Goal setting
- By the end of March I will finish my second draft of my novel.
Flipping through my notebooks I find goals like these plastered everywhere. Goals are not dreams or wishes, they are targets for action plans. If you’ve read any literature at all on the subject, you know that writing down goals makes it more likely you will succeed, and that goals should follow the “S.M.A.R.T.” strategy- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and on a Timeline. The other commonly described goal is the stretch goal, which is described as a goal that seems out of reach but isn’t completely impossible.
“Yeah, yeah yeah, Jane,” you say. “Goals. I had goals, but I didn’t achieve them, life got in the way.”
Ok, go look at those goals now. Evaluate them.
Ask yourself a few questions.
- Did you make any progress toward your goal?
- Did you encourage or reward yourself for taking action on this goal?
- Was this goal given to you from the outside world?
- Are you still the same person who wanted these goals?
- What will happen if you let go of this goal? Any negative consequences?
- Do you want to make a whole-hearted commitment to trying again?
- Do you want to make a different goal instead?
- What tripped you up the most in trying to achieve the goal- scheduling, motivation, fear, other people, unfortunate events?
- Is there anything you can change to make this goal easier?
- Did you break it down into smaller chunks?
Ok, now make some new goals. Here are the rules- the goals must be something you are willing to commit to, that you have reasonable amount of time to complete, that don’t involve other people giving you approval or permission, and that will give you satisfaction and enjoyment in working towards them (not just achieving them).
Now, think about how to achieve those goals. What are the obstacles- do you have solutions to overcome them, a “plan b” when things go wrong? What are you going to do to encourage yourself? How can you get support from loved ones? Do you have the tools and space you need to start?
Share your goals with people you trust to encourage you. Get to it!
