Setting and Achieving Your Goals
13 November 2012
Read by 1867 persons
"In life, there are only two sins: wanting without acting or acting without a goal" - like a Russian proverb. We help you to concretely formulate and achieve your objectives.
A well-known phenomenon: at the beginning of the year, we make all sorts of good resolutions, none of which "survive" the second week of January. And the press regularly publishes surveys indicating that one in two people is dissatisfied with their job and/or family, one in three wants to change something in their life. And why don't they do it? What they lack is the right goal or knowing what they really want and how they can achieve it.
The importance of goals
Some people may wish to face life's challenges without a goal, but most of us feel the need to follow a thread of Ariadne - both in private life and in professional activities, for ourselves and in our company. The thread of Ariadne is the goals that guide our daily actions; it is the "plan or schedule" that gives us direction. Indeed: "For those who ignore which port to go to, no wind is favorable", the Roman philosopher Seneca already wrote some 2000 years ago.
To move forward in life, both private and professional, I must know what I want and set myself a goal. This allows me to make progress in the medium and long term and to develop myself. Added to this is an important aspect: a goal constitutes a challenge and holds accountable the person who aims for it: in relation to herself and to other people; indeed, generally, the achievement phase also involves people other than myself.
Why can we fail?
Implementing a goal and therefore achieving it is not always a "sure thing". Indeed, other people frequently play a significant "secondary role". Someone who wants to lose a little weight needs the support of their partner (who may even decide on meal preparation) and other members of their close family. Someone who wants to develop professionally depends on the decision of recruiters who invite them for a job interview or offer them a work contract.
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that in the professional field above all, for example in projects, objectives are subject to unforeseen events and also to chance. If, in addition, the field concerned is new, the deadlines are too short and/or the method is insufficiently known, it should not be surprising to see the operation fail.
Overcoming your own blocks
The realization of our resolutions and objectives is often significantly disrupted by our psychological blocks and "internal" programs that sabotage their implementation: they are conducive to the tendency towards inertia that sleeps deep within us, they encourage us to postpone to the next day, then the day after and so on, the first step and make us "forget" the set objective. It is a matter of detecting and identifying these personal blocks, then removing or at least disarming them. This releases the resources needed to achieve the set objectives.
By reflecting on the circumstances that prevented me from achieving my goal last year or even pushed me not to embark on its realization, I realize that I am probably aiming for something completely different or that my goal was totally unrealistic. By questioning yourself "in depth" to explore the root causes of the situation, you can "clean up" your ideas and visions, press the "reset" button and define objectives that are likely to correspond to what you really want.
Staying the course
Someone who decides to lose twenty kilos has set themselves a very heavy goal - in the true sense of the word. And dreaming of succeeding quickly in your own business is certainly legitimate, but difficult to achieve. It is not uncommon for the reality of everyday life to bring bitter disappointments. So, why not be more modest from the start and define "feasible" intermediate objectives, milestones that are within your capabilities?
You have a goal and are afraid of not achieving it? Tell yourself one thing: it's not serious at all not to reach the goal the first time. You will try your luck a second time. Ask your parents or older siblings to tell you how you took your first steps when you were a child. Did you succeed on the first try? No? And did you give up? Of course not! You tried several times until you could take your first steps alone.
Asking the key questions
Once you know what you want, do a little check and answer the following questions, preferably in writing:
Who is (also) concerned? (family, boss, neighbor, colleague, other companies, etc.)
What is the content, therefore the desired result (weight loss, new job, transfer within the company, animation or success of a project, etc.)
When exactly (precise date!) do I plan to start implementing my project and when exactly (precise date too!) should it be completed? When exactly is the passage of the intermediate milestones planned?
With what do I want and can I achieve my goal (means, resources, assistance from others, tools, instruments...)?
How will I achieve my goal, that is to say, what procedure or method will I apply?
Once you have answered all the questions concretely, check if the objective in question is achievable in the given way and circumstances. If so, well: go for it!
Concrete advice for formulating your objectives
To remember: Your goal must be "SMART" (English: intelligent, clever, cunning). What do we mean by that, what is behind this acronym?
S = specific The goal must be formulated clearly, leaving no room for confusion, and it must be compatible with other potential goals. Avoid any non-committal formula such as "I want to lose weight soon...".
M = measurable The result as well as the intermediate milestones must be measurable both quantitatively and qualitatively; it must be possible to carry out a concrete follow-up.
A = attractive and motivating The goal must be able to be formulated in a positive and motivating way, it must seem "interesting" to you and make you want to implement it. Indeed, it is much more motivating to say "I wish to wear beautiful dresses in size 38 soon" rather than "I want to lose 5 kilos". Furthermore, the objective must encourage you to take action and solicit your effort.
R = realistic My objective must be achievable for me. It's no use knowing that others have already succeeded in "that kind of thing". Your goal is realistic provided you can actively influence it through your behavior while taking into account other existing goals and unforeseen events that may arise. But don't forget that a goal can and should also be ambitious!
T = time-bound The objective must be accompanied by a date on which the implementation begins and ends, without forgetting the dates on which you wish to achieve the intermediate milestones (step A, step B, etc.). Don't hesitate to allow a little more time, because: "The slowest who does not lose sight of his goal still advances faster than the one who wanders without a goal", wrote the German playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Giselle Chaumien-Wetterauer.
