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I'm not very sportsminded, but I enjoy watching soccer on occasion. I could never play soccer because I'm not aggressive enough. I would have a hard time kicking the ball if someone were in my path, out of fear I might kick them instead of the ball. Then I would feel bad and that would override the endorphin rush from playing the game.
It turns out that I haven't been aggressive enough in the game of setting -- and reaching -- my goals. I have been lackadaisically thinking that eventually I will get where I need to go. I have been getting in my own way and tripping myself on a regular basis. I suspect this is because I have been playing the game without a clear vision of the goal. Imagine someone playing soccer with a blindfold! That wouldn't work out too well, would it?
A couple of years ago, my adviser told me her approach to achieving goals. She writes them down (makes them concrete). Then she posts them in places where she will see them regularly (makes them visible) -- mirror, refrigerator, doors. She clearly knows where her goal is at all times!
I'm a technophile, so I have started using a few tech tools to help me keep my goal zone in sight. An iPhone app called Goal Achiever lets me enter my goals -- and then add the steps I need to take to reach the goal. For each individual step, I can set a target date, and I can set a target date for the overarching goal as well. A neat feature of the app also lets me visualize what this looks like in timeline fashion.
It's not necessary to have an iPhone or an app to set up goals and a timeline, though. A Gantt chart created in a spreadsheet document or even a simple Word document can help visualize the end goal. Here is an outline of the basic steps of goal-setting to get you started:
1. Determine your end goal. Set a date. Be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant timely.
2. Set subgoals - the little steps that will help you reach the target. It might help to think backwards from the end goal to decide what will help you get there. Again, be SMART.
3. Make sure you have a clear idea, for each goal/subgoal, of the following: what (you want), why (you want it), how (you will get it), when (you want it), and who (will help you get there).
4. Create a personal storyboard to help you see just how you will get to your goal. You could make a Gantt chart to show where subgoals overlap. You could make a timeline to show the progression from start to finish, with dates specified. You could draw a ladder with a subgoal at each rung. You could make a map or blueprint to chart your path. You could use your artistic/electronic talents in many ways to help you visualize the process of reaching your goals.
5. Post your visual(s) somewhere obvious so you have a regular reminder of your target.
6. Get an accountability buddy to help you stay on track. An accountability buddy is someone who can both encourage you along the way and point out when you step off the path. Sometimes it is best if you do not know this person too well. They may make you a little testy at times by pointing out your floundering!
7. Affirm your successes. Encourage further achievements.
8. Examine your challenges. Can you change what you're doing to make the path smoother? Do you resources? How are you getting in your own way? Are there common pitfalls/traps you can learn to avoid?
I've made more progress in the past 6-7 months following these steps than I had made in the previous 2 years by bumbling along on my own. How about you?
It turns out that I haven't been aggressive enough in the game of setting -- and reaching -- my goals. I have been lackadaisically thinking that eventually I will get where I need to go. I have been getting in my own way and tripping myself on a regular basis. I suspect this is because I have been playing the game without a clear vision of the goal. Imagine someone playing soccer with a blindfold! That wouldn't work out too well, would it?
A couple of years ago, my adviser told me her approach to achieving goals. She writes them down (makes them concrete). Then she posts them in places where she will see them regularly (makes them visible) -- mirror, refrigerator, doors. She clearly knows where her goal is at all times!
I'm a technophile, so I have started using a few tech tools to help me keep my goal zone in sight. An iPhone app called Goal Achiever lets me enter my goals -- and then add the steps I need to take to reach the goal. For each individual step, I can set a target date, and I can set a target date for the overarching goal as well. A neat feature of the app also lets me visualize what this looks like in timeline fashion.
It's not necessary to have an iPhone or an app to set up goals and a timeline, though. A Gantt chart created in a spreadsheet document or even a simple Word document can help visualize the end goal. Here is an outline of the basic steps of goal-setting to get you started:
1. Determine your end goal. Set a date. Be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant timely.
2. Set subgoals - the little steps that will help you reach the target. It might help to think backwards from the end goal to decide what will help you get there. Again, be SMART.
3. Make sure you have a clear idea, for each goal/subgoal, of the following: what (you want), why (you want it), how (you will get it), when (you want it), and who (will help you get there).
4. Create a personal storyboard to help you see just how you will get to your goal. You could make a Gantt chart to show where subgoals overlap. You could make a timeline to show the progression from start to finish, with dates specified. You could draw a ladder with a subgoal at each rung. You could make a map or blueprint to chart your path. You could use your artistic/electronic talents in many ways to help you visualize the process of reaching your goals.
5. Post your visual(s) somewhere obvious so you have a regular reminder of your target.
6. Get an accountability buddy to help you stay on track. An accountability buddy is someone who can both encourage you along the way and point out when you step off the path. Sometimes it is best if you do not know this person too well. They may make you a little testy at times by pointing out your floundering!
7. Affirm your successes. Encourage further achievements.
8. Examine your challenges. Can you change what you're doing to make the path smoother? Do you resources? How are you getting in your own way? Are there common pitfalls/traps you can learn to avoid?
I've made more progress in the past 6-7 months following these steps than I had made in the previous 2 years by bumbling along on my own. How about you?
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