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The Art of the Goal
Do you have clearly defined written goals? Or are they just in
your head? Research shows that those people who actually sit down
and write out their goals not only end up achieving them, but have
higher incomes and ratings for overall success and life satisfaction.
According to Brian Tracy in his book Goals!, there is a study
that reveals just how effective written goals can be. Here is what
Tracy reports:
Mark McCormack, in his book What They
Don’t Teach You at
Harvard Business School, tells of a Harvard study conducted between
1979 and 1989. In 1979, the graduates of the MBA program were asked, “Have
you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to
accomplish them?” It turned out that only 3 percent of the
graduates had written goals and plans. Thirteen percent had goals,
but not in writing. Fully 84 percent had no specific goals at all.
Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the members
of that same class again. They found that the 13 percent who had
goals that were not in writing were earning twice as much as the
84 percent of students who had no goals at all. And most surprisingly,
they found that the 3 percent of graduates who had clear, written
goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, 10 times
as much as the other 97 percent of graduates all together. The
only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals
they had for themselves when they graduated.
Yes, you read that correctly. The
3 percent who had clear, written goals earned ten times as much
as the 97 percent who didn’t
have clear, written goals. Almost all successful people have goals,
and outstanding high achievers have clearly defined written goals.
That said, how come so few people actually write out their goals?
Why Not Set Goals?
There are four main reasons people
don’t set clear goals
and write them out. Many people
say they can’t be bothered
to take the time to sit and write them out, preferring to keep
them in their heads. But no one is really that busy, as it only
takes a few minutes. The real reasons are probably deeper, involving
the fact that if they are kept in “the head,” it is
easy to change, revise and ignore them. This avoids accountability
issues and facing failure. Looking further into the psychological
reasons, we find the following four factors:
| 1 |
First,
most people don’t realize the importance of goals. If
you grow up in a home where no one has goals or you socialize
with a group where goals are neither discussed nor valued,
you can very easily reach adulthood without knowing that your
ability to set and achieve goals will have more of an effect
on your life than any other skill. Look around you. How many
of your friends or family members are clear and committed to
their goals? Successful people are all committed to action
plans. They set goals out in writing and follow them. |
| 2 |
They
don’t know how to set goals. Some
people confuse goals with wishes and fantasies. They think
in terms of “having
a lot of money,” “getting a great job,” “having
a nice family,” “getting fit,” without
breaking these wishes down into their component parts and
the action steps it would take.
These aren’t goals
but wishes and fantasies common to everyone. A goal is
different. It is clear, specific and measurable. You know
when you have achieved it or not. |
| 3 |
They
have a fear of failure. If
goals aren’t written down,
we can change them to match what is actually achieved without
having to face any feelings of failure. Furthermore, many people
make the mistake of setting goals that are easily attained
in order to avoid failing. This is a form of unconscious self-sabotage.
They end up going through life functioning at sub-optimal levels
rather than at the level they are truly capable. |
| 4 |
They
have a fear of rejection. The fourth
reason people don’t
set clear, written goals, is that they fear they will be seen
by others as ridiculous if they fail. They don’t want
to face criticism be seen as not capable or worthy. This is
one reason to keep goals confidential when you begin to start
out with goal setting, other than sharing with your coach,
mentor or a trusted peer. |
3 Reasons Your Goals May not Work
Knowing the barriers to successful
goal-setting, you are ready to learn how to set goals that will
help you succeed and find the satisfaction you deserve. You
may already have in mind three important goals for yourself that
you’ve been wanting to achieve for
a while. Go ahead and write them down now; save them for review
later. Before you can set effective goals, however, you need to
consider the three elements listed below:
There are three main reasons why your goals may fail to inspire
and motivate change.
| 1 |
The
goal isn’t valued enough—you haven’t committed
your mind and heart. It doesn’t align with your values.
It may be something someone else thinks you should do, or,
it may compete with other values you find more important. |
| 2 |
Your
goal isn’t specific—it’s too broad and overwhelming.
