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Are You a Procrastinator?
5:47 PM |As with many self-sabotaging behaviors, the first step in stopping procrastinating is to recognize that you're doing it.
But this isn't always as straightforward as it sounds!
Many procrastinators persuade themselves that they have good reasons for delaying getting on with what they have to do. And once you've got into a "victim" mindset (which many procrastinators do), you may not realize that what you're doing is procrastinating, and that it's up to you to overcome it.
So take our self-test below and find out whether or not you are a procrastinator!
Are You a Procrastinator?
Instructions:
For each statement, click the button in the column that most applies to rate yourself by indicating the extent to which each statement is characteristic or uncharacteristic of you. The scale ranges from (1) 'Not like me at all' to (5) 'Very like me.' Note that (3) on the scale is neutral i.e. the statement is neither characteristic nor uncharacteristic of you. Click the 'Calculate My Total' button to add up your score and check your result using the scoring table underneath.
15 Statements to Answer
Not like me at all
Not like me
Neither like me or not
Like me
Very like me
1
I often find myself performing tasks that I had intended to do days before.
2
When planning a meeting, I make the necessary arrangements well in advance.
3
I generally return emails and phone calls promptly.
4
I find that jobs often don't get done for days, even when they require little else except sitting down and doing them.
5
Once I have the information I need, I usually make decisions as soon as possible.
6
When I have something difficult to do, I tell myself that it's better to wait to do it until I'm feeling more inspired.
7
I usually have to rush to complete tasks on time.
8
I usually accomplish all the things I plan to do in a day.
9
I usually start a task I'm given shortly after I'm given it.
10
When deadlines are approaching, I often waste time by doing other things.
11
I often have a task finished sooner than necessary.
12
When preparing for a meeting, I am seldom caught having to do something at the last minute.
13
I often delay starting tasks that I have to do.
14
When faced with a huge task, I figure out what the first step is so that I can get going.
15
I frequently say "I'll do it tomorrow".
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score
Comment
46-75
Good news! You're not a systematic procrastinator! If you do, however, occasionally catch yourself procrastinating over something, follow the link below for tips on dealing with this.
31-45
You're a mild procrastinator. You need to understand better why you procrastinate – there are several reasons, for it, and more than one may apply to you. And you need to learn the steps you can take to stop doing it. Click the link below for more information.
15-30
You're a procrastinator, and it's not something to be proud of. It means that you miss deadlines and waste a lot of time. As a result, your boss is not getting from you what you're capable of delivering, and he or she is probably very frustrated with this. Follow the link below to to find out why you're doing this, and how you can stop it.
Source: This set of questions is based on the Procrastination Scale created by Professor Clarry Lay of York University, Canada, and is presented with his kind permission. The questions are for illustrative purposes only, and no validation work has been conducted on them.
Procrastination is as tempting as it is harmful. If you have recognized a tendency to procrastinate within yourself, you need to figure out why. Perhaps you are afraid of failing? (Or perhaps you're actually afraid of success!)
Once you know why you procrastinate then you can plan to get out of this stressful habit. Reward yourself for getting jobs done, and remind yourself regularly of the serious consequences of not doing those tasks you love to avoid! See our article on Overcoming Procrastination
to learn how to kick this self-sabotaging habit!
Key Points
Procrastination is stressful, is highly damaging to your productivity – and is often deeply frustrating for your colleagues to deal with. The first step in beating it is to recognize that you're doing it, and this self-test will show you whether you are.
Read more…
But this isn't always as straightforward as it sounds!
Many procrastinators persuade themselves that they have good reasons for delaying getting on with what they have to do. And once you've got into a "victim" mindset (which many procrastinators do), you may not realize that what you're doing is procrastinating, and that it's up to you to overcome it.
So take our self-test below and find out whether or not you are a procrastinator!
Are You a Procrastinator?
Instructions:
For each statement, click the button in the column that most applies to rate yourself by indicating the extent to which each statement is characteristic or uncharacteristic of you. The scale ranges from (1) 'Not like me at all' to (5) 'Very like me.' Note that (3) on the scale is neutral i.e. the statement is neither characteristic nor uncharacteristic of you. Click the 'Calculate My Total' button to add up your score and check your result using the scoring table underneath.
15 Statements to Answer
Not like me at all
Not like me
Neither like me or not
Like me
Very like me
1
I often find myself performing tasks that I had intended to do days before.
2
When planning a meeting, I make the necessary arrangements well in advance.
3
I generally return emails and phone calls promptly.
4
I find that jobs often don't get done for days, even when they require little else except sitting down and doing them.
5
Once I have the information I need, I usually make decisions as soon as possible.
6
When I have something difficult to do, I tell myself that it's better to wait to do it until I'm feeling more inspired.
7
I usually have to rush to complete tasks on time.
8
I usually accomplish all the things I plan to do in a day.
9
I usually start a task I'm given shortly after I'm given it.
10
When deadlines are approaching, I often waste time by doing other things.
11
I often have a task finished sooner than necessary.
12
When preparing for a meeting, I am seldom caught having to do something at the last minute.
13
I often delay starting tasks that I have to do.
14
When faced with a huge task, I figure out what the first step is so that I can get going.
15
I frequently say "I'll do it tomorrow".
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score
Comment
46-75
Good news! You're not a systematic procrastinator! If you do, however, occasionally catch yourself procrastinating over something, follow the link below for tips on dealing with this.
31-45
You're a mild procrastinator. You need to understand better why you procrastinate – there are several reasons, for it, and more than one may apply to you. And you need to learn the steps you can take to stop doing it. Click the link below for more information.
15-30
You're a procrastinator, and it's not something to be proud of. It means that you miss deadlines and waste a lot of time. As a result, your boss is not getting from you what you're capable of delivering, and he or she is probably very frustrated with this. Follow the link below to to find out why you're doing this, and how you can stop it.
Source: This set of questions is based on the Procrastination Scale created by Professor Clarry Lay of York University, Canada, and is presented with his kind permission. The questions are for illustrative purposes only, and no validation work has been conducted on them.
Procrastination is as tempting as it is harmful. If you have recognized a tendency to procrastinate within yourself, you need to figure out why. Perhaps you are afraid of failing? (Or perhaps you're actually afraid of success!)
Once you know why you procrastinate then you can plan to get out of this stressful habit. Reward yourself for getting jobs done, and remind yourself regularly of the serious consequences of not doing those tasks you love to avoid! See our article on Overcoming Procrastination
to learn how to kick this self-sabotaging habit!
Key Points
Procrastination is stressful, is highly damaging to your productivity – and is often deeply frustrating for your colleagues to deal with. The first step in beating it is to recognize that you're doing it, and this self-test will show you whether you are.
Motivating Yourself
5:44 PM |Are you able to get excited about every task you need to do?
Or do you sometimes need a bit more help to make a start, never mind getting the task done?
Maybe you're continuing to ignore those overflowing filing cabinets, instead of taking some time out to reorganize them.
Or, you're avoiding that difficult conversation with a person who is always late, choosing instead to tolerate the tardiness. Perhaps you keep rearranging your priorities, so that the tasks you hate always end up at the bottom of the list.
The longer you delay doing something, the more stress and pressure you're likely to feel. After a while, you may even start to lose confidence in your ability to complete the task at all.
Many of us sometimes need help getting motivated. And it can be very frustrating when we know we have to do something, but we just can't get around to making a start.
Motivation Basics
There are essentially two types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation – This is when you are motivated by "internal" factors to meet your own personal needs. Most hobbies and leisure activities are based on intrinsic motivation. We do them because we enjoy them, not because we have to.
Extrinsic motivation – This is when you are motivated by "external" factors that are given or controlled by others, for example, by salary or by praise. Our jobs are usually based on extrinsic motivation, although there will be some intrinsic motivation involved if you enjoy aspects of what you do.
Most situations at work involve both types of motivation. If we do a job we enjoy, some of the work we do will be intrinsically motivating. Realistically though, we probably wouldn't go to work if we weren't being paid! Enjoying your job is intrinsically motivating, while being paid a salary to do it is extrinsically motivating.
Even if we do a job we enjoy, problems can crop up when we need to do something that we don't inherently like – such as filing, speaking with staff about performance issues, completing reports, and so on. We have to do undesirable tasks as part of our job, so we have to find a way to motivate ourselves to complete them. That's where self-motivation is necessary.
To motivate yourself, you must examine and understand your needs, so that you know what you find valuable and rewarding. Then, by changing your environment and perspective, you can find the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to complete those undesirable tasks. So, rather than relying on other factors to make a task more rewarding, you make it more rewarding yourself.
Tip:
Our articles on Alderfer's ERG Theory and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs provide more information on understanding and examining your needs.
Self-Motivation Strategies
Just as there are two types of motivation, there are two main strategies for motivating yourself:
You make the task more intrinsically interesting and satisfying.
You provide your own extrinsic rewards.
Using a combination of both is often the most effective way to motivate yourself. So, you have to find further intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to get those undesirable tasks done. Here are some tactics that you can use motivate yourself:
Change your attitude and approach to undesirable tasks – For example, the task of reorganizing your filing cabinet may not be motivating in itself. But being seen as a competent and organized person might provide intrinsic motivation for you. By thinking of filing in this way, for example, you can connect completing the task with meeting your needs.
Think about why you do what you do – Sometimes you may start to think that your job is pointless, so why bother to do things? A great way to increase self-motivation is to list all of the positive outcomes of your job. If you're on the cleaning staff in a hospital, ultimately your job keeps patients safe from germs and disease. If you sell office equipment internationally, you contribute to the efficient functioning of workplaces all over the world.
Set goals – By setting goals you'll know exactly what you need to do to achieve what you want in life. Then, by looking at this "bigger picture", you'll be able to see how those undesirable tasks can help you reach your goals, and you'll be able to see "what's in it for you" to complete these tasks.
Break your tasks down into smaller pieces – Organizing the entire filing cabinet may be too large a task to do all at once. Start alphabetically, or with the first section of files. Then, when you complete the first group, you can use your success with the smaller tasks to motivate you to finish.
Build in accountability – Tell you colleagues or manager about your task. Knowing that someone else is expecting you to complete the task can help motivate you.
Master time management – Learn to take control of your time , and create a schedule that helps you to do things more efficiently.
Don't procrastinate – When low motivation and procrastination occur together, it can be doubly hard to get things done.
Reward yourself – Make an agreement with yourself to give yourself a reward when you complete a task. For example, buy yourself a specialty coffee for completing smaller tasks, or send yourself to the spa for a massage when you finish a major one.
Scare yourself with the negative consequences of not doing it – If not doing the task is going to get you in trouble with your boss, focus on this, and scare yourself into doing it!
Swap tasks with a colleague – Maybe you can trade your undesirable task with someone else who doesn't mind doing it, and you can do something for that person in return. Use each other's needs, interests and talents to work more efficiently.
Surround yourself with positive thoughts and people – Positive thinking is very powerful. Just telling yourself that you can do something is often all you need to get started. And when you're around other positive people, they'll support and encourage you to keep trying.
Create an accomplishment log – Use this to record all of the times when you were able to motivate yourself to complete a task or keep moving forward. The log can inspire you the next time you need some extra motivation.
Take our How Self-Motivated Are You? self-test quiz to understand your current levels of self-motivation better.
Key Points
Motivation is a complex subject, and motivating yourself can be difficult. By examining your needs, you can often change the way you view a task, and you can link completing it with something that's intrinsically satisfying. You can also provide your own rewards, and change how you approach undesirable tasks to provide more extrinsic motivation.
By using a combination of self-motivation tactics, you'll motivate yourself to get those undesirable tasks done. Then you can get on with the parts of your job you really enjoy!
Read more…
Or do you sometimes need a bit more help to make a start, never mind getting the task done?
Maybe you're continuing to ignore those overflowing filing cabinets, instead of taking some time out to reorganize them.
Or, you're avoiding that difficult conversation with a person who is always late, choosing instead to tolerate the tardiness. Perhaps you keep rearranging your priorities, so that the tasks you hate always end up at the bottom of the list.
The longer you delay doing something, the more stress and pressure you're likely to feel. After a while, you may even start to lose confidence in your ability to complete the task at all.
Many of us sometimes need help getting motivated. And it can be very frustrating when we know we have to do something, but we just can't get around to making a start.
Motivation Basics
There are essentially two types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation – This is when you are motivated by "internal" factors to meet your own personal needs. Most hobbies and leisure activities are based on intrinsic motivation. We do them because we enjoy them, not because we have to.
Extrinsic motivation – This is when you are motivated by "external" factors that are given or controlled by others, for example, by salary or by praise. Our jobs are usually based on extrinsic motivation, although there will be some intrinsic motivation involved if you enjoy aspects of what you do.
Most situations at work involve both types of motivation. If we do a job we enjoy, some of the work we do will be intrinsically motivating. Realistically though, we probably wouldn't go to work if we weren't being paid! Enjoying your job is intrinsically motivating, while being paid a salary to do it is extrinsically motivating.
Even if we do a job we enjoy, problems can crop up when we need to do something that we don't inherently like – such as filing, speaking with staff about performance issues, completing reports, and so on. We have to do undesirable tasks as part of our job, so we have to find a way to motivate ourselves to complete them. That's where self-motivation is necessary.
To motivate yourself, you must examine and understand your needs, so that you know what you find valuable and rewarding. Then, by changing your environment and perspective, you can find the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to complete those undesirable tasks. So, rather than relying on other factors to make a task more rewarding, you make it more rewarding yourself.
Tip:
Our articles on Alderfer's ERG Theory and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs provide more information on understanding and examining your needs.
Self-Motivation Strategies
Just as there are two types of motivation, there are two main strategies for motivating yourself:
You make the task more intrinsically interesting and satisfying.
You provide your own extrinsic rewards.
Using a combination of both is often the most effective way to motivate yourself. So, you have to find further intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to get those undesirable tasks done. Here are some tactics that you can use motivate yourself:
Change your attitude and approach to undesirable tasks – For example, the task of reorganizing your filing cabinet may not be motivating in itself. But being seen as a competent and organized person might provide intrinsic motivation for you. By thinking of filing in this way, for example, you can connect completing the task with meeting your needs.
Think about why you do what you do – Sometimes you may start to think that your job is pointless, so why bother to do things? A great way to increase self-motivation is to list all of the positive outcomes of your job. If you're on the cleaning staff in a hospital, ultimately your job keeps patients safe from germs and disease. If you sell office equipment internationally, you contribute to the efficient functioning of workplaces all over the world.
Set goals – By setting goals you'll know exactly what you need to do to achieve what you want in life. Then, by looking at this "bigger picture", you'll be able to see how those undesirable tasks can help you reach your goals, and you'll be able to see "what's in it for you" to complete these tasks.
Break your tasks down into smaller pieces – Organizing the entire filing cabinet may be too large a task to do all at once. Start alphabetically, or with the first section of files. Then, when you complete the first group, you can use your success with the smaller tasks to motivate you to finish.
Build in accountability – Tell you colleagues or manager about your task. Knowing that someone else is expecting you to complete the task can help motivate you.
Master time management – Learn to take control of your time , and create a schedule that helps you to do things more efficiently.
Don't procrastinate – When low motivation and procrastination occur together, it can be doubly hard to get things done.
Reward yourself – Make an agreement with yourself to give yourself a reward when you complete a task. For example, buy yourself a specialty coffee for completing smaller tasks, or send yourself to the spa for a massage when you finish a major one.
