Goal Setting

Life for me isn't like a box of chocolate. It's more like a cheesy macaroni or a tuna casserole. I remember, when I was a kid, I hated sticky and icky for it gives me instant nausea. As soon as I see one, I'm feel the urge to puke out all my morning breakfast. Well, the evil mom harassed me into nibbling a piece of this crap so I learned to like it then love it. Challenge is life's fabric. If you won't dare, you won't bear.

The office is a battlefield. The big boss is the greatest opponent of all. Nothing's ever right, and he complains just about everything (I'd rather go home to my nagging wife!). To further reign in doom, he raised a delusive quota to reach. At the end of the month, we're all frustrated and stressed out. The records were sluggish, and we didn't even budge. Why? Because it ain't a challenge at all! It's mission imposible, that's why.

Then he changed his strategy. He gave us lower quotas and lenient work loads. After a month, we had the perfect turn out. After another three, we're still hitting some quotas. But after a while work became such a bore. I was starting to like my boss and I hate it. It's such a rut!

So what seems to be the problem? There isn't enough challenge. It's the challenge that fuels our desire, that tenses our nerves, stresses us out, but in the end stimulates a sense of accomplishment or some sort of drive. A challenge is like a libido.

What's the hitch besides finally eating that cheesy macaroni? Set up the right challenge, the right quota--enough to stir, enough to smear. How the hell would anybody know about the right quota or challenge? I don't know, ask my boss, he's the one who sits around and receives a large paycheck, that's why I hate him more and more.

In a corporate world, VIPS may stand for "very important person", normally they are the head jerks of a company or the so-called managers that you wish to please by fawning-- just so you can strike a deal or be able to retain your most precious job. Don't be surprised but VIPS are all about you.

We've heard enough about goal settings. There are numerous discussions and probably by now, you already know how important it is, not only in your job but in your life. But before you set goals, what will be your criteria?

They say that goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible. Actually they are just super imposed guidelines. Given those facts, where do goals come from? How do we come up with these so-called goals. Think no more! The answer is VIPS.

VIPS mean Values, Interests, Personality and Skills. The most common goal in life perhaps is to succeed whether you measure sucesss through family, marriage, or a job promotion, it actually varies depending on your VIPS. Values is your crede. It determines what kind of person you are or the person you want to be. Interests are your devotion and passion. It emanates both an aura of energy and fufillment. On the othar hand, personality is fuelled by your values in life. It takes shape through chain of experiences entangled in your existing worlds, the family, the environment and the society; while skills are acquired practice of knowledge. In most occurrences, it is the tangible and somewhat visible facet in you.

Follow the pattern List down your VIPS and you may actually evaluate what you want out of life. And soon, the goals you've set will be personally-rewarding and satisfying.

Goals may be just out of your reach but not out of your sight. This means that in setting goals, it should be realistic and achievable. Many individuals get to the top of the ladder because of effective goal setting and better career building. Psychological gurus recommend that one way to effectively set your objectives is to write it down on a piece of paper such as a post-it paper or a journal. You should put or post it on a conspicuous area, perhaps on your office table, your personal calendar, or on your desktop.

This way, you can be conscious on the targets you have set. It would always remind you to work towards its accomplishment. Hence, it is very necessary to state your goals in the right way because if written erroneously, you would probably miss your target. I know that's too much work and pain to experience.

Here are some points to ponder when writing your objectives. First, always make your goal statements are affirmative or positive. Remember that you have a subconscious mind that follows instructions whether they are positive or negative; hence, the more affirmative directions you state, the more affirmative outcome you can get. Next, write your objectives in complete and specific detail. By doing this, you are giving your mind a thorough set of directions it can work on. The more details you state, the clearer and more accurate the final results become. Last, state your goals in current time or the present form and in first-person point of view. For instance, instead of jotting down, "I'll get a fulfilling career in Business Management", write down "I am getting a career in Business Management". This makes your goal as true and the probability fulfilling it is greater. Just make sure you end up really achieving those goals or else, it's would just all be on paper, dude.

Purpose is the engine that powers our lives. Everyone has purpose. For some, it's to eat. For most Americans, it is to make Friday a "TGIF" at the local pub or bar. For you and I, personal growth, contribution, creative expression, loving relationships, and spiritual harmony are the common goals that make us uncommon people.

