Setting Effective Goals for the New Year – And How to Achieve Them
How often have you set a goal and then not reached it? How has it made you feel? Sometimes setting goals and not accomplishing them can leave you feeling defeated. But, you shouldn’t give up on achieving those goals. Without goals, it’s easy to lose focus and direction on the things you want to achieve. Setting goals has many positive benefits. It provides direction, gives you a clear focus of what is important, and it gives you more control over your future.
What is the best way to set goals effectively? This article “10 steps for Effective Goal Setting” (https://collegeforadultlearning.edu.au/effective-goal-setting-set-and-achieve-goals/) has some great tips on the different steps to set effective goals.
Another great way to make sure your goals are effective is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Make sure that the goals you set follow the below guidelines:
SPECIFIC:
Make your goals as specific as you can for more effective planning.
MEASURABLE:
Define what method you will use to measure the progress you are making and reevaluate when necessary.
ATTAINABLE:
Make sure you can reasonably accomplish your goal within a certain time frame.
RELEVANT:
Makes sense with what you are trying to achieve withing your job function or personal life.
TIMELY:
State when you will have this goal completed. Be specific on your date and timeframes.
Another article by Positive Psychology says that “In the end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that and more.”
Below is an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal worksheet. This can help you set your goals and stay on track through the new year!
https://www.mcckc.edu/counseling/goal-setting/docs/SMARTGoalWorksheet.pdf