Scare yourself with the negative consequences of not doing it – If not doing the task is going to get you in trouble with your boss, focus on this, and scare yourself into doing it!
Swap tasks with a colleague – Maybe you can trade your undesirable task with someone else who doesn't mind doing it, and you can do something for that person in return. Use each other's needs, interests and talents to work more efficiently.
Surround yourself with positive thoughts and people – Positive thinking is very powerful. Just telling yourself that you can do something is often all you need to get started. And when you're around other positive people, they'll support and encourage you to keep trying.
Create an accomplishment log – Use this to record all of the times when you were able to motivate yourself to complete a task or keep moving forward. The log can inspire you the next time you need some extra motivation.
Take our How Self-Motivated Are You? self-test quiz to understand your current levels of self-motivation better.
Key Points
Motivation is a complex subject, and motivating yourself can be difficult. By examining your needs, you can often change the way you view a task, and you can link completing it with something that's intrinsically satisfying. You can also provide your own rewards, and change how you approach undesirable tasks to provide more extrinsic motivation.
By using a combination of self-motivation tactics, you'll motivate yourself to get those undesirable tasks done. Then you can get on with the parts of your job you really enjoy!
How Self-Motivated Are You?
5:41 PM |Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life?
And how hard do you push yourself to get things done?
Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things.
So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation.
Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're
ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.
With self-motivation, you'll learn and grow – regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for reaching your goals,
achieving your dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.
So, how self-motivated are you? We've put together a short quiz to give you a better understanding of how self-motivated you are. After the quiz, we'll discuss some
specific tips for improving your self-motivation, so that you can achieve still more in your life.
The Self-Motivation Quiz
Instructions:
For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the 'wrong direction'. When you are finished, please click the 'Calculate My Total' button at the bottom of the test.
12 Statements to Answer
Not at All
Rarely
Some times
Often
Very Often
1
I'm unsure of my ability to achieve the goals I set for myself.
2
When working on my goals, I put in maximum effort and work even harder if I've suffered a setback.
3
I regularly set goals and objectives to achieve my vision for my life.
4
I think positively
about setting goals and making sure my needs are met.
5
I use rewards (and consequences) to keep myself focused. For example, if I finish my report on time, I allow myself to take a coffee break.
6
I believe that if I work hard and apply my abilities and talents, I will be successful.
7
I worry about deadlines and getting things done, which causes stress and anxiety.
8
When an unexpected event threatens or jeopardizes my goal, I can tend to walk away, set a different goal, and move in a new direction.
9
When I come up with a really good idea, I am surprised by my creativity. I figure it is my lucky
day, and caution myself not to get used to the feeling.
10
I tend to do the minimum amount of work necessary to keep my boss and my team satisfied.
11
I tend to worry about why I won't reach my goals, and I often focus on why something probably won't work.
12
I create a vivid and powerful vision of my future success before embarking on a new goal.
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score
Comment
44-60
Wonderful! You get things done, and you don't let anything stand in your way. You make a conscious effort to stay self-motivated, and you spend significant time and effort on setting goals and acting to achieve those goals. You attract and inspire others with your success. Treasure this – and be aware that not everyone is as self-motivated as you are! (Read below for more.)
28-43
You're doing OK on self-motivation. You're certainly not failing – however, you could achieve much more. To achieve what you want, try to increase the motivation factors in all areas of your life. Read the relevant sections below , and work on them to strengthen your self-motivation.
12-27
You allow your personal doubts and fears to keep you from succeeding. You've probably had a few incomplete goals in the past, so you may have convinced yourself that you aren't self-motivated – and then you've made that come true. Break this harmful pattern now, and start believing in yourself again. The tools and tips below will help you get back your motivation.
Factors in Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is complex. It's linked to your level of initiative in setting challenging goals for yourself; your belief that you have the skills and abilities needed to achieve those goals; and your expectation that if you put in enough hard work, you will succeed (or at least be in the running, if it's a competitive situation).
Four factors are necessary to build the strongest levels of self-motivation:
Self-confidence and self-efficacy.
Positive thinking, and positive thinking about the future.
Focus and strong goals.
A motivating environment.
By working on all of these together, you should quickly improve your self-motivation. Let's look at each of these factors individually.
1. Self-Confidence and Self-Efficacy
(Statements 1, 2, 6, 8)
Part of being self-motivated is having good levels of self-assurance, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. More on these below!
Being highly self-assured means you will set challenging goals for yourself, and it's also a resiliency factor for when you encounter setbacks. If you don't believe in yourself you'll be much more likely to think, "I knew I couldn't do this" instead of, "This one failure isn't going to stop me!"
Albert Bandura, a psychologist from Stanford University, defined self-efficacy as a belief in our own ability to succeed, and our ability to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. This belief has a huge impact on your approach to goal setting and your behavioral choices as you work toward those goals.
According to Bandura's research, high self-efficacy results in an ability to view difficult goals as a challenge, whereas people with low self-efficacy would likely view
the same goals as being beyond their abilities, and might not even attempt to achieve them.
It also contributes to how much effort a person puts into a goal in the first place, and how much he or she perseveres despite setbacks.
By developing a general level of self-confidence in yourself, you will not only believe you can succeed, but you'll also recognize and enjoy the
successes you've already had. That, in turn, will inspire you to build on those successes. The momentum created by self-confidence is hard to beat.
Take these steps:
Think about the achievements in your life.
Examine your strengths
to understand what you can build on.
Determine what other people see as your strengths and key capabilities.
Set achievable goals for yourself, work to achieve them, and enjoy that achievement.
Seek out mentors and other people who model the competencies, skills, and attributes you desire.
As you begin to recognize how much you've already achieved – and understand how much potential you have – you will have the confidence to set goals and achieve the things you desire. The more you look for reasons to believe in yourself, the easier it will be to find ways to motivate yourself.
Our article on Building Self-Confidence teaches you how to develop this self-confidence, and gives you steps you can use to start feeling great about yourself. It will also put you firmly on the path to self-assurance and self-efficacy.
2. Positive Thinking, and Positive Thinking About the Future
(Statements 4, 9, 11, 12)
Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
– Author Unknown
Positive thinking is closely related to self-confidence as a factor in self-motivation. It's important to look at things positively, especially when things aren't going as planned and you're ready to give up.
If you think that things are going to go wrong or that you won't succeed, this may influence things in such a way that your predictions will come true. This is particularly the case if you need to work hard to achieve success, or if you need to persuade others to support you in order to succeed. Your thoughts can have a major influence on whether you succeed or fail, so make sure those thoughts are "on your side."
Positive thinking also helps you think about an attractive future that you want to realize. When you expect positive results, your choices will be more positive, and you'll be less likely to leave outcomes to fate or chance. Having a vivid picture of success, combined with positive thinking, helps you bridge the gap between wanting something and going out to get it.
To apply "the power of positive thinking", do the following:
Become aware of your thoughts. Write down these down throughout the day.
Challenge your negative thoughts, and replace them with positive ones.
Create a strong and vivid picture of what it will be like to achieve your goals.
Develop affirmations or statements that you can repeat to yourself throughout the day. These statements should remind you of what you want to achieve, and why you will achieve it.
Practice positive thinking until you automatically think about yourself and the world in a positive way, every day.
For even more tips, see our article on Rational Positive
Thinking . You can also take our short quiz, Are You a Positive or Negative Thinker? .
3. Focus and Strong Goals
(Statements 3, 7)
As we've said above, a key part of building self-motivation is to start setting strong goals. These give you focus, a clear sense of direction, and the self-confidence that comes from recognizing your own achievement.
First, determine your direction through effective goal setting.
When you set a goal, you make a promise to yourself. Part of the strength of this is that it gives you a clear direction. Part is that you've made this promise to yourself, and you'll want to keep this promise. And part is that it's a challenge, and it's fun to try to meet that challenge!
But don't set just any goal. According to Locke's goal-setting theory , your goal should have the following characteristics:
Clarity – Effective goals are clear,
measurable, specific, and based on behavior, not outcomes.
Challenge – Goals should be difficult enough to be interesting, but not so difficult that you can't reach them.
Commitment – Goals should be attainable, and should be relevant – that is, they should contribute in a significant way to the major objectives you're trying to achieve.
Regularity of Feedback – Monitor your progress towards your goals regularly to maintain your sense of momentum and enthusiasm, and enjoy your progress towards those goals.
Sufficient Respect For Complexity – If the goal involves complex work, make sure that you don't over-commit yourself. Complex work can take an unpredictably long time to complete (particularly if you have to learn how to do the task "on the job").
When you have a variety of goals, be sure to schedule your time and resources effectively. You can achieve the "focus" part of self-motivation by prioritizing and
establishing a schedule that will help you succeed. It doesn't make sense to work until you're exhausted or give up one goal to achieve another.
Using tools like the Urgent/Important Matrix and the Action Priority Matrix , you can quickly and easily see how each goal activity fits into the bigger picture of your overall objectives. If you fully understand your priorities, you probably won't feel as pressured to do everything at once. This can reduce stress and help you to concentrate on the most important strategies.
See our article on Prioritization for a summary, and for links to our top time management and prioritization tools.
4. Motivating Environment
(Statements 5, 10)
The final thing to focus on is surrounding yourself with people and resources that will remind you of your goals, and help you with your internal motivation. These are external factors – they'll help you get motivated from the outside, which is different from the internal motivation we've discussed so far. However, the more factors you have working for you, the better.
You can't just rely on these "environmental" or outside elements alone to motivate you, but you can use them for extra support. Try the following:
Look for team work opportunities. Working in a team makes you accountable to others.
Ask your boss for specific targets and objectives to help you measure your success.
Ask for interesting assignments. See our article on Maximizing Job Satisfaction
for tips on getting the most from your job.
Set up some goals that you can easily achieve. Quick wins are great for getting you motivated.
Buddy up with people who you trust to be supportive, and ask them to help keep you accountable.
Try not to work by yourself too much. Balance the amount of time you work from home with time spent working with others.
When you start your self-motivation program, you may tend to rely heavily on these external factors. As you get more comfortable and confident with your self-motivation, you'll probably use them only as needed, and for a little extra help.
Key Points
Self-motivation doesn't come naturally to everyone. And even those who are highly self-motivated need some extra help every now and then.
Build your self-motivation by practicing goal-setting skills, and combining those with positive thinking, the creation of powerful visions of success, and the building of high levels of self-efficacy and self-confidence.
Your attitude and beliefs about your likelihood of success can predict whether or not you actually succeed. Set goals, and work hard to achieve them. Examine ways to improve your self-motivation, and regularly reassess your motivation levels. If you actively keep your internal motivation high, you can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving your hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.
Read more…
And how hard do you push yourself to get things done?
Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things.
So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation.
Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're
ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.
With self-motivation, you'll learn and grow – regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for reaching your goals,
achieving your dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.
So, how self-motivated are you? We've put together a short quiz to give you a better understanding of how self-motivated you are. After the quiz, we'll discuss some
specific tips for improving your self-motivation, so that you can achieve still more in your life.
The Self-Motivation Quiz
Instructions:
For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the 'wrong direction'. When you are finished, please click the 'Calculate My Total' button at the bottom of the test.
12 Statements to Answer
Not at All
Rarely
Some times
Often
Very Often
1
I'm unsure of my ability to achieve the goals I set for myself.
2
When working on my goals, I put in maximum effort and work even harder if I've suffered a setback.
3
I regularly set goals and objectives to achieve my vision for my life.
4
I think positively
about setting goals and making sure my needs are met.
5
I use rewards (and consequences) to keep myself focused. For example, if I finish my report on time, I allow myself to take a coffee break.
6
I believe that if I work hard and apply my abilities and talents, I will be successful.
7
I worry about deadlines and getting things done, which causes stress and anxiety.
8
When an unexpected event threatens or jeopardizes my goal, I can tend to walk away, set a different goal, and move in a new direction.
9
When I come up with a really good idea, I am surprised by my creativity. I figure it is my lucky
day, and caution myself not to get used to the feeling.
10
I tend to do the minimum amount of work necessary to keep my boss and my team satisfied.
11
I tend to worry about why I won't reach my goals, and I often focus on why something probably won't work.
12
I create a vivid and powerful vision of my future success before embarking on a new goal.
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score
Comment
44-60
Wonderful! You get things done, and you don't let anything stand in your way. You make a conscious effort to stay self-motivated, and you spend significant time and effort on setting goals and acting to achieve those goals. You attract and inspire others with your success. Treasure this – and be aware that not everyone is as self-motivated as you are! (Read below for more.)
28-43
You're doing OK on self-motivation. You're certainly not failing – however, you could achieve much more. To achieve what you want, try to increase the motivation factors in all areas of your life. Read the relevant sections below , and work on them to strengthen your self-motivation.
12-27
You allow your personal doubts and fears to keep you from succeeding. You've probably had a few incomplete goals in the past, so you may have convinced yourself that you aren't self-motivated – and then you've made that come true. Break this harmful pattern now, and start believing in yourself again. The tools and tips below will help you get back your motivation.
Factors in Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is complex. It's linked to your level of initiative in setting challenging goals for yourself; your belief that you have the skills and abilities needed to achieve those goals; and your expectation that if you put in enough hard work, you will succeed (or at least be in the running, if it's a competitive situation).
Four factors are necessary to build the strongest levels of self-motivation:
Self-confidence and self-efficacy.
Positive thinking, and positive thinking about the future.
Focus and strong goals.
A motivating environment.
By working on all of these together, you should quickly improve your self-motivation. Let's look at each of these factors individually.
1. Self-Confidence and Self-Efficacy
(Statements 1, 2, 6, 8)
Part of being self-motivated is having good levels of self-assurance, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. More on these below!
Being highly self-assured means you will set challenging goals for yourself, and it's also a resiliency factor for when you encounter setbacks. If you don't believe in yourself you'll be much more likely to think, "I knew I couldn't do this" instead of, "This one failure isn't going to stop me!"
Albert Bandura, a psychologist from Stanford University, defined self-efficacy as a belief in our own ability to succeed, and our ability to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. This belief has a huge impact on your approach to goal setting and your behavioral choices as you work toward those goals.
According to Bandura's research, high self-efficacy results in an ability to view difficult goals as a challenge, whereas people with low self-efficacy would likely view
the same goals as being beyond their abilities, and might not even attempt to achieve them.
It also contributes to how much effort a person puts into a goal in the first place, and how much he or she perseveres despite setbacks.
By developing a general level of self-confidence in yourself, you will not only believe you can succeed, but you'll also recognize and enjoy the
successes you've already had. That, in turn, will inspire you to build on those successes. The momentum created by self-confidence is hard to beat.
Take these steps:
Think about the achievements in your life.
Examine your strengths
to understand what you can build on.
Determine what other people see as your strengths and key capabilities.
Set achievable goals for yourself, work to achieve them, and enjoy that achievement.
Seek out mentors and other people who model the competencies, skills, and attributes you desire.
As you begin to recognize how much you've already achieved – and understand how much potential you have – you will have the confidence to set goals and achieve the things you desire. The more you look for reasons to believe in yourself, the easier it will be to find ways to motivate yourself.
Our article on Building Self-Confidence teaches you how to develop this self-confidence, and gives you steps you can use to start feeling great about yourself. It will also put you firmly on the path to self-assurance and self-efficacy.
2. Positive Thinking, and Positive Thinking About the Future
(Statements 4, 9, 11, 12)
Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
– Author Unknown
Positive thinking is closely related to self-confidence as a factor in self-motivation. It's important to look at things positively, especially when things aren't going as planned and you're ready to give up.