Specifically, written goals are the tools which make purpose achievable. Since the mind is a biocomputer, it needs definitive instructions and directions. The reason most people don't reach their goals is that they don't define them, learn about them, or ever seriously consider them as believable and achievable. There are a lot of winning career tips, but they are futile if you don't set your goals in the first place.

Don't fail by default simply by not setting specific and realistic goals. You have to remember that the mind is goal-seeking by design. Hence, to be successful, you should have short-term and long-term game plans in life that are clearly defined and something you can constantly refer to. Concentrate on them and be positive that you can achieve them through hard work and perseverance. Bear in mind that the more you are focused and strong-minded towards your objectives, accomplishing them can become a reality.

Every person has a different goal. Some want to excel in their careers while others are contented to build relationships with loved ones, friends, and the community. Others target to build their own homes or increase their bank accounts so that they will have all the personal financial freedom they like.

Indeed, we have different goals for our life but setting goals should not be done haphazardly. Psychologists say that setting life objectives should not be far-fetched. It should be within the bounds of one's ability. Frustration and distress will result if you cook up an objective that is out of your sight. In short, be realistic, okay?

Personal goals should be just out of your reach but not out of sight, meaning you should have realistic and achievable goal set. You should learn how to move towards the accomplishment of that goal and to psychologically reinforce that to yourself. Always try to visualize yourself doing it and accomplishing it. Moving towards your goals need not be just a gradual physical move, but it can also be a visual one. This way, you really feel like you are moving ahead. You need determination and consistency to carry out these objectives you set. Try to stick with your objective come what may, because this will test your patience and determination towards the achievement of that goal.

In every major project, chances are conflicts will arise among your team. The pressure of meeting the deadline and trying to put everyone's best foot forward is enough to culminate to disputes and disagreements. If you're a leader you should have what it takes to control and manage your people and resolve the issues within your team. Common sense would have us resolve the matter on our own. While this may seem beneficial at first, it could lead to trouble later on. How? If you keep solving problems by yourself, people will rely on you all the time to resolve conflicts.

As managers, your job is not to fix problems everytime it rears its ugly head. Instead, your task is to enhance the self-confidence and build self-esteem of the people who work for you so they will learn to solve problems for themselves. Don't carry the burden of resolving issues, instead ask them about their opinions on how to solve the problem. You might be surprised and pleased because they might give you really good answers.

Here are some ways in to train your people to solve their problems without relying on you. Before giving out advices, make your employees realize the gravity of the situation. Keep all the promises you made, especially the small ones. When someone achieves success, make sure you commend their efforts. Everyone has potentials, help your employees unlock theirs. Ensure that your employees are doing the right things.

Goal setting can be demonstrated in many ways. One simple and concrete example of goal setting can be found in team sport coordination. A team sport such as hockey, for instance has the simple goal of shooting the putt disc. However, this simple goal is not easy to achieve. The opposing team will try to prevent it from happening. Hence, careful planning is necessary. The successful execution of the plan will depend on the ability of team members to work as a group.

Corporate and investment settings are similar to team sports goal setting. However, the factors involved are more complex and varied. Goal setting can be either routine goal-setting or long-term goal-setting. Routine goal setting may involve daily sales quota and production quota. This type of goal setting already has well-established methods and controls.

Long-term goal setting, on the other hand, is open to many uncertainties. Not all obstacles can be foreseen. Thus, long-term goal setting require detailed planning. One example of long-term goal-setting is corporate expansion and diversification. This type of goal setting may require years before it can be accomplished. The long-term goal must be divided into smaller goals with specific time frame.

Some people don't realize that setting goals in life gives more value to the definition of self-fulfillment. Achieving goals in life is a very satisfying accomplishment that one can really be proud of. If you don't believe in setting some goals, well, you better ask yourself if you are one of successful people of this generation.

There are smart ways to attain your goals. You can apply them too, and belief that one day you are one of successful guys in the world. Just encourage yourself that if some people can do great things, you can also do those stuff, perfectly.

