Yes, goal
setting is as important as any other self-help topic listed at the Self Help Collective,
in my humble opinion.
And whilst there may well be many goal setting strategies
out there, making your goals SMART goals is the recommended way to go.
As
this page containing tips on setting goals will explain.
And you'll also
find some goal setting examples, here, including tips for setting career goals
and a YouTube video (from Ryan Celestain) that can help you reach a personal goal
(in Ryan's case running a 15Km race in less than an hour)
So, there's only
one thing left to do, now, and that's start...
Goal
setting tips - what I say...
I hate to admit this, but I think I am quite
typical when it comes to setting goals for myself - either in my work- or personal-life
- in that I avoid doing it as much as I can!
What an admission, eh!
But
I do still realise the importance of setting goals in your life so that you can
achieve things that are important to you. E.g. a new job, a new hobby, a big home
improvement project, continued education, etc.
So, as with quite a lot of
the self-help on offer here, this goal setting information
is as much for my benefit as it is for yours.
And I do - like you probably
- get around to goal-setting every now and then. Even for big projects like writing
a novel, or learning to play an instrument or building
a brand new website (called SelfHelpCollective.com) - I eventually sat down
and wrote down some goals, and then I took action...
I just need to do the
goal-setting thing on a more regular basis, that's all! ;-)
So here are
a few very of my goal setting steps. They're a bit basic, but I do think
you'll achieve whatever you want in life if you follow them...
Tip 1:
Make your goals smart goals (Note: making goals
Smart Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time-Based
is one of the most popular goal setting techniques that there is.)
Tip
2:Know why you want to achieve the goal. (This is something I just
learned from Christine Kloser in her article called: Goal Setting: 5 Secrets to
Help You Reach ALL of Your Goals, found on this goals
page.)
Tip 3: Make sure you take some action on these goals,
today.
As for Sharon Alexander's
goal setting example - that of setting career goals - she lays out 7 steps for
goal setting. And, to my mind, those steps reduce to the following goal setting
tips:
Tip 1: Know where you are (See 1. and 2., below)
Tip
2: Know where you want to go (See 3., below)
Tip 3: Do what you
have to do to take you there (See 4., 5., 6. and 7. )
And this seems a sensible
goal setting strategy, too.
The thing is, no matter what goal setting tip
you choose to follow, or what goal setting plans you choose to make, it really
is all about setting goals and taking action.
And,
hey, if you have any more goal setting examples then I'd love to hear about them
- please share your tips here !
Now
let's have a look at that important goal setting exercise of starting or changing
your career. Over to Sharon...
7 Career Goal Setting
Tips
Goal setting tips - what Sharon Alexander has to say...
You
are ready to start your first career or embark on a new one. You haven't really
decided what exactly you want to do but you know that it has to be something fulfilling.
One of the most important things you can do for your self is to sit down and do
some career goal setting.
You are the person who knows better than anyone
else about your career goals and it is time to decide what you want for certain.
If
you aren't sure what you want to do there are a number of ways for you to find
out this information. Here are 7 career goal setting tips to help:
1.
Write down everything you like to do -- although most people may find this
tedious and wonder what it has to do with career goals, it is one of the most
important steps you will take. By writing down what you like and what you don't
like you will have a list of traits that would work for you in a job.
2.
Take a career test -- many companies have you take a personality profile of
some type and it is a good idea. If your company doesn't offer it, you can find
several online. It is important to get a test of your personality that also gives
you a list of careers that match that personality type.
3. Do research
-- do a bit of research on the careers and see which ones match your list of things
you like to do. You may find that here are careers you never thought of before
that you may be happy doing.
4. Continue personal development --
since the world is constantly changing, start reading in the fields that interest
you. Find out the new innovations. You can gain a lot of knowledge by reading
or listening to audiotapes on a variety of subjects. Many you can borrow from
your public library.
5. Develop a networking plan - there are people
within and without a company that can be instrumental in helping you with your
career plans. If you aren't sure how to talk to people, start by just talking
to them about who they are and what they do. This will lead to other conversations.
6.
Find a mentor in the field -- when you are currently in a field you like or
you have chosen a couple, it's a good idea to find a mentor in the field who has
been their longer. They can give you career goal setting tips that will help you
move forward.
7. Think large and small -- what types of things can
you do to pursue your goals right now? If you have to go to school or find a job
in the field, you may be able to do smaller things that will lead to the larger
goal.
Career goal setting tips are helpful as you pursue the job of your
choice. Make the best out of this time.
About
the author: Sharon Alexander - Claim That Job For more information on how to
manage your career successfully, and to get a free job hunting report, visit Claim
That Job at http://www.claimthatjob.com
.
Goal
setting tips - what YouTube (and Ryan Celestain) say..
Ryan Celestain shows
you how he reached his goal of running a sub-60 minute 15km race, after previously
failing to break 60 minutes. This goal-setting video is 10-minutes long, but it
does make a great goal setting example and illustrates the importance of setting
goals - and telling everybody about them - and then being determined to follow
them through with action!
So, Ryan's goal setting strategies include: go
public!
Anyway... Go, Ryan, go!
(There's
a lot about visualization,
here, don't you the think!)
Goal setting tips - what
these recommended resources have to say...
