Personal goal setting

Personal goal setting is goal setting performed by individuals who want to achieve objectives that will result in the betterment of themselves or their situation. It is usually done through a systematic process that involves thought, determination and execution. Common personal goals include losing weight, achieving good grades, and saving money.

Steps

Before constructing personal goals one should consider how meaningful their objective is so it can establish a sense of value for the person pursing the goal. Adding value induces a motivational component that is needed to achieve the goal (Davis et al., 2016, p. 193–202).

Consider first, the "why" aspect of the goal to find your purpose for achieving it. Taking a look at the big picture before breaking it into smaller components allows one to focus on the primary goal attainment. Once the main goal is set, breaking it up into smaller, more achievable components helps in the planning portion of setting the goal. By curating these pieces in an organized timetable the goal setter is alleviated the anxiety one might feel towards large, broad tasks. The smaller components should reflect aspects of the overall goal, but offer more immediate feedback to keep the individual on task. The motivation for the process comes from the value established from larger, long-term goal, while the accomplishments of the smaller short-term goals increase self-esteem. Goals are all future-oriented, and the tendency of people to envision the future version of themselves creates an end desire where the trick is to break down the means in smaller, obtainable objectives. Even if the end is to maintain the current lifestyle that it becomes a goal which can also be fragmented into smaller categories.

Personal goal writing

The strategy for goal writing begins with the big picture, and extracting meaning and value for the individual as a tool for formulating motivation. Once the main goal is set, the writing of the process takes the tasks and breaks them up into more obtainable objectives that promote self-esteem, and instant feedback to keep the individual on task (Mouratidis, 2015, p. 643–647; Lens, 2012, p. 321–333).

Time management

Depending on the type of personal goal one wants to achieve impacts the time frame and small deadline components one should make for them selves. Time Management is the practice of systematically finishing tasks assigned to you by superiors or yourself in an efficient and timely manner. Time management steps require identifying the objective and laying out a plan that maximizes efficiency and execution of the objective (Foley, 2007, p. 199).

Short-term goals

The more specific, or short-term a goal is, like weight loss, budgeting, task completion, etc. one would benefit from very concise scheduling methods. By creating a plan with a specific form of measurement one might find it easier to stay on task, stay motivated, and follow a more rigorous system of monitoring performance. Characteristics of short-term goals are simplicity and reasonability. Choose something that can be accomplished on a predetermined schedule. Short-term goals can be an effective predecessor to long-term goals because they offer instant feedback, and help improve self-confidence. An effective way to make a schedule would be to actual create a visible reference base. This will provide an agenda as well as a record for accountability when it comes time to evaluate the goal status (Nikitina, 2012).

Long-term goals

Long-term goals are used to create a mental image of your end result of the goal. They may ultimately be harder to narrow down to specifics of path and deadlines. Categories like career goals, educational pursuits, or long-term financial planning often fall victim to external factors that can alter outcomes. Keeping the big picture in mind can help maintain value and motivation in pursuit of the long-term goals. While the long-term goals often hold the value for the pursuant, breaking them down into smaller more obtainable goals with a specific time frame can make them more effective (MindTools.com, 1996). The process of breaking down of long-term goals into realistic, short-term accomplishments can help build self-esteem, offer instant feedback, and provide check points to the individual to keep them on task (Training Journal, 2011, p. 55–58).

Goal-oriented tools/apps

There are many useful apps that help with goal setting; some of the categories include financial, wellness, calendar and alert apps. Budgeting Apps These types of apps allow the user to make short term and long term financial decisions with their income. By allocating certain earnings to self-constructed categories the user can make weekly, monthly, and yearly budgeting decisions to assist them in money management.

Health and wellness apps

These types of apps offer users to create fitness goals in the short-term or long-term to fit personal desires. After goals are assessed and a strategy for reaching desired outcome is created, the user can then begin the day-by-day tracking of dietary habits and exercise routines. The app allows users to follow short-term progress by breaking down the end result into smaller, obtainable goals.

Empirical research

The book What They Don’t Teach You in the Harvard Business School is known for the citing a study which found that written goals have a significant effect on financial success, but in 1996 Fast Company determined that this study did not occur.[1] In 2015, a research study on goals found those who wrote them down accomplished them at a significantly higher rate than those who did not.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Study focuses on strategies for achieving goals, resolutions — Dominican University of California". www.dominican.edu. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  2. ↑ "Study focuses on strategies for achieving goals, resolutions — Dominican University of California". www.dominican.edu. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
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