If you think that things are going to go wrong or that you won't succeed, this may influence things in such a way that your predictions will come true. This is particularly the case if you need to work hard to achieve success, or if you need to persuade others to support you in order to succeed. Your thoughts can have a major influence on whether you succeed or fail, so make sure those thoughts are "on your side."
Positive thinking also helps you think about an attractive future that you want to realize. When you expect positive results, your choices will be more positive, and you'll be less likely to leave outcomes to fate or chance. Having a vivid picture of success, combined with positive thinking, helps you bridge the gap between wanting something and going out to get it.
To apply "the power of positive thinking", do the following:
Become aware of your thoughts. Write down these down throughout the day.
Challenge your negative thoughts, and replace them with positive ones.
Create a strong and vivid picture of what it will be like to achieve your goals.
Develop affirmations or statements that you can repeat to yourself throughout the day. These statements should remind you of what you want to achieve, and why you will achieve it.
Practice positive thinking until you automatically think about yourself and the world in a positive way, every day.
For even more tips, see our article on Rational Positive
Thinking . You can also take our short quiz, Are You a Positive or Negative Thinker? .
3. Focus and Strong Goals
(Statements 3, 7)
As we've said above, a key part of building self-motivation is to start setting strong goals. These give you focus, a clear sense of direction, and the self-confidence that comes from recognizing your own achievement.
First, determine your direction through effective goal setting.
When you set a goal, you make a promise to yourself. Part of the strength of this is that it gives you a clear direction. Part is that you've made this promise to yourself, and you'll want to keep this promise. And part is that it's a challenge, and it's fun to try to meet that challenge!
But don't set just any goal. According to Locke's goal-setting theory , your goal should have the following characteristics:
Clarity – Effective goals are clear,
measurable, specific, and based on behavior, not outcomes.
Challenge – Goals should be difficult enough to be interesting, but not so difficult that you can't reach them.
Commitment – Goals should be attainable, and should be relevant – that is, they should contribute in a significant way to the major objectives you're trying to achieve.
Regularity of Feedback – Monitor your progress towards your goals regularly to maintain your sense of momentum and enthusiasm, and enjoy your progress towards those goals.
Sufficient Respect For Complexity – If the goal involves complex work, make sure that you don't over-commit yourself. Complex work can take an unpredictably long time to complete (particularly if you have to learn how to do the task "on the job").
When you have a variety of goals, be sure to schedule your time and resources effectively. You can achieve the "focus" part of self-motivation by prioritizing and
establishing a schedule that will help you succeed. It doesn't make sense to work until you're exhausted or give up one goal to achieve another.
Using tools like the Urgent/Important Matrix and the Action Priority Matrix , you can quickly and easily see how each goal activity fits into the bigger picture of your overall objectives. If you fully understand your priorities, you probably won't feel as pressured to do everything at once. This can reduce stress and help you to concentrate on the most important strategies.
See our article on Prioritization for a summary, and for links to our top time management and prioritization tools.
4. Motivating Environment
(Statements 5, 10)
The final thing to focus on is surrounding yourself with people and resources that will remind you of your goals, and help you with your internal motivation. These are external factors – they'll help you get motivated from the outside, which is different from the internal motivation we've discussed so far. However, the more factors you have working for you, the better.
You can't just rely on these "environmental" or outside elements alone to motivate you, but you can use them for extra support. Try the following:
Look for team work opportunities. Working in a team makes you accountable to others.
Ask your boss for specific targets and objectives to help you measure your success.
Ask for interesting assignments. See our article on Maximizing Job Satisfaction
for tips on getting the most from your job.
Set up some goals that you can easily achieve. Quick wins are great for getting you motivated.
Buddy up with people who you trust to be supportive, and ask them to help keep you accountable.
Try not to work by yourself too much. Balance the amount of time you work from home with time spent working with others.
When you start your self-motivation program, you may tend to rely heavily on these external factors. As you get more comfortable and confident with your self-motivation, you'll probably use them only as needed, and for a little extra help.
Key Points
Self-motivation doesn't come naturally to everyone. And even those who are highly self-motivated need some extra help every now and then.
Build your self-motivation by practicing goal-setting skills, and combining those with positive thinking, the creation of powerful visions of success, and the building of high levels of self-efficacy and self-confidence.
Your attitude and beliefs about your likelihood of success can predict whether or not you actually succeed. Set goals, and work hard to achieve them. Examine ways to improve your self-motivation, and regularly reassess your motivation levels. If you actively keep your internal motivation high, you can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving your hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.
New Year’s Resolutions
5:31 PM |Are you busy making your New Year resolutions,
or have you resolved never to make a New Year's resolution ever
again?
If the latter, you're not alone.
Many people get demoralized when, year
after year, they make resolutions that they keep for only a few
weeks or maybe even just a few days.
Why is this? After all, we all have the best intentions and the
timing (new year, new start) couldn't be better. The problem may lie
in the fact that we place a huge amount of pressure on ourselves.
During the last week of December and the first week of January, all
you hear is, "What're your New Year's resolutions?" "What are you
going to work on this year?"
And the focus is on the "what" not the "how." When you are more
concerned with the goal you set than on the specifics of how you are
going to accomplish it, or even whether it is realistic and
achievable, you can set yourself up for failure.
So if you resolve to set successful New Year resolutions, read on.
Let's focus on how, this year, you can set yourself up for a year of
achievement!
New Year Resolution Mistakes
There are two common mistakes that people tend to make before they
even start to make their New Year resolutions: They think
about what they "should" do, rather than what they really want to
do. And worse they think in about what they should stop doing,
rather than what they actually want to achieve. "What should I do
this year?" "What should I stop doing?", "What do other people
suggest I should work on?"
To be successful at any change, you need to
really want it. Unless
you take time to consider what it is you really want (rather than what you should do or should stop doing) you will
invariably end up making a resolution to which you are not entirely
committed.
Without commitment, you aren't motivated and after the first
setbacks or obstacles you will quit. So the first rule of New
Year Resolutions is only to make ones that you are committed to –
don't make a resolution simply because it is "the thing to do", or
because someone has told you that you should.
The irony of it is that New Year's resolutions have the potential to
be very powerful because making them is such a well recognized practice.
Everyone knows that everyone else is setting resolutions. And what a
great mutual support network that can provide!
This external motivation and support, along with your internal
motivation – the desire to succeed – is what can make the
difference between success and failure.
Eight Rules for New Year's Resolutions
Our Eight Rules for New Year's Resolutions will help to set you up for
success right from the start. Inevitably you will come up against
challenges and road blocks along the way; however by planning ahead and
following these rules, you will be better placed to negotiate these
easily, rather than stumble and quit.
Rule 1: Commit to Your Resolution
Successful resolutions start with a strong commitment to make a
change. To succeed, you must believe that you can accomplish what
you set out to achieve, and that belief is bolstered by the unwavering
support you give yourself.
Choose resolutions that you really want to achieve – and make them
positive.
Announce your resolution to everyone around you – they will help
hold you accountable.
Develop a ceremony to mark the beginning of your commitment – this
makes it more "real" and special for you.
Don't leave your choice of resolution to the
last minute – take time to
think about your goals. If you don't, you risk reacting to your
current environment and missing the big picture.
Questions to ask yourself to determine if you can take ownership
of your resolution include:
Is this resolution my idea or someone else's?
Does this resolution motivate and invigorate me?
Does this resolution sit comfortably with other factors in my life,
such as my values and long-term plans?
Remember that there's no reason why your New Year's resolution
should take all year to achieve.
Tip:
Imagery is a powerful technique for helping you commit
to your goals or resolutions. Try picturing yourself having
attained your goal. How do you feel? How do you look? Where you
are, what you're doing? How do others react to you? By
visualizing yourself in the position you desire, you can bolster
your belief that you can do it and strengthen your motivation.
Rule 2: Be Realistic
The key to achieving goals is continued motivation. If you set the bar too high, you risk failing, and consistently failing at something is profoundly de-motivating. It's no wonder that after a few dismal attempts some people abandon the idea of New Year's resolutions altogether!
Consider carefully before setting the same resolution you set last
year. If it didn't work then, you need to make sure that there is a good reason to believe that you can achieve it this year. What has changed? (Be careful, or else you will end up with a repeat performance, and another failed resolution).
Aim lower, rather than too high. Aim for something that is
challenging but that you have a good chance of accomplishing. If
there is any doubt, err on the side of caution and expand your goal
later if you still want to keep improving.
Don't bite off more than you can chew. There is no reason to set
more than one or two resolutions. Any more than that and you divide
your focus and energy and lessen your chances of success in any
area.
Rule 3: Write It Down
A simple but powerful technique for making your goal real is to put your resolution into writing. There is something inside us that responds with more commitment and drive when we take the time to do this. Consider writing it down on pieces of card and keeping it where you'll see it often – on your desk, on the fridge, or in your wallet.
Rule 4: Make a Plan
This is where so many resolutions fall down. Articulating what you
want to achieve is one thing; deciding how to do it is quite
another. Don't miss out this step!
Start by envisioning where you want to be.
Then work back along your path to where you are today.
Write down all the milestones you note in between.
Decide what you will do to accomplish each of these milestones.
You need to know each step and have a plan for what comes next.
Rule 5: Be Flexible
Not everything will work out precisely the way you planned. If you
are too rigid in your approach to resolutions the first minor
obstacle can throw you off your course completely.
When creating your plan, try to predict some challenges you will
face – make a contingency plan for the ones that have the highest
probability. and mentally prepare yourself for the others.
Realize that your resolution itself might change along the way. That's not failure, it's reality. As your life
changes so will your goals, dreams, and desires. Remember Rule 1
(Commit to Your Resolution): If you need to make changes to the goal
so you continue to care about it, do so.
Tip:
There is no fixed rule saying that a resolution must be
set in January. If your circumstances say it is better to
wait until March, then do so. Resolutions and goal setting
are a year round activity. Don't get too caught up in the
New Year frenzy!
Rule 6: Use a System of Reminders
It's hard to keep focused on your plan when you have many other
commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. The best way to stay
on top of your resolution is to develop a formal reminder system.
Have your written down resolutions visible as many times of the
day as possible. Leave reminders at work, at home, in the car, on
your calendar, in your briefcase, and so on.
Make sure that the planned actions are on your to-do
list (perhaps have a special section for them at the top).
Set up reminders in your desktop calendar or subscribe to an email
reminder service.
Be as creative as you can to keep being reminded, and so make sure
your goals stay in the front of your mind.
Rule 7: Track Your Progress
You won't know how well you are doing unless you keep track of your
progress. This is
why your detailed plan is so important. You need to know when each
milestone in accomplished: your excitement around the little
successes will keep you motivated and keep you pushing forwards.
Use a journal and make an entry regarding your progress regularly.
Note when you felt particularly pleased with your efforts.
Note when you felt down or felt like quitting – over time, look
for common themes and decide if there is an underlying issue that
needs to be addressed.
Record challenges you faced as well as things that went better
than planned.
Look back at your entries on a regular basis and use your past
experiences to shape your attitude as you move forward.
Ask a friend or family member to call you on pre-defined occasions
to discuss your progress.
Rule 8: Reward Yourself
Although knowledge of a job well done can be reward enough, we
all enjoy a little treat from time to time. Even the most committed
person needs a boost and sometimes that is best accomplished through
an external reward.
When you are developing your plan, make a note of some milestones
where you will reward yourself once they are achieved. But spread them
out – you want to make sure the rewards remain special and are not too
easy to get.
Key Points
New Year's resolutions can be a pain or a pleasure. The choice is
yours. If it's a pain, you may resolve never to make a resolution
again. So resolve to make it a pleasure! The starting point is to
focus on something that you really want and are ready to give your
commitment to. Do this and you'll be in a great position to stay
motivated and be successful!
As you plan your New Year resolutions, apply the Eight Rules to set yourself up for success.
Also, why not share your resolutions in our forum , for
extra support and motivation?
Making New Year's Resolutions is just one example of goal setting, one of the most fundamental and powerful personal development techniques available. Click here for the Mind Tools article on goal setting .
Read more…
or have you resolved never to make a New Year's resolution ever
again?
If the latter, you're not alone.
Many people get demoralized when, year
after year, they make resolutions that they keep for only a few
weeks or maybe even just a few days.
Why is this? After all, we all have the best intentions and the
timing (new year, new start) couldn't be better. The problem may lie
in the fact that we place a huge amount of pressure on ourselves.
During the last week of December and the first week of January, all
you hear is, "What're your New Year's resolutions?" "What are you
going to work on this year?"
And the focus is on the "what" not the "how." When you are more
concerned with the goal you set than on the specifics of how you are
going to accomplish it, or even whether it is realistic and
achievable, you can set yourself up for failure.
So if you resolve to set successful New Year resolutions, read on.
Let's focus on how, this year, you can set yourself up for a year of
achievement!
New Year Resolution Mistakes
There are two common mistakes that people tend to make before they
even start to make their New Year resolutions: They think
about what they "should" do, rather than what they really want to
do. And worse they think in about what they should stop doing,
rather than what they actually want to achieve. "What should I do
this year?" "What should I stop doing?", "What do other people
suggest I should work on?"
To be successful at any change, you need to
really want it. Unless
you take time to consider what it is you really want (rather than what you should do or should stop doing) you will
invariably end up making a resolution to which you are not entirely
committed.
Without commitment, you aren't motivated and after the first
setbacks or obstacles you will quit. So the first rule of New
Year Resolutions is only to make ones that you are committed to –
don't make a resolution simply because it is "the thing to do", or
because someone has told you that you should.
The irony of it is that New Year's resolutions have the potential to
be very powerful because making them is such a well recognized practice.
Everyone knows that everyone else is setting resolutions. And what a
great mutual support network that can provide!
This external motivation and support, along with your internal
motivation – the desire to succeed – is what can make the
difference between success and failure.
Eight Rules for New Year's Resolutions
Our Eight Rules for New Year's Resolutions will help to set you up for
success right from the start. Inevitably you will come up against
challenges and road blocks along the way; however by planning ahead and
following these rules, you will be better placed to negotiate these
easily, rather than stumble and quit.
Rule 1: Commit to Your Resolution
Successful resolutions start with a strong commitment to make a
change. To succeed, you must believe that you can accomplish what
you set out to achieve, and that belief is bolstered by the unwavering
support you give yourself.
Choose resolutions that you really want to achieve – and make them
positive.
Announce your resolution to everyone around you – they will help
hold you accountable.
Develop a ceremony to mark the beginning of your commitment – this
makes it more "real" and special for you.
Don't leave your choice of resolution to the
last minute – take time to
think about your goals. If you don't, you risk reacting to your
current environment and missing the big picture.
Questions to ask yourself to determine if you can take ownership
of your resolution include:
Is this resolution my idea or someone else's?
Does this resolution motivate and invigorate me?
Does this resolution sit comfortably with other factors in my life,
such as my values and long-term plans?
Remember that there's no reason why your New Year's resolution
should take all year to achieve.
Tip:
Imagery is a powerful technique for helping you commit
to your goals or resolutions. Try picturing yourself having
attained your goal. How do you feel? How do you look? Where you
are, what you're doing? How do others react to you? By
visualizing yourself in the position you desire, you can bolster
your belief that you can do it and strengthen your motivation.