Let's start our smart rules with the letter S, for be "Specific." You have to envision a clearly defined objective. Set in your mind a particular objective, and focus. Then M, for "Measurable." Make sure that you know how far you have been gone, and how far that you have to run to attain your goal. A is for "Attainable," is it achievable? Realistic for R. And, T for "Timeline." When do you like to get gold?

Some books on management feature cover designs illustrating V-formation flight of geese. The V-formation flight pattern is an excellent example of leadership and teamwork in an organization. The V-formation is intended to enable the birds to fluidly fly with very minimum air resistance and effort.

The lead bird has the responsibility of breaking the air resistance. This bird carries the majority of the burden for the group. The lead bird is usually the strongest bird. However, this bird is periodically replaced. When a member of the group is injured, two birds will escort him into a safe place until he recovers.

An efficient business operation is patterned to the behavior of the birds in V-formation flight. Franchise business establishments operate by the basic principle of teamwork through efficient management. Goal setting is usually the task of top management. The top management gives the general direction for the business. Goal setting is not an arbitrary task. Goal setting is always based on previous experiences. Goals are only realistic when every member of a team has a well-defined role. Goal setting also involves proper financial planning for the group.

Great business ideas are the powerful motivations that that create and sustain the economic stability of a nation. Great business ideas create enterprises that provide jobs for millions of people. These ideas are the foundations of a building a globally competitive nation.

Great business ideas create wealth and sustain progress. These ideas shape society and influence the standard of living. However, no matter how great your ideas may be and no matter how big is your financial resources, ideas can still fail. There are external and internal factors that determine the success of an idea.

One significant internal factor that affects the success of an idea is goal setting. Clearly defined goals serve as roadmap for your ideas. The process of goal setting will enable you or your organization to concentrate efforts and resources in achieving the necessary steps. Goal setting will also enable you to avoid distractions that may only delay the achievement of your ideas. Long-term goals should be divided into smaller units. There should be a well-defined time table for achieving these smaller goals. Planning properly will greatly help in successfully defining your course of actions.

Goal setting is very important in both individual and organizational direction. Without a set of clearly defined goals, individuals and organizations are like driving with blindfolds. Clearly defined goals are essential in achieving great things. Goals give direction and meaning to all efforts. Goal setting is particularly significant in the management of business ventures. Goal setting is also central in proper financial planning and creating investment strategies. Goals are like road maps that can guide you to the right direction.

Goal setting should be as specific as possible. General goals should be subdivided into specific goals. These specific goals must be incorporated in your plans. Each specific goal must have corresponding action or steps. Having limited personal or organizational resources, goals should be realistic. You should not set goals far beyond your resources or abilities. For instance, do not set a multi-billion dollar profit if your investment is only within the range of hundred thousand dollars. Goal setting should be time-bound. A goal or set of goals is only achievable if you can clearly define the time necessary for the goal to be successfully achieved.

I think that a successful personal planning needs a successful goal setting to go with it. Before, I had so much difficulty on laying out my personal plans. I didn't know where to start and how to begin my plans. I simply had no direction in life even if I wanted to achieve so many things. It's just frustrating how you want something but you just can't get there. I think this feeling goes for anyone who does not know how to organize a personal plan. From money matters to life plans, you have to know how to plan.

I learned that the most effective way to achieve something is to have a goal setting. Goal setting is a good way of motivating yourself to achieve your personal plans. Goal setting gives you a target. So, you wouldn't have to waste your efforts on things that would not help you reach your personal plans, just like in the football game strategy. You don't tackle the enemy who doesn't have the ball. You go for the person who has it. You go for the target. When you tackle someone else who doesn't have your target, you'll just be wasting your time and energy.

Goal setting makes your plans more efficient and realistic. From your vague plans, you can already narrow it down to your ultimate goal. Then, the only thing left to do is to achieve your goal. Once you have focus on something, it would be so easy to reach that goal.

Let's admit it, setting goals is very easy. What's challenging in the process of goal setting is actually achieving the goals that you have made for yourself. Some people tend to set goals for themselves without looking into their personal relationships with the different aspects of their lives. To have an effective goal setting, you must know your capabilities and you must also live within your means. Now, what do I mean by that? Basically, you have to set goals that you're capable of achieving. Of course it's not so bad to go a step or two higher, but still be realistic with your goal setting. That way, you'll have a step-by-step guide to reaching that ultimate goal, one day at a time.