Monster.ch
Posted online on November 13, 2012.
A well-known phenomenon: at the beginning of the year, we make all sorts of good resolutions, none of which "survive" the second week of January. And the press regularly publishes surveys indicating that one in two people is dissatisfied with their job and/or family, one in three wants to change something in their life. And why don't they do it? What they lack is the right goal or knowing what they really want and how they can achieve it.
The importance of goals
Some people may wish to face life's challenges without a goal, but most of us feel the need to follow a thread of Ariadne - both in private life and in professional activities, for ourselves and in our company. The thread of Ariadne is the goals that guide our daily actions; it is the "plan or schedule" that gives us direction. Indeed: "For those who ignore which port to go to, no wind is favorable", the Roman philosopher Seneca already wrote some 2000 years ago.
To move forward in life, both private and professional, I must know what I want and set myself a goal. This allows me to make progress in the medium and long term and to develop myself. Added to this is an important aspect: a goal constitutes a challenge and holds accountable the person who aims for it: in relation to herself and to other people; indeed, generally, the achievement phase also involves people other than myself.
Why can we fail?
Implementing a goal and therefore achieving it is not always a "sure thing". Indeed, other people frequently play a significant "secondary role". Someone who wants to lose a little weight needs the support of their partner (who may even decide on meal preparation) and other members of their close family. Someone who wants to develop professionally depends on the decision of recruiters who invite them for a job interview or offer them a work contract.
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that in the professional field above all, for example in projects, objectives are subject to unforeseen events and also to chance. If, in addition, the field concerned is new, the deadlines are too short and/or the method is insufficiently known, it should not be surprising to see the operation fail.
Overcoming your own blocks
The realization of our resolutions and objectives is often significantly disrupted by our psychological blocks and "internal" programs that sabotage their implementation: they are conducive to the tendency towards inertia that sleeps deep within us, they encourage us to postpone to the next day, then the day after and so on, the first step and make us "forget" the set objective. It is a matter of detecting and identifying these personal blocks, then removing or at least disarming them. This releases the resources needed to achieve the set objectives.
By reflecting on the circumstances that prevented me from achieving my goal last year or even pushed me not to embark on its realization, I realize that I am probably aiming for something completely different or that my goal was totally unrealistic. By questioning yourself "in depth" to explore the root causes of the situation, you can "clean up" your ideas and visions, press the "reset" button and define objectives that are likely to correspond to what you really want.
Staying the course
Someone who decides to lose twenty kilos has set themselves a very heavy goal - in the true sense of the word. And dreaming of succeeding quickly in your own business is certainly legitimate, but difficult to achieve. It is not uncommon for the reality of everyday life to bring bitter disappointments. So, why not be more modest from the start and define "feasible" intermediate objectives, milestones that are within your capabilities?
You have a goal and are afraid of not achieving it? Tell yourself one thing: it's not serious at all not to reach the goal the first time. You will try your luck a second time. Ask your parents or older siblings to tell you how you took your first steps when you were a child. Did you succeed on the first try? No? And did you give up? Of course not! You tried several times until you could take your first steps alone.
Asking the key questions
Once you know what you want, do a little check and answer the following questions, preferably in writing:
Who is (also) concerned? (family, boss, neighbor, colleague, other companies, etc.)
What is the content, therefore the desired result (weight loss, new job, transfer within the company, animation or success of a project, etc.)
When exactly (precise date!) do I plan to start implementing my project and when exactly (precise date too!) should it be completed? When exactly is the passage of the intermediate milestones planned?
With what do I want and can I achieve my goal (means, resources, assistance from others, tools, instruments...)?
How will I achieve my goal, that is to say, what procedure or method will I apply?
Once you have answered all the questions concretely, check if the objective in question is achievable in the given way and circumstances. If so, well: go for it!
Concrete advice for formulating your objectives
To remember: Your goal must be "SMART" (English: intelligent, clever, cunning). What do we mean by that, what is behind this acronym?
S = specific The goal must be formulated clearly, leaving no room for confusion, and it must be compatible with other potential goals. Avoid any non-committal formula such as "I want to lose weight soon...".
M = measurable The result as well as the intermediate milestones must be measurable both quantitatively and qualitatively; it must be possible to carry out a concrete follow-up.
A = attractive and motivating The goal must be able to be formulated in a positive and motivating way, it must seem "interesting" to you and make you want to implement it. Indeed, it is much more motivating to say "I wish to wear beautiful dresses in size 38 soon" rather than "I want to lose 5 kilos". Furthermore, the objective must encourage you to take action and solicit your effort.
R = realistic My objective must be achievable for me. It's no use knowing that others have already succeeded in "that kind of thing". Your goal is realistic provided you can actively influence it through your behavior while taking into account other existing goals and unforeseen events that may arise. But don't forget that a goal can and should also be ambitious!
T = time-bound The objective must be accompanied by a date on which the implementation begins and ends, without forgetting the dates on which you wish to achieve the intermediate milestones (step A, step B, etc.). Don't hesitate to allow a little more time, because: "The slowest who does not lose sight of his goal still advances faster than the one who wanders without a goal", wrote the German playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Giselle Chaumien-Wetterauer.
Monster.ch
Posted online on November 13, 2012.