Rule 2: Be Realistic
The key to achieving goals is continued motivation. If you set the bar too high, you risk failing, and consistently failing at something is profoundly de-motivating. It's no wonder that after a few dismal attempts some people abandon the idea of New Year's resolutions altogether!
Consider carefully before setting the same resolution you set last
year. If it didn't work then, you need to make sure that there is a good reason to believe that you can achieve it this year. What has changed? (Be careful, or else you will end up with a repeat performance, and another failed resolution).
Aim lower, rather than too high. Aim for something that is
challenging but that you have a good chance of accomplishing. If
there is any doubt, err on the side of caution and expand your goal
later if you still want to keep improving.
Don't bite off more than you can chew. There is no reason to set
more than one or two resolutions. Any more than that and you divide
your focus and energy and lessen your chances of success in any
area.
Rule 3: Write It Down
A simple but powerful technique for making your goal real is to put your resolution into writing. There is something inside us that responds with more commitment and drive when we take the time to do this. Consider writing it down on pieces of card and keeping it where you'll see it often – on your desk, on the fridge, or in your wallet.
Rule 4: Make a Plan
This is where so many resolutions fall down. Articulating what you
want to achieve is one thing; deciding how to do it is quite
another. Don't miss out this step!
Start by envisioning where you want to be.
Then work back along your path to where you are today.
Write down all the milestones you note in between.
Decide what you will do to accomplish each of these milestones.
You need to know each step and have a plan for what comes next.
Rule 5: Be Flexible
Not everything will work out precisely the way you planned. If you
are too rigid in your approach to resolutions the first minor
obstacle can throw you off your course completely.
When creating your plan, try to predict some challenges you will
face – make a contingency plan for the ones that have the highest
probability. and mentally prepare yourself for the others.
Realize that your resolution itself might change along the way. That's not failure, it's reality. As your life
changes so will your goals, dreams, and desires. Remember Rule 1
(Commit to Your Resolution): If you need to make changes to the goal
so you continue to care about it, do so.
Tip:
There is no fixed rule saying that a resolution must be
set in January. If your circumstances say it is better to
wait until March, then do so. Resolutions and goal setting
are a year round activity. Don't get too caught up in the
New Year frenzy!
Rule 6: Use a System of Reminders
It's hard to keep focused on your plan when you have many other
commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. The best way to stay
on top of your resolution is to develop a formal reminder system.
Have your written down resolutions visible as many times of the
day as possible. Leave reminders at work, at home, in the car, on
your calendar, in your briefcase, and so on.
Make sure that the planned actions are on your to-do
list (perhaps have a special section for them at the top).
Set up reminders in your desktop calendar or subscribe to an email
reminder service.
Be as creative as you can to keep being reminded, and so make sure
your goals stay in the front of your mind.
Rule 7: Track Your Progress
You won't know how well you are doing unless you keep track of your
progress. This is
why your detailed plan is so important. You need to know when each
milestone in accomplished: your excitement around the little
successes will keep you motivated and keep you pushing forwards.
Use a journal and make an entry regarding your progress regularly.
Note when you felt particularly pleased with your efforts.
Note when you felt down or felt like quitting – over time, look
for common themes and decide if there is an underlying issue that
needs to be addressed.
Record challenges you faced as well as things that went better
than planned.
Look back at your entries on a regular basis and use your past
experiences to shape your attitude as you move forward.
Ask a friend or family member to call you on pre-defined occasions
to discuss your progress.
Rule 8: Reward Yourself
Although knowledge of a job well done can be reward enough, we
all enjoy a little treat from time to time. Even the most committed
person needs a boost and sometimes that is best accomplished through
an external reward.
When you are developing your plan, make a note of some milestones
where you will reward yourself once they are achieved. But spread them
out – you want to make sure the rewards remain special and are not too
easy to get.
Key Points
New Year's resolutions can be a pain or a pleasure. The choice is
yours. If it's a pain, you may resolve never to make a resolution
again. So resolve to make it a pleasure! The starting point is to
focus on something that you really want and are ready to give your
commitment to. Do this and you'll be in a great position to stay
motivated and be successful!
As you plan your New Year resolutions, apply the Eight Rules to set yourself up for success.
Also, why not share your resolutions in our forum , for
extra support and motivation?
Making New Year's Resolutions is just one example of goal setting, one of the most fundamental and powerful personal development techniques available. Click here for the Mind Tools article on goal setting .
Treasure Mapping
5:26 PM |When you want to achieve something really
badly, have you ever tried closing your eyes and imagining
yourself "there"? You touch it, feel it and see it clearly.
You scan every detail in your mind's eye.
This is a powerful and important technique for motivating yourself and building the self-confidence needed to achieve your goals. Yet when you open your eyes, the vivid image starts to fade, and it can take real concentration to recreate your visualization each time you want some inspiration.
What if you could keep hold of that vivid image and refer
to it when ever you need a little motivation, or a reminder
of what you are working towards?
Treasure mapping is a simple tool to help you
do just that. Visualization itself is a very powerful technique.
And Treasure Mapping can be the icing on the visualization cake!
It’s a very simple but effective idea: Treasure Mapping involves
creating a physical representation or collage of what you want to
achieve. It acts as a constant reminder and representation of your
goals. And so it intensifies the effects of visualization, which
acts on your subconscious mind to motivate and encourage you towards
achieving those goals.
Let’s say you have the ambition to get fitter and run a marathon:
Your “treasure map” could include pictures of runners, people
crossing the marathon finishing line, and athletes training hard; perhaps it
could also include pictures of the foods that you need to eat (and
those you need to avoid).
If you are a salesperson with the ambition to beat sales records in your company, your treasure map could include a representation of the sales chart you hope to achieve, pictures of people signing deals with customers, pictures of your product standing proud; and perhaps a picture of someone receiving a prize.
Using the Tool
Your treasure map will represent how you
visualize the achievement of your goals and your journey toward that
achievement.
The first step towards creating your treasure map is to clarify your goals
and then visualize what will happen, or what you will have, once you
have achieved the goal. (For further help on clarifying your goals,
please refer to Mind Tools article on goal setting .
Once you have are clear about what you want to achieve, write it
down in detail and start to visualize your achievement: Ask yourself
questions such as:
What will I see when I have achieved my goal?
What will I have? What will I be?
How will I celebrate the achievement?
How will other people see me and what I have achieved?
Now enjoy collecting images that represent this visualization and
arrange these images on paper as a collage. These image of the
ultimate achievement go in the most prominent position of you
treasure map – at the top or in the middle.
The next step is to visualize the journey towards achieving the
goals. What will you have to do? What will you have to stop doing to
achieve your goals? There may be important milestones or necessary
sacrifices to achieving your goals. Visualize these too, and find
images that represent them. Now arrange these on the collage too.
Finally, paste the pictures of your goals, your journey towards them, and
sacrifices on your collage. Make sure you arrange them in a way that
helps imprint upon you the desire to achieve your goals.
Hang your chart in a prominent place so that you see it daily: There
it will help motivate and inspire you towards achieving your goals.
Key Points
Treasure mapping helps bring you goals to life and gives you a clear image of what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it.
First clarify you goals and what you need to do to achieve them. Then visualize these. Choose images to represent how you see your achievement and make a collage; and use this as a constant reminder of what you want to achieve.
Read more…
badly, have you ever tried closing your eyes and imagining
yourself "there"? You touch it, feel it and see it clearly.
You scan every detail in your mind's eye.
This is a powerful and important technique for motivating yourself and building the self-confidence needed to achieve your goals. Yet when you open your eyes, the vivid image starts to fade, and it can take real concentration to recreate your visualization each time you want some inspiration.
What if you could keep hold of that vivid image and refer
to it when ever you need a little motivation, or a reminder
of what you are working towards?
Treasure mapping is a simple tool to help you
do just that. Visualization itself is a very powerful technique.
And Treasure Mapping can be the icing on the visualization cake!
It’s a very simple but effective idea: Treasure Mapping involves
creating a physical representation or collage of what you want to
achieve. It acts as a constant reminder and representation of your
goals. And so it intensifies the effects of visualization, which
acts on your subconscious mind to motivate and encourage you towards
achieving those goals.
Let’s say you have the ambition to get fitter and run a marathon:
Your “treasure map” could include pictures of runners, people
crossing the marathon finishing line, and athletes training hard; perhaps it
could also include pictures of the foods that you need to eat (and
those you need to avoid).
If you are a salesperson with the ambition to beat sales records in your company, your treasure map could include a representation of the sales chart you hope to achieve, pictures of people signing deals with customers, pictures of your product standing proud; and perhaps a picture of someone receiving a prize.
Using the Tool
Your treasure map will represent how you
visualize the achievement of your goals and your journey toward that
achievement.
The first step towards creating your treasure map is to clarify your goals
and then visualize what will happen, or what you will have, once you
have achieved the goal. (For further help on clarifying your goals,
please refer to Mind Tools article on goal setting .
Once you have are clear about what you want to achieve, write it
down in detail and start to visualize your achievement: Ask yourself
questions such as:
What will I see when I have achieved my goal?
What will I have? What will I be?
How will I celebrate the achievement?
How will other people see me and what I have achieved?
Now enjoy collecting images that represent this visualization and
arrange these images on paper as a collage. These image of the
ultimate achievement go in the most prominent position of you
treasure map – at the top or in the middle.
The next step is to visualize the journey towards achieving the
goals. What will you have to do? What will you have to stop doing to
achieve your goals? There may be important milestones or necessary
sacrifices to achieving your goals. Visualize these too, and find
images that represent them. Now arrange these on the collage too.
Finally, paste the pictures of your goals, your journey towards them, and
sacrifices on your collage. Make sure you arrange them in a way that
helps imprint upon you the desire to achieve your goals.
Hang your chart in a prominent place so that you see it daily: There
it will help motivate and inspire you towards achieving your goals.
Key Points
Treasure mapping helps bring you goals to life and gives you a clear image of what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it.
First clarify you goals and what you need to do to achieve them. Then visualize these. Choose images to represent how you see your achievement and make a collage; and use this as a constant reminder of what you want to achieve.
Visualization
5:23 PM |Have you ever wondered what Olympic athletes think about right before they compete?
Imagine this for a moment: They're in front of thousands, or even millions, of people. They're feeling nervous, watching their competition, and considering all the things that might go wrong and how to avoid them.
Sounds reasonable, right? After all, that's probably what we would do in their position.
However, if they did that, their odds of losing the competition would probably be quite high. Well-trained athletes know they should never visualize mistakes, especially right before a competition. Why? Because picturing, or visualizing, mistakes – imagining poor performance – increases the likelihood that the athletes will actually do those things during the event, even when they don't mean to.
Instead, most top athletes are trained to visualize their goals right before a competition. They see themselves winning the game, running the fastest race, or scoring the winning point. They're trained to 'picture' what they WANT to happen, instead of what they DON'T want to happen. When they do this, their chances for success increase dramatically.
This is the power of visualization – and you, too, can use this technique every day to help you achieve your goals and dreams. In this article, we outline what visualization is, and how you can start using it in your life.
What is Visualization?
Visualization is simply a technique that you can use to create a strong mental image of a future event. With good use of visualization, you can practice in advance for the event, so that you can prepare properly for it. And by visualizing success, you can build the self-confidence you need to perform well.
For instance, imagine you have a major job interview next week. You're nervous already, and it's easy to worry about giving poor answers to the interviewer's questions, speaking awkwardly about your past accomplishments, and forgetting your letters of recommendation.
Does this sound familiar? We've all probably experienced negative thinking like this.
However, instead of thinking negatively, you could use visualization to imagine that the interview goes well. You could picture yourself talking confidently, easily describing all of your past achievements, and providing letters of recommendation to the interviewer. That vision feels a lot better, doesn't it?
Visualization offers several benefits:
Visualizing outcomes that you want can increase your confidence. 'Seeing' yourself succeed helps you believe that it can – and will – happen.
Visualization helps you 'practice' success. When you imagine every step of an event or activity going well, you get your mind and body ready to take those steps in real life.
Anyone can benefit from visualization. You don't have to be a life coach or personal development expert to use visualization to achieve your goals.
How to Use Visualization to Achieve Your Goals
The great thing about visualization is that you can use it in so many areas of your life. Do you want a promotion? Do you want to make more friends at the office? Do you want to start your own business?
Visualization can help you in all of these areas. This is why so many highly effective people use the technique to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
Follow these steps to start visualizing your goals.
Step 1: Decide What You Want
What do you want to focus on? Pick one dream or goal to start visualizing. For example, visualize a successful outcome to the presentation you're going to give next week.
Step 2: 'Create' the Scene
Start imagining the exact scene. Don't be vague or unclear – the more specific you are, and the more details you imagine, the better the visualization will work for you.
Picture the scene as if you were there. What color are the walls? What are you wearing? Who is in the room with you?
Make sure you use all of your senses in the visualization exercise. Sight, sound, taste, smell, touch – include them all so that you really bring your vision to life.
In our example, imagine yourself standing in front of the group. Picture each team member's face, and what each person is wearing. Hear the sound of papers being moved around, the smell of fresh coffee, the sight of sunshine coming in through the office windows.
Also, imagine what you're feeling and experiencing. You're confident and excited about the presentation you're about to give. You know that your team members will enjoy what you have to say, and will find value in the information you share with them. You're really looking forward to getting started.
Step 3: Imagine Each Step Toward Your Successful Conclusion
What will you have to do to make sure your presentation is successful?
Identify each step that must take place for you to achieve your goal. And start picturing each step as part of your visualization exercise.
For example, your presentation will open with an introduction. So, visualize yourself explaining to the group why you're giving the presentation, and what they'll get out of it.
Visualize the talking points you'll use, and what you'll say for each slide. Picture your hand motions, and imagine looking directly at everyone as you speak.
Go through the entire presentation in your mind, focusing on each step and how you'll feel. Remember, always focus on what you want, NOT on what you don't want. You want to feel relaxed and confident, not nervous or forgetful. So, focus on the positive feelings, and avoid the negative ones.
Step 4: Visualize Daily
If your presentation is two weeks away, then aim to do a complete visualization at least once a day until the actual day arrives.
It's important to be consistent, because regular visualization can convince your brain that what you imagine is actually the truth. The more you visualize something, the stronger that vision becomes – and the higher the likelihood that you'll get what you want. Why? Because you've done it already.
Visualizing daily is just like training for a marathon, or perfecting a golf swing. The more you practice, the more familiar your body (or your mind) will become with those specific 'motions.' You're literally training your mind for a successful outcome.
The great thing about visualization is that you can do it anywhere: on the train to and from work, at night before you go to bed, or while you're having your morning coffee.
More Visualization Tips
Here are more things to try with visualization:
Choose a quiet environment – Do your visualization exercises in a quiet place. This allows you to focus on the experience and get the greatest benefit from it. Every time you're interrupted, it takes longer to get back into the full visualization.
Write down one sentence that describes the outcome you want – Post this statement somewhere that's easily visible, on or near your desk. This keeps the positive outcome right in front of you, where you'll think about it often. If you can, repeat the sentence out loud several times a day.
Find an image that represents your visualization – This could be something you print off the Internet, or cut from a magazine. In our presentation example, it might be a picture of someone talking confidently in front of a group. Put this image someplace that's easily visible – on your desk, saved on your computer's wallpaper, and so on. This is another tool to help you visualize your desired outcome while you're working.
