goals are good. Challenging goals will encourage us to work hard, think creatively, and stretch ourselves. Difficult goals provide the most growth and the greatest reward. You may also want to ask others what they think about your goals as others can help you raise your vision and increase your confidence. Also, to achieve goals, make sure you have a plan to evaluate your efforts often.

Finally, remember that the ultimate measure of success in goal setting is not always that we obtain the goal established, but instead that we put forth an effort and learn and improve ourselves along the way. Goal setting is essential for great leaders and will help us focus and stretch ourselves to reach to our true potential.