While “getting fit” is admirable, it really isn’t
a goal—rather the outcome of attaining the more specific
goals of working out regularly, doing sports and eating less
junk food. |
| 3 |
Your
goal isn’t supported—you don’t
have a coach or mentor to cheer you on in your little successes,
or to help you come back after a setback. |
Each of these elements must be carefully considered in creating
goals that you can achieve. Once you have aligned your goals with
your true identity, values and life purpose, you will find them
easier to accomplish. The energy will flow, because the goals are
an expression of your true self. Then, when you have written down
your goals in a specific, clear, measurable way that is time-framed,
the small steps along the way will become evident. This also keeps
the energy flowing, and helps you to remain focused on the goal.
The best way to get support for your goals is from a coach. Friends
and family members may be helpful, or not. A professionally trained
coach is an expert at helping you to achieve what you want. He
or she can also help you with the goal setting process to ensure
that your goals are aligned with your values.
Resources:
Tracy, B.
(2003). Goals! How to Get Everything You Want —Faster
Than You Ever Thought Possible. Berrett-Koehler.
Cairo, J. (1998). Motivation and Goals: How to Set and Achieve
Goals and Inspire Others. Career Press.
The Art of the Goal: (Part 2)
Aligning with Identity and Values
“Begin with the end in mind,” encourages
Stephen Covey. When you look at your life, there are so many
goals you could pursue. But before you can set meaningful goals
for yourself, you need to know where you want to go. If you clearly
understand where you want to be, you can make sure your actions
bring you closer to that place each and every day.
Corporations spend billions every year
on strategic planning. They align
their business goals and operations with their mission and values – their
core reasons for being in business. Executives also involve themselves
in similar planning sessions with their executive coaches. They
examine their strengths and weaknesses with their coach, they
look at their career and personal goals, and make strategic decisions
about where and how to spend their time and energy.
Life coaches do the same thing with
individuals. They explore and
clarify with you your identity, your values, and your true purpose
in life. How can you know what you need to do, where you need
to spend your time and energy, if you don’t know what
is most important to you? This is difficult and important work.
And it is hard to do alone. Taking the time to make personal definitions
for yourself will make the process of goal setting and staying
on track much easier.
Regardless of whether your goals are to finish a college degree,
get a better job, buy a home, or lose weight, the process is the
same. Goals you set must be consistent with your true identity
if you want to sustain your motivation over time.
Here are three essential elements you must consider before writing
down your goals:
| 1 |
Examine
your identity: Quite simply, who are you? Self-awareness
is the cornerstone to emotional intelligence and so important
that this one feature will do more for your success in life
than any other social competency. If you know yourself well,
you can choose a path aligned with your strengths and weaknesses.
You will not get distracted by people, places and things
that are not congruent with your true self.
How do you improve your self-awareness? Through working
with your coach, doing assessments, examining your attitude,
your passions, your self-image, examining your assumptions
and beliefs and being willing to ask for and receive feedback.
Avoid defining yourself in terms of external things (job
titles, education, family roles, etc.) and look at your personal
integrity, ethics, and things that are important to you.
There are several behavior styles and personality type assessments
available through your coach. Learning about your own preferred,
natural way of behaving and thinking can greatly improve
your understanding of yourself. As a side benefit, it also
improves your understanding of others different from yourself.
Ask your coach about the DiSC, PIAV, Meyers-Briggs, or other
assessment tools.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to gain clarity about
your identity:
When thinking about myself, what am I most proud of?
How would my friends describe me?
How would my co-workers describe me?
What does my family say about me?
What are the three most important areas in my personal life?
How have I changed over my adult years?
What are my strengths?
What do I avoid or dislike doing? |
| 2 |
Define your values:
What are your most fundamental beliefs? Identify three important
moral values that are important to you. The more clearly
defined your values are, the more energy and focus you will
have for your goals. Values provide the basic structure you
need to build your personal life, your career, your business
and any other aspect of your life.