Key Points
Visualization is a useful technique that helps you reach your goals and live your dreams. It works by getting your mind and body ready for what you want to happen – and, just like exercise, the more you do it, the stronger it becomes. Aim to practice your visualization exercises daily in a quiet place, and make sure your visualizations are as detailed as possible. Remember – always focus on what you want to happen, NOT on what you don't want to happen.
Read more…
Imagine this for a moment: They're in front of thousands, or even millions, of people. They're feeling nervous, watching their competition, and considering all the things that might go wrong and how to avoid them.
Sounds reasonable, right? After all, that's probably what we would do in their position.
However, if they did that, their odds of losing the competition would probably be quite high. Well-trained athletes know they should never visualize mistakes, especially right before a competition. Why? Because picturing, or visualizing, mistakes – imagining poor performance – increases the likelihood that the athletes will actually do those things during the event, even when they don't mean to.
Instead, most top athletes are trained to visualize their goals right before a competition. They see themselves winning the game, running the fastest race, or scoring the winning point. They're trained to 'picture' what they WANT to happen, instead of what they DON'T want to happen. When they do this, their chances for success increase dramatically.
This is the power of visualization – and you, too, can use this technique every day to help you achieve your goals and dreams. In this article, we outline what visualization is, and how you can start using it in your life.
What is Visualization?
Visualization is simply a technique that you can use to create a strong mental image of a future event. With good use of visualization, you can practice in advance for the event, so that you can prepare properly for it. And by visualizing success, you can build the self-confidence you need to perform well.
For instance, imagine you have a major job interview next week. You're nervous already, and it's easy to worry about giving poor answers to the interviewer's questions, speaking awkwardly about your past accomplishments, and forgetting your letters of recommendation.
Does this sound familiar? We've all probably experienced negative thinking like this.
However, instead of thinking negatively, you could use visualization to imagine that the interview goes well. You could picture yourself talking confidently, easily describing all of your past achievements, and providing letters of recommendation to the interviewer. That vision feels a lot better, doesn't it?
Visualization offers several benefits:
Visualizing outcomes that you want can increase your confidence. 'Seeing' yourself succeed helps you believe that it can – and will – happen.
Visualization helps you 'practice' success. When you imagine every step of an event or activity going well, you get your mind and body ready to take those steps in real life.
Anyone can benefit from visualization. You don't have to be a life coach or personal development expert to use visualization to achieve your goals.
How to Use Visualization to Achieve Your Goals
The great thing about visualization is that you can use it in so many areas of your life. Do you want a promotion? Do you want to make more friends at the office? Do you want to start your own business?
Visualization can help you in all of these areas. This is why so many highly effective people use the technique to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
Follow these steps to start visualizing your goals.
Step 1: Decide What You Want
What do you want to focus on? Pick one dream or goal to start visualizing. For example, visualize a successful outcome to the presentation you're going to give next week.
Step 2: 'Create' the Scene
Start imagining the exact scene. Don't be vague or unclear – the more specific you are, and the more details you imagine, the better the visualization will work for you.
Picture the scene as if you were there. What color are the walls? What are you wearing? Who is in the room with you?
Make sure you use all of your senses in the visualization exercise. Sight, sound, taste, smell, touch – include them all so that you really bring your vision to life.
In our example, imagine yourself standing in front of the group. Picture each team member's face, and what each person is wearing. Hear the sound of papers being moved around, the smell of fresh coffee, the sight of sunshine coming in through the office windows.
Also, imagine what you're feeling and experiencing. You're confident and excited about the presentation you're about to give. You know that your team members will enjoy what you have to say, and will find value in the information you share with them. You're really looking forward to getting started.
Step 3: Imagine Each Step Toward Your Successful Conclusion
What will you have to do to make sure your presentation is successful?
Identify each step that must take place for you to achieve your goal. And start picturing each step as part of your visualization exercise.
For example, your presentation will open with an introduction. So, visualize yourself explaining to the group why you're giving the presentation, and what they'll get out of it.
Visualize the talking points you'll use, and what you'll say for each slide. Picture your hand motions, and imagine looking directly at everyone as you speak.
Go through the entire presentation in your mind, focusing on each step and how you'll feel. Remember, always focus on what you want, NOT on what you don't want. You want to feel relaxed and confident, not nervous or forgetful. So, focus on the positive feelings, and avoid the negative ones.
Step 4: Visualize Daily
If your presentation is two weeks away, then aim to do a complete visualization at least once a day until the actual day arrives.
It's important to be consistent, because regular visualization can convince your brain that what you imagine is actually the truth. The more you visualize something, the stronger that vision becomes – and the higher the likelihood that you'll get what you want. Why? Because you've done it already.
Visualizing daily is just like training for a marathon, or perfecting a golf swing. The more you practice, the more familiar your body (or your mind) will become with those specific 'motions.' You're literally training your mind for a successful outcome.
The great thing about visualization is that you can do it anywhere: on the train to and from work, at night before you go to bed, or while you're having your morning coffee.
More Visualization Tips
Here are more things to try with visualization:
Choose a quiet environment – Do your visualization exercises in a quiet place. This allows you to focus on the experience and get the greatest benefit from it. Every time you're interrupted, it takes longer to get back into the full visualization.
Write down one sentence that describes the outcome you want – Post this statement somewhere that's easily visible, on or near your desk. This keeps the positive outcome right in front of you, where you'll think about it often. If you can, repeat the sentence out loud several times a day.
Find an image that represents your visualization – This could be something you print off the Internet, or cut from a magazine. In our presentation example, it might be a picture of someone talking confidently in front of a group. Put this image someplace that's easily visible – on your desk, saved on your computer's wallpaper, and so on. This is another tool to help you visualize your desired outcome while you're working.
Key Points
Visualization is a useful technique that helps you reach your goals and live your dreams. It works by getting your mind and body ready for what you want to happen – and, just like exercise, the more you do it, the stronger it becomes. Aim to practice your visualization exercises daily in a quiet place, and make sure your visualizations are as detailed as possible. Remember – always focus on what you want to happen, NOT on what you don't want to happen.
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
5:19 PM |Many of us set goals at the beginning of a new year, at our annual performance reviews, or when something major happens, and we want to assess where we are and where we want to go.
Yet sometimes, even with the best of intentions, we grind to a halt with these goals.
Before we realize it, weeks and months have gone by – and we still haven't achieved the results we wanted.
So how can you give yourself the best chance of successfully achieving your goals and your dreams?
One way to do this is to create a "Well-Formed Outcome" that motivates you to move forward. By building a complete picture of that goal, and creating a strong internal representation of it, you can make the difference that speeds you to success.
The Well-Formed Outcomes structure is based on NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) principles, and it was modeled from studies of successful people. It involves asking a set of questions that identify and clarify your intentions, actions, and thoughts, so that you can define your goal in a "well-formed" way.
How to Use the Tool
Follow these steps to achieve your goals faster.
Step 1 – Define your outcome
Explore what you want to achieve and clarify your goal using the SMART formula and a PURE perspective.
SMART, seen below, is based on Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory . SMART stands for:
S pecific
Be specific about the outcome you want:
What, exactly, do you want to achieve?
Where do you want to be at the end of the process or journey?
Where, and with whom, do you want to achieve it?
Where, and with whom, do you not want to achieve it?
M easurable
How will you know when you've achieved your goal?
What evidence will you have? How will you measure your progress?
What will you see, hear, and feel when you achieve your outcome?
A ttainable
Check to see if your goal is realistic. Do you have a good chance of achieving it?
Do you have, or can you access, the resources needed to achieve your goal?
R elevant
Is your goal in line with your priorities, objectives, and values?
T ime-bound
By when, precisely, do you want to have achieved the goal?
Now that you've defined your goal using the SMART formula, take another look at your outcome from a PURE perspective, and rewrite it as necessary. (The PURE formula was developed by Roger Terry and is outlined below.)
P ositive
Put your goal into words as if you've already achieved it, and make it a positive statement. Don't say that you don't want something or that you can't do something. Ask yourself what you want instead or what would happen if you could do something.
U nder your control
Make sure that you can control all of the steps in the process. As an example, a good goal is "Run the marathon in under 4 hours", while a poor goal is "Be in the top 1500 runners to cross the finish line." After all, you have no control over how many people enter the race, and how other people perform on the day.
R ight size
Is your goal the right size for yourself or your organization? If you always achieve your goals, then make this one more difficult. If you don't often achieve your goals, consider making this one a little easier.
E cological
How will your outcome impact others, positively or negatively?
Will this outcome have any unintended consequences, either negative or positive? (See our article on Impact Analysis to explore this in detail.)
Step 2 – Check your current state
We sometimes don't achieve our desired outcomes because something within us holds us back, and sometimes we may not even be aware of what that is. So, until you ask yourself the right questions, you may not know that you need to change your attitude or your approach.
Here are some questions to help you uncover any hidden blocks:
What do you get if you don't achieve your outcome? Are there any physical, emotional or psychological "pay-offs" that you get if you fail to achieve your goals?
Do you need to give up or change anything to move toward your outcome?
Are there any practical limitations – for example, lack of time or resource – that may hold you back?
Are there any other circumstances that might block your progress?
Once you become aware of these things, are there any actions you could take to eliminate or minimize these blocks? Then, allow yourself to move on, and focus your mind on moving forward.
Step 3 – Create a strong internal representation
Your mind cannot always tell the difference between what's real and what's imagined. So, if you create a strong internal representation of the sights, sounds, and feelings you'll experience when you achieve your goal, you can help yourself move toward that goal.
Imagine that you're creating a movie of yourself during and after you've achieved your goal. Ask yourself the following questions to help create this movie.
Sight – What do you see? Create a mental "movie" of yourself achieving your goal, running from start to end. Make sure that this is as vivid and accurate as possible.
Sound – What do you hear? What will you say to yourself? What will others say to you? Incorporate this into your mental movie.
Feelings – What do you feel? What are the physical sensations of being there, and what positive emotions are you experiencing? Add these too.
Step 4 – Create a well-formed outcome
Once you have your outcome, ask yourself these questions to explore and connect with your goal further:
How will you know when you've achieved your outcome? What are your measures of success or benchmarks for achievement? (This picks up and develops the SMART goals you set in step 2.)
What resources do you need to achieve your outcome? Are other people involved? How do they need to contribute?
What will happen when you achieve your goal? How will it benefit you? Identify at least three benefits of achieving your goal.
How will achieving your outcome affect other areas of your life?
What will happen if you do not achieve your goal?
What will not happen if you achieve your goal?
What will not happen if you do not achieve your goal?
Step 5 – Integrate your outcome
Now enrich the movie you created in step 3 with the additional details you gleaned from step 4.
Imagine the place, the people, and the sights and sounds and feelings you will experience. In your mind, walk, talk, and behave as if you are there now.
After you experience your movie, return your attention to the present time, and start taking the actions now that will move you forward.
See our articles on Treasure Mapping and Visualization for more on how mental rehearsal techniques can help you achieve your goals.
A Well-Formed Outcomes Example
Step 1 – Define your outcome
It is now July 1, 2010, and I've become more confident and comfortable in my role as training manager with XYZ Company. I inspire a team of 10, and we all enjoy one another's successes in delivering new courses to new clients who give us very positive feedback (on average, "highly satisfactory" ratings).
When I achieve my goal, I will have developed my management and leadership skills, and I will have spent at least one hour each week learning and applying new skills. I will have met each individual team member on a biweekly basis to stay up-to-date on each person's projects and to provide guidance and motivation.
Looking at this with the PURE formula, this is stated positively, it's under my control (I will advise the team of their biweekly meetings with me), it's the right size (this is a new role for me, and I'm happy to continue to lead the team without any major new initiatives or changes), and it's ecological (we will all benefit from working within a motivated and inspired team).
Step 2 – Check your current state
If I don't achieve this outcome, I will still perform adequately and it will be easier to let things simply continue as they are because everyone knows what they're doing. However, the team may not achieve the average "highly satisfactory" rating from clients. The general feeling might not be inspired, energized, or motivated.
I need to create time for developing my own leadership and management skills, and time for meeting with each member of my team on an individual basis.
There are no other circumstances that might block my progress.
Step 3 – Create a strong internal representation
What will I see ? A lively, energetic office.
What will I hear ? Laughter; and people having fun, yet working hard.
What will I feel ? Satisfaction that I can make a difference to my team and our clients.
Step 4 – Create a well-formed outcome
Q: How will you know when you've achieved your outcome? What are your measures of success or benchmarks for achievement?
A: I will know I've achieved the outcome when we're delivering results, the feedback from clients is "highly satisfactory," and team members are beating their performance targets.
Q: What resources do you need to achieve your outcome? Are other people involved? How do they need to contribute?
A: Necessary resources include time to study and to get to know team members on a more personal level.
Q: What will happen when you achieve your goal? How will it benefit you? Identify at least three benefits of achieving your goal.
A: I stand a good chance of receiving a bonus for meeting targets. I will be pleased that clients have developed their skills as a result of our courses, and this will give my work more meaning. By being a better manager, my team members will be more loyal to me, so we'll have lower staff turnover – and that's good for me because training new staff takes up a lot of time that I would rather spend developing new courses.
Q: What will happen if you do not achieve your goal?
A: We could lose our grant from the government skills development authority.
Key Points
To help you achieve your goals – and your dreams – start by writing a SMART goal. Check that your goal is PURE by making sure it's positive, under your control, right-sized and ecological; and check your current state by ensuring that you've eliminated any internal barriers that might stop you from achieving that goal.
Then use mental imagery to create a strong internal representation of what you will see, hear, and feel when you achieve your goal. Then ask further questions to ensure that your goal is well formed.
All of this helps you develop a strong, powerful, motivating and compelling goal, and makes it one that you'll work hard to achieve.
Read more…
Yet sometimes, even with the best of intentions, we grind to a halt with these goals.
Before we realize it, weeks and months have gone by – and we still haven't achieved the results we wanted.
So how can you give yourself the best chance of successfully achieving your goals and your dreams?
One way to do this is to create a "Well-Formed Outcome" that motivates you to move forward. By building a complete picture of that goal, and creating a strong internal representation of it, you can make the difference that speeds you to success.
The Well-Formed Outcomes structure is based on NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) principles, and it was modeled from studies of successful people. It involves asking a set of questions that identify and clarify your intentions, actions, and thoughts, so that you can define your goal in a "well-formed" way.
How to Use the Tool
Follow these steps to achieve your goals faster.
Step 1 – Define your outcome
Explore what you want to achieve and clarify your goal using the SMART formula and a PURE perspective.
SMART, seen below, is based on Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory . SMART stands for:
S pecific
Be specific about the outcome you want:
What, exactly, do you want to achieve?
Where do you want to be at the end of the process or journey?
Where, and with whom, do you want to achieve it?
Where, and with whom, do you not want to achieve it?
M easurable
How will you know when you've achieved your goal?
What evidence will you have? How will you measure your progress?
What will you see, hear, and feel when you achieve your outcome?
A ttainable
Check to see if your goal is realistic. Do you have a good chance of achieving it?
Do you have, or can you access, the resources needed to achieve your goal?
R elevant
Is your goal in line with your priorities, objectives, and values?
T ime-bound
By when, precisely, do you want to have achieved the goal?
Now that you've defined your goal using the SMART formula, take another look at your outcome from a PURE perspective, and rewrite it as necessary. (The PURE formula was developed by Roger Terry and is outlined below.)
P ositive
Put your goal into words as if you've already achieved it, and make it a positive statement. Don't say that you don't want something or that you can't do something. Ask yourself what you want instead or what would happen if you could do something.