Goal setting isn't at all tricky. First thing you need to do is "identify" the aspects in your life which you think needs improvement and development, and work on those problem areas. After you have enumerated your problem areas, you can now decide what goals to set. You can already separate the things in your life that needs tweaking, and the parts of your life that should stay the same way. The next thing is, you have to achieve the goals that you have set. This would take time because it's you that you're working on. You need a good and relationship with yourself to be able to have patience and understanding of your own life. Always remember that a positive personal outlook also leads a carefree healthy life. Thus, if you have organized yourself, the other visible goals in your life would be easier to achieve.

Dear Ultimate Achiever:

While it’s good that you set goals and are able to meet them, if only through rigorous planning and multi-tasking, sometimes it won’t hurt to falter once in a while and fall short of your target. Remember, you are only human and not an assembly line. You can only do so much. Be realistic and cut yourself some slack. Many of us can be so obsessed with results and getting them perfect that we tend to forget the real essence of our work. Perfection can be a driving force that makes us strive for more, to push ourselves to the limit. But the limit shouldn’t be the ever-elusive line of the horizon that keeps getting far the moment you think you have it. Be kind to yourself and learn to recognize those little triumphs. Don’t be stingy with the self-congratulations and self-rewards. If you fail though, remember that it’s not the mistakes that count but the lessons you apply in your future endeavors.

Sincerely, your Friend.

One must admit that failure is something that is very hard to accept. What is even more difficult is refusing to undertake a task for fear of not succeeding.

It is quite difficult to start a new project when one thinks of the possible failures that he/she might experience. This should be a no-no for you if you wish to reach a goal.

It is actually possible to overcome fear of failure. First, one must learn to decide on things. Opportunities do knock only once. Make the best of these opportunities. Second, is for you to never give up. Successful people didn't reach the top with just one try. You can too. You just need to learn from all your mistakes. Lastly, don't dwell too much on the failure. There's a lot more room for improvements. Use the time to think of ways to improve your performance.

Napoleon Hill once said that a man without a definite goal is like a ship that has lost its rudder. Everyone can make goals but not everyone knows what goals should be. A successful manager always knows that goal-setting not only improves overall performance but also allows each company member to cross hurdles, gain more confidence and keep on succeeding.

Goals should be either long term or short term. They should also be realistic and challenging enough, based on a person's history of achievements. As life changes, goals should fit in the mould of opportunities present. It is important to set an achievable deadline with specific details. There's a world's difference betwen performance and outcome goals, according to experts. Performance goals help you "eat the elephant little by little". Outcome goals, however, set you up for disappointment since you cannot control external circumstances.

Managers are chosen because of their ability to plan and anticipate problems, trends or patterns. It is this anticipation that can make or break a project, sometimes even before it starts. Some people tend to over-analyze things, spending too much time on anticipating and planning for every eventuality. Not that it's a bad thing, but spending too much of your time in analysis will result in lost opportunities and delayed production.

You don't have to have been trained in a business solutions program like Franklin Covey to know what to do. All you have to do is to get up and go. Know what you want, make a plan, and then go for the goal. Don't worry about what could happen. What's important is that you're out there dealing with them as they happen, not speculating on what you'll do when it happens.

Motivation is a powerful thing. With it, a team can do what is expected of it and more. Without it, mediocrity and complacency can be the only result. As a manager and leader, you are expected to provide motivation for your staff, but of course, you can't do it all the time. You also have a job to do.

So how do you do it? One solution is to hang a poster with a motivational poster or a banner with a motivational saying or quote in a place where it can be easily seen and read. That way, when your staff needs some inspiration and motivation, they just need to glance at it and be encouraged to tough it out.

I would suggest you to get such a poster similar to the ones from Successories, that famous line that makes motivational materials. They have items for inspiration and encouragement on a number of topics ranging from leadership to golf! I'm sure you'll find one that'll fit your company's culture and flavor.

A manager is expected to be a leader. That much is certain. As a leader, you, the manager, are expected to of course lead, and to make change. These changes can range from your style of leadership, innovative ideas and relations with your staff. Heck, even your very presence brings change. So be prepared for the way things change with you taking the reigns.

