One of the most common things people do at the beginning of the year is to make new year resolutions. Whether it is to pursue a dream career or tackle a personal challenge like getting fit, these good intentions are typically abandoned by 'Blue Monday' as today is referred to. So why set a goal at all and what is the secret to setting goals that you can stick to?
Put simply, a goal is the object of a person’s aim or ambition. It can also be helpful to think of it as the direction you want to go in however in order to take the right action, you need a plan to follow. One of the first steps is writing down your goals. Research has shown that people with written goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those without written goals (HuffPost, Sept 2016). A common mistake people make is writing lots of goals down at once. Whilst this is useful, these need to be prioritised so that you can give all your focus and energy to the most important goals in your life at this time. Numbering them from 1-10 in terms of importance and selecting the top three to work on can help with this. There are lots of tools available to help you set goals. A common one used in coaching is the EXACT tool which involves writing them in a way that they are: - Explicit - ensuring your goal is simple and clearly stated provides clarity - Xciting - having a positive and inspiring goal helps with your motivation and future focus - Assessable - knowing how you will know when you have achieved it is important as it provides you with immediate feedback and enables you to measure progress - Challenging – having a stretching goal encourages new behaviours and skills in order to achieve it which increases self confidence - Time framed – e.g. within 3 – 6 months so you know when you need to achieve it by By stating your goals in EXACT terms, you will have a clearer picture of what you want to achieve which enables you to create a plan of action. If this is too much, even writing down your first step toward the goals will help. Set time aside regularly to review progress towards your goals e.g. weekly as this will help keep you focused. Sharing your goals with others is another good way to ensure you stay accountable and on track. By having written goals and plans of action you will immediately start to feel more in control of your future which is a positive way to start 2020 is it not?
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AuthorDenise Kelly, Coach & Mentor Archives
August 2020
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