U nder your control
Make sure that you can control all of the steps in the process. As an example, a good goal is "Run the marathon in under 4 hours", while a poor goal is "Be in the top 1500 runners to cross the finish line." After all, you have no control over how many people enter the race, and how other people perform on the day.
R ight size
Is your goal the right size for yourself or your organization? If you always achieve your goals, then make this one more difficult. If you don't often achieve your goals, consider making this one a little easier.
E cological
How will your outcome impact others, positively or negatively?
Will this outcome have any unintended consequences, either negative or positive? (See our article on Impact Analysis to explore this in detail.)
Step 2 – Check your current state
We sometimes don't achieve our desired outcomes because something within us holds us back, and sometimes we may not even be aware of what that is. So, until you ask yourself the right questions, you may not know that you need to change your attitude or your approach.
Here are some questions to help you uncover any hidden blocks:
What do you get if you don't achieve your outcome? Are there any physical, emotional or psychological "pay-offs" that you get if you fail to achieve your goals?
Do you need to give up or change anything to move toward your outcome?
Are there any practical limitations – for example, lack of time or resource – that may hold you back?
Are there any other circumstances that might block your progress?
Once you become aware of these things, are there any actions you could take to eliminate or minimize these blocks? Then, allow yourself to move on, and focus your mind on moving forward.
Step 3 – Create a strong internal representation
Your mind cannot always tell the difference between what's real and what's imagined. So, if you create a strong internal representation of the sights, sounds, and feelings you'll experience when you achieve your goal, you can help yourself move toward that goal.
Imagine that you're creating a movie of yourself during and after you've achieved your goal. Ask yourself the following questions to help create this movie.
Sight – What do you see? Create a mental "movie" of yourself achieving your goal, running from start to end. Make sure that this is as vivid and accurate as possible.
Sound – What do you hear? What will you say to yourself? What will others say to you? Incorporate this into your mental movie.
Feelings – What do you feel? What are the physical sensations of being there, and what positive emotions are you experiencing? Add these too.
Step 4 – Create a well-formed outcome
Once you have your outcome, ask yourself these questions to explore and connect with your goal further:
How will you know when you've achieved your outcome? What are your measures of success or benchmarks for achievement? (This picks up and develops the SMART goals you set in step 2.)
What resources do you need to achieve your outcome? Are other people involved? How do they need to contribute?
What will happen when you achieve your goal? How will it benefit you? Identify at least three benefits of achieving your goal.
How will achieving your outcome affect other areas of your life?
What will happen if you do not achieve your goal?
What will not happen if you achieve your goal?
What will not happen if you do not achieve your goal?
Step 5 – Integrate your outcome
Now enrich the movie you created in step 3 with the additional details you gleaned from step 4.
Imagine the place, the people, and the sights and sounds and feelings you will experience. In your mind, walk, talk, and behave as if you are there now.
After you experience your movie, return your attention to the present time, and start taking the actions now that will move you forward.
See our articles on Treasure Mapping and Visualization for more on how mental rehearsal techniques can help you achieve your goals.
A Well-Formed Outcomes Example
Step 1 – Define your outcome
It is now July 1, 2010, and I've become more confident and comfortable in my role as training manager with XYZ Company. I inspire a team of 10, and we all enjoy one another's successes in delivering new courses to new clients who give us very positive feedback (on average, "highly satisfactory" ratings).
When I achieve my goal, I will have developed my management and leadership skills, and I will have spent at least one hour each week learning and applying new skills. I will have met each individual team member on a biweekly basis to stay up-to-date on each person's projects and to provide guidance and motivation.
Looking at this with the PURE formula, this is stated positively, it's under my control (I will advise the team of their biweekly meetings with me), it's the right size (this is a new role for me, and I'm happy to continue to lead the team without any major new initiatives or changes), and it's ecological (we will all benefit from working within a motivated and inspired team).
Step 2 – Check your current state
If I don't achieve this outcome, I will still perform adequately and it will be easier to let things simply continue as they are because everyone knows what they're doing. However, the team may not achieve the average "highly satisfactory" rating from clients. The general feeling might not be inspired, energized, or motivated.
I need to create time for developing my own leadership and management skills, and time for meeting with each member of my team on an individual basis.
There are no other circumstances that might block my progress.
Step 3 – Create a strong internal representation
What will I see ? A lively, energetic office.
What will I hear ? Laughter; and people having fun, yet working hard.
What will I feel ? Satisfaction that I can make a difference to my team and our clients.
Step 4 – Create a well-formed outcome
Q: How will you know when you've achieved your outcome? What are your measures of success or benchmarks for achievement?
A: I will know I've achieved the outcome when we're delivering results, the feedback from clients is "highly satisfactory," and team members are beating their performance targets.
Q: What resources do you need to achieve your outcome? Are other people involved? How do they need to contribute?
A: Necessary resources include time to study and to get to know team members on a more personal level.
Q: What will happen when you achieve your goal? How will it benefit you? Identify at least three benefits of achieving your goal.
A: I stand a good chance of receiving a bonus for meeting targets. I will be pleased that clients have developed their skills as a result of our courses, and this will give my work more meaning. By being a better manager, my team members will be more loyal to me, so we'll have lower staff turnover – and that's good for me because training new staff takes up a lot of time that I would rather spend developing new courses.
Q: What will happen if you do not achieve your goal?
A: We could lose our grant from the government skills development authority.
Key Points
To help you achieve your goals – and your dreams – start by writing a SMART goal. Check that your goal is PURE by making sure it's positive, under your control, right-sized and ecological; and check your current state by ensuring that you've eliminated any internal barriers that might stop you from achieving that goal.
Then use mental imagery to create a strong internal representation of what you will see, hear, and feel when you achieve your goal. Then ask further questions to ensure that your goal is well formed.
All of this helps you develop a strong, powerful, motivating and compelling goal, and makes it one that you'll work hard to achieve.
Golden Rules of Goal Setting
5:13 PM |Have you thought about what you want to be doing
in five years' time?
Are you clear about what your main objective
at work is at the moment?
Do you know what you want to have
achieved by the end of today?
If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you
lack focus and direction.
Goal setting not only allows you to take
control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark
for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it:
Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one
of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts
of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary
to how you would define success.
To accomplish your goals, however, you need to
know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect
it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful
consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot
of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very
well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal.
Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you
can accomplish.
Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:
The Five Golden Rules
1. Set Goals that Motivate You
When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.
Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without
this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving
you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires
commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to
feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When
you don't have this, you risk putting off what you
need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you
feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are
de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do
anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.
Tip:
To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's
valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.
2. Set SMART Goals
You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:
S pecific.
M easurable.
A ttainable.
R elevant.
T ime Bound.
Set Specific Goals
Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.
Set Measurable Goals
Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can
measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined
as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful?
In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years'
time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure
your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with
knowing you have actually achieved something.
Set Attainable Goals
Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If
you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only
demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.
However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.
Set Relevant Goals
Goals should be relevant to the direction
you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned
with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and
do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals,
and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.
Set Time-Bound Goals
You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.
3. Set Goals in Writing
The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.
Tip 1:
Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve
your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing
employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce
employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second
one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed
even if some employees leave.
Tip 2:
If you use a To-Do List , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.
Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.
You can even post them in the Mind Tools Club forum , and share them with other members for added motivation.
4. Make an Action Plan
This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans for more on how to do this.
5. Stick With It!
Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.
Key Points
Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and
understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.
So, what will you decide to accomplish today?
Read more…
in five years' time?
Are you clear about what your main objective
at work is at the moment?
Do you know what you want to have
achieved by the end of today?
If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you
lack focus and direction.
Goal setting not only allows you to take
control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark
for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it:
Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one
of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts
of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary
to how you would define success.
To accomplish your goals, however, you need to
know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect
it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful
consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot
of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very
well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal.
Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you
can accomplish.
Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:
The Five Golden Rules
1. Set Goals that Motivate You
When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.
Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without
this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving
you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires
commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to
feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When
you don't have this, you risk putting off what you
need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you
feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are
de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do
anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.
Tip:
To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's
valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.
2. Set SMART Goals
You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:
S pecific.
M easurable.
A ttainable.
R elevant.
T ime Bound.
Set Specific Goals
Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.
Set Measurable Goals
Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can
measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined
as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful?
In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years'
time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure
your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with
knowing you have actually achieved something.
Set Attainable Goals
Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If
you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only
demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.
However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.
Set Relevant Goals
Goals should be relevant to the direction
you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned
with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and
do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals,
and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.
Set Time-Bound Goals
You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.
3. Set Goals in Writing
The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.
Tip 1:
Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve
your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing
employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce
employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second
one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed
even if some employees leave.
Tip 2:
If you use a To-Do List , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.
Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.
You can even post them in the Mind Tools Club forum , and share them with other members for added motivation.
4. Make an Action Plan
This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans for more on how to do this.
5. Stick With It!
Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.
Key Points
Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and
understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.
So, what will you decide to accomplish today?
Backward Goal-Setting
5:10 PM |If your goal is to become an account director within the next five years, where do you start your planning process?
Or if your team needs to redesign the company's organizational structure, where do you begin?
In planning, most of us would usually start building our plan from start to finish. What do you have to do first, second, third, and so on? And by what date does each step need to be completed?
This is a solid form of Personal Goal Setting that works very well. When combined with the Golden Rules of Goal
Setting , you have a motivating formula that can help you actively
move yourself forward.
A New Approach
However, there's another simple but lesser-used
method of goal setting that can be equally as powerful.
It's called backward planning, backward goal-setting,
or backward design, and it's used quite often in education and
training. The idea is to start with your ultimate objective, your
end goal, and then work backward from there to develop your plan.
By starting at the end and looking back, you can mentally prepare
yourself for success, map out the specific milestones you need
to reach, and identify where in your plan you have to be particularly
energetic or creative to achieve the desired results.
It's much like a good presentation, when the presenter tells you
where he's headed right at the beginning. Then, as the
presentation unfolds, it's easy for you to follow the concepts and
think critically about what's being said. If you have to figure
out the main points as they come, your energy is often used up by
just trying to keep up.
The Backward Planning Process
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Write down your ultimate goal. What specifically do you want to
achieve, and by what date?
Example: "By January 1, 2015, I will be the key accounts
director for Crunchy Chips International."
Step 2: Then ask yourself what milestone you need to accomplish just
before that, in order to achieve your ultimate goal. What
do you have to do, and by when, so that you're in a
position to reach your final objective?
Example: "By September 30, 2013, I will successfully complete
the executive training program offered by Crunchy Chips International."
Step 3: Then work backward some more. What do you need to complete
before that second-to-last goal?
Example: "By March 1, 2013, I will submit my application
for the executive training program, outlining my successes as
a key accounts manager, and I will be accepted into the program."
Step 4: Work back again. What do you need to do to make sure the
previous goal is reached?
Example: "By January 1, 2013, I will complete my second
year as a key accounts manager with Crunchy Chips International,
and I will earn the prestigious Key Accounts Manager of the
Year award."
Step 5: Continue to work back, in the same way, until
you identify the very first milestone that you need to accomplish.
Examples: "By January 1, 2012, I will complete my first
year as a key accounts manager with Crunchy Chips International,
and I will be rewarded for my performance by gaining responsibility
for clients purchasing over $10 million per year."
"By January 1,2010, I will be promoted to key accounts
manager with Crunchy Chips International, and I will have responsibility
for clients purchasing over $1 million per quarter."
When you read a backward plan, it doesn't look
much different from a traditional forward plan. However, creating
a backward plan is VERY different. You need to force yourself
to think from a completely new perspective, to help you see things
that you might miss if you use a traditional, forward-looking chronological process.
This can also help you avoid spending time on
unnecessary or unproductive activities along the way. Furthermore,
it highlights points of tension within the plan, showing where
you'll need to be particularly creative to make the next step
successfully.
Key Points
On the surface, backward planning doesn't seem
much different from traditional goal-setting processes. You start
with a basic vision, and then you ask yourself what needs to be
done to achieve that vision. You can read your plan from the beginning
to the end, or from the end back to the beginning.
Backward planning, however, is more than reversing
the direction of your traditional plan. It's about adopting a
different perspective and, perhaps, identifying different milestones
as a result. It's a great supplement to traditional planning,
and it gives you a much fuller appreciation of what it may take
to achieve success. After all, the more alternatives you have,
the better your final plan will likely be.
Read more…
Or if your team needs to redesign the company's organizational structure, where do you begin?
In planning, most of us would usually start building our plan from start to finish. What do you have to do first, second, third, and so on? And by what date does each step need to be completed?
This is a solid form of Personal Goal Setting that works very well. When combined with the Golden Rules of Goal
Setting , you have a motivating formula that can help you actively
move yourself forward.
A New Approach
However, there's another simple but lesser-used
method of goal setting that can be equally as powerful.
It's called backward planning, backward goal-setting,
or backward design, and it's used quite often in education and
training. The idea is to start with your ultimate objective, your
end goal, and then work backward from there to develop your plan.
By starting at the end and looking back, you can mentally prepare
yourself for success, map out the specific milestones you need
to reach, and identify where in your plan you have to be particularly
energetic or creative to achieve the desired results.
It's much like a good presentation, when the presenter tells you
where he's headed right at the beginning. Then, as the
presentation unfolds, it's easy for you to follow the concepts and
think critically about what's being said. If you have to figure
out the main points as they come, your energy is often used up by
just trying to keep up.
The Backward Planning Process
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Write down your ultimate goal. What specifically do you want to
achieve, and by what date?
Example: "By January 1, 2015, I will be the key accounts
director for Crunchy Chips International."
Step 2: Then ask yourself what milestone you need to accomplish just
before that, in order to achieve your ultimate goal. What
do you have to do, and by when, so that you're in a
position to reach your final objective?
Example: "By September 30, 2013, I will successfully complete
the executive training program offered by Crunchy Chips International."
Step 3: Then work backward some more. What do you need to complete
before that second-to-last goal?
Example: "By March 1, 2013, I will submit my application
for the executive training program, outlining my successes as
a key accounts manager, and I will be accepted into the program."
Step 4: Work back again. What do you need to do to make sure the
previous goal is reached?
Example: "By January 1, 2013, I will complete my second
year as a key accounts manager with Crunchy Chips International,
and I will earn the prestigious Key Accounts Manager of the
Year award."
Step 5: Continue to work back, in the same way, until
you identify the very first milestone that you need to accomplish.
Examples: "By January 1, 2012, I will complete my first
year as a key accounts manager with Crunchy Chips International,
and I will be rewarded for my performance by gaining responsibility
for clients purchasing over $10 million per year."
"By January 1,2010, I will be promoted to key accounts
manager with Crunchy Chips International, and I will have responsibility
for clients purchasing over $1 million per quarter."
When you read a backward plan, it doesn't look
much different from a traditional forward plan. However, creating
a backward plan is VERY different. You need to force yourself
to think from a completely new perspective, to help you see things
that you might miss if you use a traditional, forward-looking chronological process.
This can also help you avoid spending time on
unnecessary or unproductive activities along the way. Furthermore,
it highlights points of tension within the plan, showing where
you'll need to be particularly creative to make the next step
successfully.
Key Points
On the surface, backward planning doesn't seem
much different from traditional goal-setting processes. You start
with a basic vision, and then you ask yourself what needs to be
done to achieve that vision. You can read your plan from the beginning
to the end, or from the end back to the beginning.
