Many Americans vaguely know how to set goals, but they stray away from them because they don’t want to face the possibility of failure. Perhaps they tried to do something in the past and failed. Or maybe they see how important the goal is to them and fear the massive letdown should the critical mission be unsuccessful. The risk of failing to set realistic goals is that you may end up settling for habits, people and situations that are not good for you. So often people stay in destructive relationships and work dead-end jobs just to avoid the process of setting goals. It’s time to stop procrastinating; here’s a guide to setting effective goals that you can and will achieve.
It is not enough to learn how to set goals: you must learn to set SMART goals, and to do so you just need to follow some guidelines. First, you must select a goal that is Specific. Instead of saying, “I want a new job,” you can say, “I want to work as a field reporter at WBTV.” Secondly, you need a goal that is Measurable, so you will know when success has been reached. You can choose your measurement by quantity, quality, cost, etc. Thirdly, your goals need to be Achievable. Setting realistic goals is the only way to find happiness. The fourth criterion is about Relevance; the goal must mean something to you and have an emotional tie for you, otherwise you will find motivation difficult. You also want to make sure you have the right resources. For example, you can’t say you want to be a WBTV reporter if you have no college experience. (Your first goal must be to get that experience.) Lastly, your goal must be Timed. With a start date and an end date, you will find added motivation.
Once you learn how to set goals, you’ll need to break down your goals into smaller, achievable steps. You must set short term and long term goals in order to be successful. If you are in your first year of college and your goal is to be a WBTV reporter, you must write a list: 1) finish college, 2) work at the college TV station, 3) write up a resume, 4) intern at a local TV station, 5) buy professional clothes for job interview, 6) read up on job interviewing skills, 7) apply to WBTV. Your short term goals may be to make your resume and work at the college TV station: these are things you can immediately work on now to feel a small sense of accomplishment and progress. Your long term goals, then, will be finishing school and working at WBTV.
Once you learn how to set goals, you may need to find an effective strategy that works for you, personally. For instance, if you are in $10,000 worth of credit card debt, you’re likely feeling pretty bummed out about the mountain of money owed to various credit card companies. For some people, the most practical strategy is to begin with the credit card balances that have the largest interest rates and pay those off first. This is a smart way to save more money in the long run, even though it takes longer to accomplish. Some people find it inspiring to see the biggest monkeys on their back fall off. For other people, the most inspiring way to tackle debt is to begin with cards that have the smallest balances because they can be paid off faster, their motivation remains high and the sense of personal achievement is greater.
Beth Kaminski is a leading expert in the anxiety therapy and has been publishing lots of information on the best anxiety disorder medications for years now.
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