6 helpful tips for successful goal setting

Goal setting isn’t for everyone. Most people think of it as a New Years resolution (and that’s totally fine!). Though setting some meaningful and achievable goals can have so many benefits professionally and personally. It’s also good to note that in most companies, setting goals or objectives is a requirement to track and support growth, development and thus your Annual Reviews.

Here are some tips to help you nail goal setting:

1. Define your vision: Take the time to envision what you want to achieve. Get specific as you can with this vision, it can be broken down later. To help you get started, ask yourself questions like “What are my long-term and short-term goals?”, “What do I want to accomplish in various areas of my life, such as career, relationships, and personal growth?”, “What’s valuable and important to me, and why?”.
   

2. Set specific and measurable goals: Once you have a vision, break it down into specific, achievable and measurable goals. I like to use the SMART framework to do this, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely. If you have a core goal like “create more professional relationships”, ask yourself how that can be achieved in multiple, attainable ways. For example, networking events in your industry, nurturing connections on LinkedIn and participating in company events. Be specific about what you’d like to get out of these goals too and thus what achievement looks like to you.
   

3. Prioritise your goals: Determine which goals are most important to you and prioritise them accordingly. Focus on the goals that align with your values and will best lead you forward on your journey. You can track goals and progress on a white board, in a journal or on digital applications.
   

4. Stay committed and motivated: Goal setting requires dedication and perseverance. Stay committed to your goals even when faced with challenges or setbacks. Celebrate all victories along the way (even small ones), reflect on steps forward no matter how minor they may seem and re-evaluate to make sure they continue to align with you and what you want to achieve. If you need some extra pushes throughout your journey, creating a mood board that you can reference for inspiration can do wonders! Even simply writing your goals and what you want to achieve on post it notes and sticking them in visible places around your home or office is a great little hack to keep you on track and motivated.
   

5. Learn from setbacks: With a growth mindset, everything is a learning opportunity and for me personally, the failures or setbacks are the most valuable. Setbacks are a natural part of life and thus you may fall short of your goals no matter how achievable you aim to make them - life happens and it’s out of our control sometimes, but what is in our control is how we react to those setbacks and learn from the experience to make movement forward again. Instead of getting discouraged, view setbacks as learning opportunities. Reflect on what went wrong, adjust your approach if needed, and keep going!
   

6. Seek support and accountability: If you have trouble with sticking to it, staying motivated or may need some external encouragement along the way, share your goals with trusted friends, family members, or mentors who will uplift you. They can be accountability buddies, support systems and advice givers - keeping you on track, motivated and championed. You could also consider joining a support group or seeking guidance from a life coach or mentor who can provide valuable insights and encouragement.
   

Successful goal setting is a continuous process. Regularly review and revise your goals as you progress through your core goals and growth journey. Stay focused, stay motivated, and believe in your ability to achieve your objectives. Enjoy the journey, and always remember, you are a lot stronger than you know.

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