Backward planning, however, is more than reversing
the direction of your traditional plan. It's about adopting a
different perspective and, perhaps, identifying different milestones
as a result. It's a great supplement to traditional planning,
and it gives you a much fuller appreciation of what it may take
to achieve success. After all, the more alternatives you have,
the better your final plan will likely be.
Locke's Goal Setting Theory
5:06 PM |Goal setting is a powerful way of motivating
people, and of motivating yourself.
The value of goal setting is so well recognized that entire
management systems, like Management by Objectives , have goal setting basics incorporated within them.
In fact, goal setting theory is generally accepted as among the
most valid and useful motivation theories in industrial and organizational
psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior.
Many of us have learned – from bosses, seminars,
and business articles – to set SMART goals. It seems natural to assume that by setting a goal that's
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, we
will be well on our way to accomplishing it.
But is this really the best way of setting goals?
To answer this, we look to Dr Edwin Locke's pioneering
research on goal setting and motivation in the late 1960s. In
his 1968 article "Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives,"
he stated that employees were motivated by clear goals and appropriate
feedback. Locke went on to say that working toward a goal provided
a major source of motivation to actually reach the goal – which,
in turn, improved performance.
This information does not seem revolutionary to us some
40 years later. This shows the impact his theory has had on professional
and personal performance.
In this article, we look at what Locke had to say about goal setting,
and how we can apply his theory to our own performance goals.
Goal Setting Theory
Locke's research showed that there was a relationship between how
difficult and specific a goal was and people's performance of a
task. He found that specific and difficult goals led to better
task performance than vague or easy goals.
Telling someone to "Try hard" or "Do your best" is less effective
than "Try to get more than 80% correct" or "Concentrate on beating
your best time." Likewise, having a goal that's too easy is not
a motivating force. Hard goals are more motivating than easy goals,
because it's much more of an accomplishment to achieve something
that you have to work for.
A few years after Locke published his article, another researcher,
Dr Gary Latham, studied the effect of goal setting in the
workplace. His results supported exactly what Locke had found, and
the inseparable link between goal setting and workplace
performance was formed.
In 1990, Locke and Latham published their seminal work, "A Theory
of Goal Setting and Task Performance." In this book, they
reinforced the need to set specific and difficult goals, and they
outlined three other characteristics of successful goal setting.
Five Principles of Goal Setting
To motivate, goals must have:
Clarity.
Challenge.
Commitment.
Feedback.
Task complexity.
Let's look at each of these in detail.
1. Clarity
Clear goals are measurable and unambiguous. When
a goal is clear and specific, with a definite time set for completion,
there is less misunderstanding about what behaviors will be
rewarded. You know what's expected, and you can use the specific
result as a source of motivation. When a goal is vague – or
when it's expressed as a general instruction, like "Take initiative"
– it has limited motivational value.
To improve your or your team's performance, set clear goals
that use specific and measurable standards. "Reduce job turnover
by 15%" or "Respond to employee suggestions within 48 hours"
are examples of clear goals.
When you use the SMART acronym to help you set goals, you ensure
the clarity of the goal by making it Specific, Measurable and
Time-bound.
2. Challenge
One of the most important characteristics of goals is the level
of challenge. People are often motivated by achievement, and
they'll judge a goal based on the significance of the anticipated
accomplishment. When you know that what you do will be well
received, there's a natural motivation to do a good job.
Rewards typically increase for more difficult goals. If you
believe you'll be well compensated or otherwise rewarded for
achieving a challenging goal, that will boost your enthusiasm
and your drive to get it done.
Setting SMART goals that are Relevant links them closely to the
rewards given for achieving challenging goals. Relevant goals will further the aims of
your organization, and these are the kinds of goals that
most employers will be happy to reward.
When setting goals, make each goal a challenge. If an assignment
is easy and not viewed as very important – and if you or your
employee doesn't expect the accomplishment to be significant
– then the effort may not be impressive.
Note:
It's important to strike an appropriate
balance between a challenging goal and a realistic goal. Setting
a goal that you'll fail to achieve is possibly more
de-motivating than setting a goal that's too easy. The need for
success and achievement is strong, therefore people are best
motivated by challenging, but realistic, goals. Ensuring that
goals are Achievable or Attainable is one of the elements of
SMART.
3. Commitment
Goals must be understood and agreed upon if they are to be
effective. Employees are more likely to "buy into" a goal if
they feel they were part of creating that goal. The notion of
participative management rests on this idea of involving
employees in setting goals and making decisions.
One version of SMART – for use when you are working with someone
else to set their goals – has A and R stand for Agreed and
Realistic instead of Attainable and Relevant. Agreed goals lead
to commitment.
This doesn't mean that every goal has to be negotiated with and
approved by employees. It does mean that goals should be
consistent and in line with previous expectations and
organizational concerns. As long as the employee believes that the
goal is consistent with the goals of the company, and believes
the person assigning the goal is credible, then the commitment
should be there.
I
nterestingly, goal commitment and difficulty often work
together. The harder the goal, the more commitment is required.
If you have an easy goal, you don't need a lot of motivation to
get it done. When you're working on a difficult assignment, you
will likely encounter challenges that require a deeper source of
inspiration and incentive.
As you use goal setting in your workplace, make an appropriate
effort to include people in their own goal setting. Encourage
employees to develop their own goals, and keep them informed
about what's happening elsewhere in the organization. This way,
they can be sure that their goals are consistent with the
overall vision and purpose that the company seeks.
4. Feedback
In addition to selecting the right type of goal, an effective
goal program must also include feedback . Feedback provides
opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goal difficulty,
and gain recognition. It's important to provide benchmark
opportunities or targets, so individuals can determine for
themselves how they're doing.
These regular progress reports, which measure specific success
along the way, are particularly important where it's going to
take a long time to reach a goal. In these cases, break down the
goals into smaller chunks, and link feedback to these
intermediate milestones.
SMART goals are Measurable, and this ensures that clear feedback can be provided.
With all your goal setting efforts, make sure that you build in
time for providing formal feedback. Certainly, informal
check-ins are important, and they provide a means of giving
regular encouragement and recognition. However, taking the time
to sit down and discuss goal performance is a necessary factor
in long-term performance improvement. See our article on
Delegation for more on this.
5. Task Complexity
The last factor in goal setting theory introduces two more
requirements for success. For goals or assignments that are
highly complex, take special care to ensure that the work
doesn't become too overwhelming.
People who work in complicated and demanding roles probably have
a high level of motivation already. However, they can often push
themselves too hard if measures aren't built into the goal
expectations to account for the complexity of the task. It's
therefore important to do the following:
Give the person sufficient time to meet the goal or improve performance.
Provide enough time for the person to practice or learn what is expected and required for success.
The whole point of goal setting is to facilitate success.
Therefore, you want to make sure that the conditions surrounding
the goals don't frustrate or inhibit people from accomplishing
their objectives. This reinforces the "Attainable" part of
SMART.
Key Points
Goal setting is something most of us recognize
as necessary for our success.
By understanding goal setting theory, you can effectively apply the principles to goals that you or your team members set. Locke and Latham's research confirms the usefulness of SMART goal setting, and their theory continues to influence the way we measure performance today.
Use clear, challenging goals, and commit yourself to achieving
them. Provide feedback on goal performance. Take into consideration
the complexity of the task. If you follow these simple rules,
your goal setting process will be much more successful, and your
overall performance will improve.
Read more…
people, and of motivating yourself.
The value of goal setting is so well recognized that entire
management systems, like Management by Objectives , have goal setting basics incorporated within them.
In fact, goal setting theory is generally accepted as among the
most valid and useful motivation theories in industrial and organizational
psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior.
Many of us have learned – from bosses, seminars,
and business articles – to set SMART goals. It seems natural to assume that by setting a goal that's
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, we
will be well on our way to accomplishing it.
But is this really the best way of setting goals?
To answer this, we look to Dr Edwin Locke's pioneering
research on goal setting and motivation in the late 1960s. In
his 1968 article "Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives,"
he stated that employees were motivated by clear goals and appropriate
feedback. Locke went on to say that working toward a goal provided
a major source of motivation to actually reach the goal – which,
in turn, improved performance.
This information does not seem revolutionary to us some
40 years later. This shows the impact his theory has had on professional
and personal performance.
In this article, we look at what Locke had to say about goal setting,
and how we can apply his theory to our own performance goals.
Goal Setting Theory
Locke's research showed that there was a relationship between how
difficult and specific a goal was and people's performance of a
task. He found that specific and difficult goals led to better
task performance than vague or easy goals.
Telling someone to "Try hard" or "Do your best" is less effective
than "Try to get more than 80% correct" or "Concentrate on beating
your best time." Likewise, having a goal that's too easy is not
a motivating force. Hard goals are more motivating than easy goals,
because it's much more of an accomplishment to achieve something
that you have to work for.
A few years after Locke published his article, another researcher,
Dr Gary Latham, studied the effect of goal setting in the
workplace. His results supported exactly what Locke had found, and
the inseparable link between goal setting and workplace
performance was formed.
In 1990, Locke and Latham published their seminal work, "A Theory
of Goal Setting and Task Performance." In this book, they
reinforced the need to set specific and difficult goals, and they
outlined three other characteristics of successful goal setting.
Five Principles of Goal Setting
To motivate, goals must have:
Clarity.
Challenge.
Commitment.
Feedback.
Task complexity.
Let's look at each of these in detail.
1. Clarity
Clear goals are measurable and unambiguous. When
a goal is clear and specific, with a definite time set for completion,
there is less misunderstanding about what behaviors will be
rewarded. You know what's expected, and you can use the specific
result as a source of motivation. When a goal is vague – or
when it's expressed as a general instruction, like "Take initiative"
– it has limited motivational value.
To improve your or your team's performance, set clear goals
that use specific and measurable standards. "Reduce job turnover
by 15%" or "Respond to employee suggestions within 48 hours"
are examples of clear goals.
When you use the SMART acronym to help you set goals, you ensure
the clarity of the goal by making it Specific, Measurable and
Time-bound.
2. Challenge
One of the most important characteristics of goals is the level
of challenge. People are often motivated by achievement, and
they'll judge a goal based on the significance of the anticipated
accomplishment. When you know that what you do will be well
received, there's a natural motivation to do a good job.
Rewards typically increase for more difficult goals. If you
believe you'll be well compensated or otherwise rewarded for
achieving a challenging goal, that will boost your enthusiasm
and your drive to get it done.
Setting SMART goals that are Relevant links them closely to the
rewards given for achieving challenging goals. Relevant goals will further the aims of
your organization, and these are the kinds of goals that
most employers will be happy to reward.
When setting goals, make each goal a challenge. If an assignment
is easy and not viewed as very important – and if you or your
employee doesn't expect the accomplishment to be significant
– then the effort may not be impressive.
Note:
It's important to strike an appropriate
balance between a challenging goal and a realistic goal. Setting
a goal that you'll fail to achieve is possibly more
de-motivating than setting a goal that's too easy. The need for
success and achievement is strong, therefore people are best
motivated by challenging, but realistic, goals. Ensuring that
goals are Achievable or Attainable is one of the elements of
SMART.
3. Commitment
Goals must be understood and agreed upon if they are to be
effective. Employees are more likely to "buy into" a goal if
they feel they were part of creating that goal. The notion of
participative management rests on this idea of involving
employees in setting goals and making decisions.
One version of SMART – for use when you are working with someone
else to set their goals – has A and R stand for Agreed and
Realistic instead of Attainable and Relevant. Agreed goals lead
to commitment.
This doesn't mean that every goal has to be negotiated with and
approved by employees. It does mean that goals should be
consistent and in line with previous expectations and
organizational concerns. As long as the employee believes that the
goal is consistent with the goals of the company, and believes
the person assigning the goal is credible, then the commitment
should be there.
I
nterestingly, goal commitment and difficulty often work
together. The harder the goal, the more commitment is required.
If you have an easy goal, you don't need a lot of motivation to
get it done. When you're working on a difficult assignment, you
will likely encounter challenges that require a deeper source of
inspiration and incentive.
As you use goal setting in your workplace, make an appropriate
effort to include people in their own goal setting. Encourage
employees to develop their own goals, and keep them informed
about what's happening elsewhere in the organization. This way,
they can be sure that their goals are consistent with the
overall vision and purpose that the company seeks.
4. Feedback
In addition to selecting the right type of goal, an effective
goal program must also include feedback . Feedback provides
opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goal difficulty,
and gain recognition. It's important to provide benchmark
opportunities or targets, so individuals can determine for
themselves how they're doing.
These regular progress reports, which measure specific success
along the way, are particularly important where it's going to
take a long time to reach a goal. In these cases, break down the
goals into smaller chunks, and link feedback to these
intermediate milestones.
SMART goals are Measurable, and this ensures that clear feedback can be provided.
With all your goal setting efforts, make sure that you build in
time for providing formal feedback. Certainly, informal
check-ins are important, and they provide a means of giving
regular encouragement and recognition. However, taking the time
to sit down and discuss goal performance is a necessary factor
in long-term performance improvement. See our article on
Delegation for more on this.
5. Task Complexity
The last factor in goal setting theory introduces two more
requirements for success. For goals or assignments that are
highly complex, take special care to ensure that the work
doesn't become too overwhelming.
People who work in complicated and demanding roles probably have
a high level of motivation already. However, they can often push
themselves too hard if measures aren't built into the goal
expectations to account for the complexity of the task. It's
therefore important to do the following:
Give the person sufficient time to meet the goal or improve performance.
Provide enough time for the person to practice or learn what is expected and required for success.
The whole point of goal setting is to facilitate success.
Therefore, you want to make sure that the conditions surrounding
the goals don't frustrate or inhibit people from accomplishing
their objectives. This reinforces the "Attainable" part of
SMART.
Key Points
Goal setting is something most of us recognize
as necessary for our success.
By understanding goal setting theory, you can effectively apply the principles to goals that you or your team members set. Locke and Latham's research confirms the usefulness of SMART goal setting, and their theory continues to influence the way we measure performance today.
Use clear, challenging goals, and commit yourself to achieving
them. Provide feedback on goal performance. Take into consideration
the complexity of the task. If you follow these simple rules,
your goal setting process will be much more successful, and your
overall performance will improve.
Eight Common Goal Setting Mistakes
5:01 PM |The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it.
– Michelangelo Buonarroti, Renaissance artist
John is reflecting on the last goal that he set for himself...
Everything started well – he was making progress, he felt great about what he was doing, and he was excited about future possibilities.
But then things unraveled.
The goal took longer to complete than he thought it would, and he became discouraged. And, because he didn't stop to look at what he had achieved, he lost his drive and focus. Before he knew it, the goal – and the opportunities it would have brought – were forgotten.
Sound familiar?
In this article, we'll look at some common mistakes that people make when they set goals . Learn how to recognize these mistakes, so that you can avoid making them yourself!
Mistake 1: Setting Unrealistic Goals
When you're exploring possible goals, you need to unleash your imagination and ambition, put your reservations aside, and dream big dreams. However, once you've decided on a goal, make sure that it is realistic, and that you can actually achieve it in the time frame that you have set for yourself.
For instance, if your goal is to run a marathon, it's wildly unrealistic to sign up for one next month, unless you've already done several months of training. Or, if your goal is to become CEO of a company, but you have no experience, this goal might not be practical – at least not yet!
