Setting goals and seeing them come to fruition can be difficult. A way to make sure goals are achieved is to set goals that are measurable, meaningful, realistic, and that have a timetable. Below you will find tips on how to set effective goals.
How to Set Effective Goals
- Goals should have a timetable. If this is the first time you are writing goals down, you may find it helpful to start with 6-month, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals. You can add 1-month and 3-month goals, but often those are a broken-down version of your longer-term goals. Start with 10-year or lifetime goals and work your way backward.
- When you set effective goals, write them in the past tense, as if the goal has already been met. Psychologically, this helps you to visualize the goal’s completion and what steps you will need to take to make that goal come to fruition.
- Any goal you have should be realistic in the time frame specified. Goals that are too idealistic will not be reached. Goals should also be things you have control over, not things that are up to other people or chance.
- To make a goal realistic, list at least two actions that can be taken to move you closer to that goal. If you can’t think of actions that you can take to make that goal happen, it’s time to rewrite that goal.
- Goals should be measurable – meaning you can chart your progress and you’ll know when you’ve completed the goal. “Read more” is a great goal – but it’s also unlikely to get you results. Instead, set a goal like “At the end of the year, I’ll have read a book a week” or “By my birthday next year, I’ll have saved $3000 in an emergency fund.”
- Goals should be meaningful. Don’t set a goal because you “should” do something. Set a goal because you feel you “must” do something. If you don’t personalize the goal you will have a hard time taking action toward meeting the goal. It doesn’t matter how much you feel you should lose weight, if you don’t feel it’s personally important, it’s not going to happen.
- Goals should be written down. It’s one thing to dream and set your goals in your mind, it’s another thing to write down each goal with a specific action plan for how you will create a life where you’ve met that goal.
- Act on those actions that lead towards meeting your goals.
By taking the time to look at where you are and where you want to be, you can better chart your course. This is important when it comes to academics, research, and any project. If your goal is to finish up the semester with A’s, then you need to take the appropriate actions that will lead to this result.
