Goal Setting: Introduction
Success January 21st, 2008OK, I wrote recently about not setting any new year’s resolutions and that was really because resolutions are generally missed, forgotten, ignored and never adjusted. They are not written, planned or even thought about that clearly. They are VERY different from goals. So, I’m going to be exploring goals and goal setting, tracking and following goals for the next several articles and I wanted to just introduce a bit about goals and what a difference they can make in one’s life.
Setting and achieving goals is a process, it is not a single event. I think this is the biggest mistake that people make with goals. They set them, leave them and eventually realize when its way to late, that they didn’t achieve them and voila, they no longer believe that goals work. That is simply not true. Goals do work, but to make them work, you also have to work your goals. There is a process that is needed to attend to them, track them, adjust them and even to identify them in the first place. They don’t just happen!
What are Goals Really Good For?
Plain and simply, goals are the one fundamental key to success and achievement. They are the key to accomplishment in every aspect of life. Living without having and utilizing goals means living in the wake of reaction and circumstance. Its living just to live instead of choosing how to live and why to live. Goals allow a person to focus their energy and life for purposes and passions. They help to add value to a person’s life by keeping them on track with what means most to them and they help a person to better understand themselves and what is important to them. Goals are a way to live with meaning and obsession for what brings the most joy and satisfaction to a person. They are something to express passion for, to motivate you and others who see your determinism and they simply bring to your life more of what you want.
Different aspects of Goals
So, the point these articles is that I’m going to reviews goals in a few separate sections. Its a big enough topic its easier to take in pieces and helpful if you are already experienced with goal setting but need some helpful tips in just one area. Goal setting really is important enough (and there are many blogs and series out there to show this) that it can be the sole focus for an entire site or longer series as well. I hope to cover a few specific things I’ve learned from using goals through my life and I want to present it in a short and actionable way so it is easy to help others enhance their experiences with goals as well. So, I’ve broken down a few separate articles into the following sections:
- Setting and Identifying goals
- Tracking and Monitoring goals
- Completing and Closing goals
I believe goals should be focused on achieving life lasting skills, relationships and changed behaviors or habits, not simply temporary or material things. The reason I believe this is because temporary and material things don’t really bring a true lasting satisfaction to anyone, so achieving them doesn’t build on the value of goals nearly as much as goal accomplishment in those other areas. A goal that is remembered and lasts forever will be much higher valued and will re-enforce the value of goal setting in the first place, even more. So, through these goal setting articles, keep focused on behavior impact of your goals, things you want with a lasting impact, not just some new job, toy, or even some dollar figure. What will last for years to come? What will you be most proud of on your death bed? What will help you leave a legacy to others when you pass on? Those are the types of content for great goals and accomplishing them is truly something to be proud of.
Goal Setting Series
Part 1: Goal Setting – Introduction
Part 2: Goal Setting – Setting and Identifying
Part 3: Goal Setting – Tracking and Monitoring
Part 4: Goal Setting – Completing and Close
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February 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 AM
[…] and focus on planned goals. I’ve written several posts already on goals which you can jump to them here for more details. Goals really are the key to accomplishing whatever you desire and so setting […]
February 13th, 2008 at 12:48 AM
[…] and focus on planned goals. I’ve written several articles already on goals which you can jump to them here for more details. Goals really are the key to accomplishing whatever you desire and so setting […]
March 21st, 2008 at 1:00 PM
[…] 1: Goal Setting – Introduction Part 2: Goal Setting – Setting and Identifying Part 3: Goal Setting – Tracking and Monitoring Part […]
March 21st, 2008 at 1:00 PM
[…] 1: Goal Setting – Introduction Part 2: Goal Setting – Setting and Identifying Part 3: Goal Setting – Tracking and Monitoring Part […]
March 21st, 2008 at 1:07 PM
[…] 1: Goal Setting – Introduction Part 2: Goal Setting – Setting and Identifying Part 3: Goal Setting – Tracking and Monitoring Part […]
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 PM
I’ve just realized that you have an article talking about Goal-Setting.
As you said Mike, Goal-Setting is a process not a single event, and this is what I have found through my reading in this aspect.
BR
Husain
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:20 PM
I’m glad you found it here then Husain. I better let you know as well, you will probably want to check the free resources page here at LearnThis.ca as it contains PDF versions of each of my series, including the goal setting one. Easier to download, keep and share with others than a bunch of web pages. Enjoy!
August 29th, 2010 at 5:27 PM
There is no value that you can put on great goal setting skills. Setting goals and achieving them is basically the only road to success.