Consider your attitude towards other people. Think about
your current obligations to your community, family and friends.
Reflect on the core beliefs you have that you would want
to pass on to the younger generation. If you were to mentor
someone, what values would you project as being most important
in the world? |
Here is an exercise to help define your values. Look over the
following list of values and rank each from 1 to 10 (with 1 representing
values most important to you). Be sure to add any that are important
to you but not on this list.
| Security |
Wealth |
Good
health |
| Relationship
with spouse |
Relationship
with children |
Relationship
with family |
| Fame/recognition |
Job/career |
Power |
| Happiness |
Friendship |
Retirement |
| Owning
your own business |
Long
life |
Travel |
| Respect
of peers |
Spiritual
fulfillment |
Charity |
| Having
fun |
Sports/fitness |
Learning/education |
Peace/tranquility |
Influence |
Integrity/ethics |
Artistic
expression
|
Community
involvement |
Ecology/environment |
What are the five values you ranked the highest? Those five values
should be receiving 80% of your time and energy. Write down your
five most important values on a separate sheet of paper and post
them somewhere you will see them every day. This will drive your
actions and keep you focused on what is most important.
These values are the foundation of your success. They help you
prioritize the goals you set for yourself. Without values clearly
defined and prioritized, it is difficult to prioritize goals. This
makes it easier to make a choice when commitments compete for your
attention.
| 3 |
stablish
your goals: Goal setting
is not easy. It is hard work requiring time and thought.
It means soul searching. Fear of failure – and
fear of success – can stop people from setting clear
goals and interferes with the process of actually putting
them into writing.
If you have completed steps one
and two – you have
examined your identity and clarified your values – then
you have already done the hard work. The goal setting should
be a natural extension of your values.
If you value good health, then your goals of eating well
and exercising regularly follow naturally. Focus on only
three goals at a time, in order to be focused. Break each
goal down to two or three components, along with specific,
measurable, realistic time-frames.. |
Resources:
Tracy, B.
(2003). Goals! How to Get Everything You Want —Faster
Than You
Ever Thought Possible. Berrett-Koehler.
The Art of the Goal (Part 3):
What’s so SMART about Goals?
Goals are very exciting and energizing.
They drive us to achieve beyond
our expectations. They make it easier for us to focus and concentrate,
and give us permission to say “no” to
distractions. Then dreams really do come true. But unless you spend
time to explore, plan and prioritize, setting the wrong goals can
lead to disappointment and disillusion. This saps your energy and
motivation.
It is crucial that you motivate both your mind (what you think
you should do) and your heart (what you value). It is difficult
to examine your values, beliefs, and true purpose without a trusted
partner such as a coach. Once you have explored with your coach
what is really important to you in your life (career, family, community,
your values and purpose), it should become clear what you need
to do. Your goals are a natural extension of your values.
Goal Setting is Not for Sissies!
If you have prioritized 3 areas or
values in your life, you are ready to set your goals. Three
is an ideal number, as more than that can disperse your focus
and concentration. You should be prepared to spend time, money
and energy on achieving these goals. Remember, goal setting is
not for sissies! It requires sacrifice. You have to really want
to achieve them and be willing to say “no” to
distractions.
At this point you’re ready to
cast those ideas into the form of a SMART goal. A SMART goal
is:
S—specific
M—measurable
A—attainable
R—realistic
T—time framed
| 1 |
Be specific when you write down a goal. Narrow
your focus. “Getting
fit” is not a goal, but an outcome. “Exercising
regularly” is not specific enough. Write down things
like, “Ride bike 40 minutes four times a week (Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday).” Start small and start
specific. You can always expand goals as you make progress.