To set realistic goals, use SMART Goal Setting strategies: make sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Mistake 2: Focusing on Too Few Areas
Imagine that you've just written your list of goals for the next year. You've committed to increasing your sales by 15 percent, applying for a promotion, and reading one leadership book each month.
Although this is an ambitious but achievable list of goals, there's a potential problem: these goals focus only on your career. You've completely omitted goals from other parts of your life.
Many people focus solely on their work when they set goals. However, you can't neglect activities that bring you joy. Goals like writing a book, competing in an adventure race, or starting a home garden might also be incredibly important for your happiness and well-being.
So, when you set your goals, make sure that you strike the right balance between different areas of your life. And remember that "balance" is different for everyone – use the Wheel of Life tool to understand which areas of your life you need to focus on most.
Mistake 3: Underestimating Completion Time
How often has a task or project taken longer than you thought? Probably more times than you can count! You may also say the same for goals that you've set in the past.
If you don't estimate goal completion time accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they should. This can cause you to give up.
So, use Action Programs and effective scheduling strategies when planning your goals. And always pad your timelines to account for delays and setbacks. If you add extra time into your estimate, you'll feel less pressure to rush and finish by a certain date.
Mistake 4: Not Appreciating Failure
No matter how hard you work, you will fail to achieve goals from time to time. We've all been there, and it isn't fun!
However, your failures are what ultimately determine your character. They also contain lessons that can change your life for the best, if you have the courage to learn from them.
So don't be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals – just take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time around.
Mistake 5: Setting "Other People's Goals"
Some people – family, friends, or even your boss – may want to influence the goals you set. Perhaps they feel that they know what's best for you, or maybe they want you to take a certain path or do certain things.
Clearly, it's important that you have good relationships with these people, and you need to do what your boss asks, within reason.
However, your goals need to be your own – not anybody else's. So be politely assertive , and do what you want to do!
Mistake 6: Not Reviewing Progress
It takes time to accomplish goals. And sometimes it can feel that you aren't making much progress.
This is why it's important to take stock of everything that you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making progress!
You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you've learnt. Have your priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity?
Goals are never set in stone, so don't be afraid to amend them if you need to.
Mistake 7: Setting "Negative" Goals
How you think about your goal can influence how you feel about it, and whether you achieve it.
For instance, many people have a goal to "lose weight." However, this goal has a negative connotation; it's focused on what you don't want – your weight. A positive way to reframe this goal is to say you want to "get healthy."
Another example of a negative goal is to "stop staying late at work." A positive way to rephrase this is to "spend more time with family."
Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it hard to focus on them. Reframe any negative goals so that they sound positive: you may be surprised by the difference this makes!
Mistake 8: Setting Too Many Goals
When you start setting goals, you may see many things that you want to accomplish. So you start setting goals in all areas.
The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you can't give individual goals the attention they deserve.
Instead, use the "quality, not quantity" rule when setting goals. Work out the relative importance of everything that you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. Then pick no more than, say, three goals to focus on.
Remember, the success of your work towards a goal rests on focusing on just a few things at a time. If you limit the number of goals you're working on, you'll have the time and energy you need to do things really well!
Tip:
A good way to avoid these mistakes and to set goals effectively is to use the Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook . Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple, five-step process for setting your goals, and for organizing yourself for success.
Key Points
Living a life without setting goals is like sailing a ship without having planned a course: you're likely to end up somewhere that you wouldn't want to go! This is why you need to set goals to develop yourself and achieve your dreams.
But you need to avoid common mistakes along the way. These can cause you to feel discouraged, question your abilities, or even give up.
The good news is that you're much more likely to accomplish your dreams if you know about these mistakes, and avoid them!
Read more…
– Michelangelo Buonarroti, Renaissance artist
John is reflecting on the last goal that he set for himself...
Everything started well – he was making progress, he felt great about what he was doing, and he was excited about future possibilities.
But then things unraveled.
The goal took longer to complete than he thought it would, and he became discouraged. And, because he didn't stop to look at what he had achieved, he lost his drive and focus. Before he knew it, the goal – and the opportunities it would have brought – were forgotten.
Sound familiar?
In this article, we'll look at some common mistakes that people make when they set goals . Learn how to recognize these mistakes, so that you can avoid making them yourself!
Mistake 1: Setting Unrealistic Goals
When you're exploring possible goals, you need to unleash your imagination and ambition, put your reservations aside, and dream big dreams. However, once you've decided on a goal, make sure that it is realistic, and that you can actually achieve it in the time frame that you have set for yourself.
For instance, if your goal is to run a marathon, it's wildly unrealistic to sign up for one next month, unless you've already done several months of training. Or, if your goal is to become CEO of a company, but you have no experience, this goal might not be practical – at least not yet!
To set realistic goals, use SMART Goal Setting strategies: make sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Mistake 2: Focusing on Too Few Areas
Imagine that you've just written your list of goals for the next year. You've committed to increasing your sales by 15 percent, applying for a promotion, and reading one leadership book each month.
Although this is an ambitious but achievable list of goals, there's a potential problem: these goals focus only on your career. You've completely omitted goals from other parts of your life.
Many people focus solely on their work when they set goals. However, you can't neglect activities that bring you joy. Goals like writing a book, competing in an adventure race, or starting a home garden might also be incredibly important for your happiness and well-being.
So, when you set your goals, make sure that you strike the right balance between different areas of your life. And remember that "balance" is different for everyone – use the Wheel of Life tool to understand which areas of your life you need to focus on most.
Mistake 3: Underestimating Completion Time
How often has a task or project taken longer than you thought? Probably more times than you can count! You may also say the same for goals that you've set in the past.
If you don't estimate goal completion time accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they should. This can cause you to give up.
So, use Action Programs and effective scheduling strategies when planning your goals. And always pad your timelines to account for delays and setbacks. If you add extra time into your estimate, you'll feel less pressure to rush and finish by a certain date.
Mistake 4: Not Appreciating Failure
No matter how hard you work, you will fail to achieve goals from time to time. We've all been there, and it isn't fun!
However, your failures are what ultimately determine your character. They also contain lessons that can change your life for the best, if you have the courage to learn from them.
So don't be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals – just take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time around.
Mistake 5: Setting "Other People's Goals"
Some people – family, friends, or even your boss – may want to influence the goals you set. Perhaps they feel that they know what's best for you, or maybe they want you to take a certain path or do certain things.
Clearly, it's important that you have good relationships with these people, and you need to do what your boss asks, within reason.
However, your goals need to be your own – not anybody else's. So be politely assertive , and do what you want to do!
Mistake 6: Not Reviewing Progress
It takes time to accomplish goals. And sometimes it can feel that you aren't making much progress.
This is why it's important to take stock of everything that you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making progress!
You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you've learnt. Have your priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity?
Goals are never set in stone, so don't be afraid to amend them if you need to.
Mistake 7: Setting "Negative" Goals
How you think about your goal can influence how you feel about it, and whether you achieve it.
For instance, many people have a goal to "lose weight." However, this goal has a negative connotation; it's focused on what you don't want – your weight. A positive way to reframe this goal is to say you want to "get healthy."
Another example of a negative goal is to "stop staying late at work." A positive way to rephrase this is to "spend more time with family."
Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it hard to focus on them. Reframe any negative goals so that they sound positive: you may be surprised by the difference this makes!
Mistake 8: Setting Too Many Goals
When you start setting goals, you may see many things that you want to accomplish. So you start setting goals in all areas.
The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you can't give individual goals the attention they deserve.
Instead, use the "quality, not quantity" rule when setting goals. Work out the relative importance of everything that you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. Then pick no more than, say, three goals to focus on.
Remember, the success of your work towards a goal rests on focusing on just a few things at a time. If you limit the number of goals you're working on, you'll have the time and energy you need to do things really well!
Tip:
A good way to avoid these mistakes and to set goals effectively is to use the Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook . Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple, five-step process for setting your goals, and for organizing yourself for success.
Key Points
Living a life without setting goals is like sailing a ship without having planned a course: you're likely to end up somewhere that you wouldn't want to go! This is why you need to set goals to develop yourself and achieve your dreams.
But you need to avoid common mistakes along the way. These can cause you to feel discouraged, question your abilities, or even give up.
The good news is that you're much more likely to accomplish your dreams if you know about these mistakes, and avoid them!
Personal Goal Setting
4:58 PM |Personal Goal Setting
Planning to Live Your Life Your Way
Set powerful goals with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.
Many people feel as if they're adrift in the world. They work hard, but they don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile.
A key reason that they feel this way is that they haven't spent enough time thinking about what they want from life, and haven't set themselves formal goals. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
Why Set Goals?
Goal setting is used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence , as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.
Starting to Set Personal Goals
You set your goals on a number of levels:
First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say, the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your lifetime goals.
Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.
This is why we start the process of goal setting by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.
Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals
The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.
To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own, where these are important to you):
Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?
Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career goals?
Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.)
Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is for you!)
Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?
Spend some time brainstorming these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best reflect what you want to do. Then consider trimming again so that you have a small number of really significant goals that you can focus on.
As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might want. (If you have a partner, you probably want to consider what he or she wants – however, make sure that you also remain true to yourself!)
Tip:
You may also want to read our article on Personal Mission Statements . Crafting a personal mission statement can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.
Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals
Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.
Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan.
Then create a daily To-Do List of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals.
At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting.
Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.
Tip:
If you feel that you're not paying enough attention to certain areas of your life, you'll find our articles on The Wheel of Life and the Life/Career Rainbow useful.
Staying on Course
Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your To-Do List on a daily basis.
Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular, repeating reviews using a computer-based diary.)
SMART Goals
A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:
S – Specific (or Significant).
M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to say "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2015." Obviously, this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!
Further Goal Setting Tips
The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective, achievable goals:
State each goal as a positive statement – Express your goals positively – "Execute this technique well" is a much better goal than "Don't make this stupid mistake."
Be precise: Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. If you do this, you'll know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.
Set priorities – When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.
Write goals down – This crystallizes them and gives them more force.
Keep operational goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you're working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.
Set performance goals, not outcome goals – You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control!
In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck.
If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.
Set realistic goals – It's important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.
It's also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a particular level of performance.
Achieving Goals
When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards other goals.
If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the self-confidence you deserve.
With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:
If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder.
If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a little easier.
If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so.
If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide whether to set goals to fix this.
Tip 1:
Our article, Golden Rules of Goal Setting , will show you how to set yourself up for success when it comes to your goals. If you're still having trouble, you might also want to try Backward Goal Setting .
Tip 2:
It's important to remember that failing to meet goals does not matter much, just as long as you learn from the experience.
Feed lessons learned back into your goal setting. Remember too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider letting them go.
Goal Setting Example
For her New Year's Resolution, Susan has decided to think about what she really wants to do with her life.
Her lifetime goals are as follows:
Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."
Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my own show in our downtown gallery."
Physical – "To run a marathon."
Now that Susan has listed her lifetime goals, she then breaks down each one into smaller, more manageable goals.
Let's take a closer look at how she might break down her lifetime career goal – becoming managing editor of her magazine:
Five-year goal: "Become deputy editor."
One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is heading up."
Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree."
One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what skills are needed to do the job."
One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."
As you can see from this example, breaking big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals makes it far easier to see how the goal will get accomplished.
Tip:
A good way of getting going with this is to use the Mind Tools
Life Plan Workbook . Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple 5-step process for setting your life goals, and for organizing yourself for success.
Key Points
Goal setting is an important method of:
Deciding what you want to achieve in your life.
Separating what's important from what's irrelevant, or a distraction.
Motivating yourself.
Building your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals.
Set your lifetime goals first. Then, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating your goals. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your goals when you do so.
If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this technique part of your life, you'll find your career accelerating, and you'll wonder how you did without it!
More Goal setting resources from Mind Tools:
Goal Setting Main Page
Personal Goal Setting
Locke's Goal Setting Theory
Golden Rules of Goal Setting
Backward Goal Setting
Making New Year Resolutions
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
Read more…
Planning to Live Your Life Your Way
Set powerful goals with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.
Many people feel as if they're adrift in the world. They work hard, but they don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile.
A key reason that they feel this way is that they haven't spent enough time thinking about what they want from life, and haven't set themselves formal goals. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
Why Set Goals?
Goal setting is used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence , as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.
Starting to Set Personal Goals
You set your goals on a number of levels:
First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say, the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your lifetime goals.
Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.
This is why we start the process of goal setting by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.
Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals
The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.
To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own, where these are important to you):
Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?
Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career goals?
Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.)
Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is for you!)
Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?
Spend some time brainstorming these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best reflect what you want to do. Then consider trimming again so that you have a small number of really significant goals that you can focus on.
As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might want. (If you have a partner, you probably want to consider what he or she wants – however, make sure that you also remain true to yourself!)
Tip:
You may also want to read our article on Personal Mission Statements . Crafting a personal mission statement can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.
Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals
Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.
Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan.
Then create a daily To-Do List of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals.
At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting.
Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.
Tip:
If you feel that you're not paying enough attention to certain areas of your life, you'll find our articles on The Wheel of Life and the Life/Career Rainbow useful.
Staying on Course
Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your To-Do List on a daily basis.
Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular, repeating reviews using a computer-based diary.)
SMART Goals
A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:
S – Specific (or Significant).
M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to say "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2015." Obviously, this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!
Further Goal Setting Tips
The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective, achievable goals:
State each goal as a positive statement – Express your goals positively – "Execute this technique well" is a much better goal than "Don't make this stupid mistake."
Be precise: Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. If you do this, you'll know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.
Set priorities – When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.
Write goals down – This crystallizes them and gives them more force.
Keep operational goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you're working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.
Set performance goals, not outcome goals – You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control!
In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck.
If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.
Set realistic goals – It's important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.
It's also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a particular level of performance.
Achieving Goals
When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards other goals.
If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the self-confidence you deserve.
With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:
If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder.
If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a little easier.
If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so.
If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide whether to set goals to fix this.
Tip 1:
Our article, Golden Rules of Goal Setting , will show you how to set yourself up for success when it comes to your goals. If you're still having trouble, you might also want to try Backward Goal Setting .
Tip 2:
It's important to remember that failing to meet goals does not matter much, just as long as you learn from the experience.
Feed lessons learned back into your goal setting. Remember too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider letting them go.
Goal Setting Example
For her New Year's Resolution, Susan has decided to think about what she really wants to do with her life.
Her lifetime goals are as follows:
Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."
Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my own show in our downtown gallery."
Physical – "To run a marathon."
Now that Susan has listed her lifetime goals, she then breaks down each one into smaller, more manageable goals.
Let's take a closer look at how she might break down her lifetime career goal – becoming managing editor of her magazine:
Five-year goal: "Become deputy editor."
One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is heading up."
Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree."
One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what skills are needed to do the job."
One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."
As you can see from this example, breaking big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals makes it far easier to see how the goal will get accomplished.
Tip:
A good way of getting going with this is to use the Mind Tools
Life Plan Workbook . Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple 5-step process for setting your life goals, and for organizing yourself for success.
Key Points
Goal setting is an important method of:
Deciding what you want to achieve in your life.
Separating what's important from what's irrelevant, or a distraction.
Motivating yourself.
Building your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals.
Set your lifetime goals first. Then, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating your goals. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your goals when you do so.
If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this technique part of your life, you'll find your career accelerating, and you'll wonder how you did without it!
More Goal setting resources from Mind Tools:
Goal Setting Main Page
Personal Goal Setting
Locke's Goal Setting Theory
Golden Rules of Goal Setting
Backward Goal Setting
Making New Year Resolutions
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