Change affects the people you work with and the people you work for. And as a leader, it's your responsibility to steer your people through this potentially chaotic time.

A leader should also affect change, not just guide their staff through it. If you're not changing things for the better, then you're not leading as you should.

As a manager, we may feel tempted to do everything all at the same time. We may even feel guilty for not doing them all. But this is a bad idea waiting to happen.

True, there are many demands for your time, but remember that you're just one person. Your time, if not your energy, are limited. There is only so much you can do at any given time. Keep your focus and you'll succeed.

Doing many things at the same time, dividing your focus and your efforts, will only result in lackluster performance. It's better to do some things well, than do many things with only average quality.

Goals should never be too low or too high, but be kept in a realistic target. Too low a goal will result in a low opinion of one's potential, or possibly overconfidence in one's self. While it is a good thing to have faith in one's capabilities, being overly confident of oneself is just inviting failure. Setting goals too high will only set you up for a big fall and disappointment when you can't just realize them for now. This will sap your creativity, your will to work hard and result in low productivity.

That's why setting high, but realistic goals are the ideal way to go. Having an attainable goal will boost your confidence and encourage you to go for the next goal with confidence and a feeling that you can really do it.

Continuity is important, especially in a project. That's why a project has to follow a certain procedure or process so that it can be properly documented and appraised. This can prevent waste and loss of time and effort. But sometimes we can get so lost or engrossed with procedure and process that we can and sometimes, do lose sight of what is really important, the overall product or result of our projects.

Sometimes we have to ignore or skip procedures in order to accomplish our goals. It isn't really recommended to do this all the time, but there are times when it has to be done.

Keeping focus can be a difficult task. One can get all sorts of distractions and get off the path they were originally on. Hopefully with this list, we can help you get back on track.

Simplicity is the key. Have a definite goal in mind. Being vague will only make you more distracted by similar goals unrelated to your own.

Be sure to remember your goal and make it memorable. Even the slightest similarity, the smallest coincidence should remind and spark you to work harder towards it.

Recognize your enemies. Mediocrity, bad habits, competition are but some of your enemies. Recognizing them helps you avoid them and continue on with your goals.

Learn to differentiate between long and short term goals. Your short-term goals should, in some way, contribute to your long-term goals. Both are important to your whole being.

Accept that you might not agree with everybody. Different people, different definitions of success. It's that simple.

Success does not come fast or easy. You can't buy or instant-mix success. You will have to work hard for it.

Success does not come without sacrifice. Success, like many things in life, has a price. Be sure you are ready to pay it.

Remember that all things change, your goals with them.

Keeping these tips in mind will ensure you keep your focus on what you want most: The completion of your goal.

We've talked about getting there, but what about what we're working towards? All the proper resource and time management skills don't mean squat when you don't have a goal to work towards.

Goals may be personal, they can be the objectives of a company or organization. Whatever goals are, it's important that we learn how to achieve them. Here are a few tips on how to reach them:

State each goal as a positive statement - No use beating yourself up more, is there? Instead of saying "don't", learn to say "do this better"

Be precise - Being vague rarely helps anyone, and if you're not specific enough, things can get misinterpreted. Set an exact time, date and amount of achievement for yourself. That way you can measure yourself when you meet the goal.

Set priorities - This helps you avoid being overwhelmed by too many things happening all at once.

Write goals down - This gives your goals weight and seeing them written down will give them more importance over other smaller, trivial things.

Keep operational goals small - This will give you a sense of achievement as you progress from one small goal to another, instead of slaving away at one big goal and seemingly making no progress.

Set performance goals, not outcome goals - This will help you take control over your goals, as setting goals based on outcomes have too many variables. by setting performance goals, it's up to you to deliver the goods.

Set realistic goals - This helps you from getting disappointed when you fail to achieve a goal that is set too high. There are any things that can happen along the way, and one must be prepared for any outcome.

Do not set goals too low - This encourages laziness and complacency, so beware! Always set a goal just out of reach, but not far enough that it's impossible to attain. Moderation is key.

I can only hope that these tips can help you get what you want out of life, and good luck to you all!