Don’t try to be all inclusive. Focus on making progress
on two or three goals before expanding them. The more you
can refine and define, the more specific you are, the easier
it is to stay focused. Don’t forget to ask for the
help of your coach. Your coach can send you email reminders
and hold you accountable.
|
| 2 |
Write down your goals
and their measures. You will need to track the minutes, the
days or the number of times you engage in your goal behavior.
If you don’t complete the originally defined time or
measure, write down the minutes you did complete. This will
track your efforts and help sustain you when you lack energy
or motivation. |
| 3 |
Make sure the goal
you write down is attainable and realistic. If you know that
40 minutes on the bike will exhaust you, or create stress because
of the time involved in showering, changing, or other inconveniences,
then change the goal to something easier and more attainable.
|
Make sure your goal is something you
like to do. When you create pleasurable
memories when you are engaged in the activity, then you increase
your chances of doing it more often. If running on a treadmill
makes you think of sweat and dread, then think about the fun
you have when you run outdoors with a friend. One person reads
books on a stationery bike, and the memory of reading a good
story is associated with exercising. Some people find it useful
to reward themselves after goal activity, as long as the reward
doesn’t sabotage.
“No pain, no gain” is true
in many areas of goal setting. Remember, if there is too much
pain, you will not gain your goal. Make sure you are willing
to pay the price of achieving your goal.
By the same token, you need to evaluate and review your goals
so that they are not too easy. If you are well on your way to achieving
your goals, then you may have set them too low. Try stretching
them 10 or 20 percent. If you are not on track, give yourself permission
to reduce them by 10 percent. You should review them regularly
with your coach and look at issues of alignment with your values.
If you are not achieving your goals, you may have picked the wrong
goals. People usually do what they want to do, and if you are choosing
not to follow your goals, there is a reason that needs to be explored
with your coach.
| 4 |
Your goals
need to be time-framed. There needs to be a beginning and an
end. This would look something like this: Have a fifteen percent
increase in sales by the end of the year. This should be tracked
at regular intervals. Furthermore, since sales increase could
be a function of number of clients, there might be more specific
goals for number of client contacts. |
For example, you may have a goal of writing one article a week
for your newsletter or e-zine to your clients and prospects. This
may mean you need to read two books a month, spend one hour a week
of internet or library research, and spend at least an hour writing,
editing and formatting each week.
As you track your progress, ask for someone to hold you accountable.
Research shows that it is easier
to stay on track when you have support and reminders. Your coach
is trained and has expertise in this area. Ask for help. You don’t
have to do this alone.
What to Do When Goals are Incomplete
There are no failures. With the help of your coach, you can review
without judgment and look at your shortages. This is where real
learning about yourself takes place. The self-awareness that can
be gained when you set a goal that you do not achieve is worth
the price of admission.
But these lessons are difficult lessons to learn by yourself.
With a coach, reviewing the reasons for incompletion tells us something
about our true values, competing commitments, real priorities and
gives us invaluable information about what really matters to us.
If self-sabotage appears, there are
reasons that can be examined. Often
there are “old tapes” or
outdated assumptions and beliefs that can be re-examined and
revised. Our goals bring out limiting beliefs about ourselves.
But rather than giving in to them, use your coach to explore
them and to revise them into empowering beliefs.
Choosing and planning your goals is hard work. It takes time and
commitment. The rewards, however, are great. By aligning your head
with your heart you will set meaningful, attainable goals that
will help you make progress toward what you truly value in your
life.
Working
Resources is a Leadership Consulting, Training and Executive Coaching
Firm Helping Companies Assess, Select, Coach and Retain Emotionally
Intelligent People; Emotional Intelligence-Based Interviewing and
Selection; Multi-Rater 360-Degree Feedback; Career Coaching; Change
Management; Corporate Culture Surveys and Executive Coaching.
Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist and Executive Coach
Trusted Advisor to Senior Leadership Teams
Subscribe to Working Resources FREE E-mail Newsletter.
E-mail:mbrusman@workingresources.com . Type Subscribe Newsletter.
Voice: 415-546-1252 Web:www.workingresources.com
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