25.01.2019

Goal Setting Tips


Goal setting is everywhere in our world. We set goals for our careers, our health, and our lives in general. For years goal setting has been the basis of any business training program. It seems modern society is encouraging us to think about the next milestone. However, what we don’t think about enough is how we are going to reach them. Here are just THREE TIPS to polish… not our goals but strategies for achieving them. (Based on the bookAtomic Habitsby James Clear)

Мир не живет без целеполагания, чего бы это ни касалось — работы, здоровья, жизни в целом. Без целеполагания вот уже который год не обходится ни один бизнес тренинг. Кажется, что современное общество подталкивает нас к последующим рубежам. Однако, осмыслить, что стоит за их достижением, мы не всегда успеваем. Сегодня мы предлагаем всего ТРИ ПОДСКАЗКИ, чтобы еще раз задуматься о том, как прийти к осуществлению поставленных целей. 

Read the tips and match them to the three quotes below:

Pain

Most goal setting exercises start with an overpaid consultant standing by a whiteboard and asking something like, “What does success look like to you? In very specific terms, what do you want to achieve?” If we are serious about achieving our goals, however, we should start with a much different question. Rather than considering what kind of success we want, we should ask, “What kind of pain do I want?” The real challenge is not determining if you want the result, but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal. This brings us to our first key insight. Goal setting is not only about choosing the rewards you want to enjoy, but also about the costs you are willing to pay.

Rudders and Oars

Imagine a small rowboat. Your goals are like the rudder on the boat. They set the direction and determine where you go. However, there is another part of the boat that is even more important than the rudder — the oars. If the rudder is your goal, then the oars are your process or the system you put in place for achieving it. This brings us to our second key insight. Goals determine your direction. Systems determine your progress. You’ll never get anywhere just by holding the rudder. You have to row.

Too Many Buds

One of the greatest barriers to achieving your goals is the other goals you have. In other words, your goals are competing with one another for your time and attention. What often looks like a problem of goal setting is actually a problem of goal selection. You need to set the priorities. You don’t need more time, you just need to decide. Our lives are like rose bushes. As a rose bush grows, it creates more buds than it can sustain. If you talk to an experienced gardener, they will tell you that rose bushes need to be pruned to bring out the best in both their appearance and their performance. So, another key insight is — if you want a rose bush to thrive, then you need to cut away some of the good buds so the great ones can fully blossom.

  • When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. (Confucius)
  • The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. (Stephen Covey)
  • Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. (Paul J. Meyer)

GOAL vs. AIM vs. OBJECTIVE vs. PURPOSE vs. TARGET

«Многоликая» Цель

Goal/Aim/Purpose/Objective/Target — все эти существительные переводятся на русский язык, как «цель», «задача» и «ориентир» и зачастую могут взаимозаменять друг друга. Тем не менее, каждое из этих слов имеет свою собственную тонкую смысловую особенность.

GOAL. Это слово используют, говорят о важной, главной цели, обычно в долговременной перспективе.

ExampleThe country can still achieve its goal of reducing poverty by a third. – Страна все еще может достичь своей цели снизить уровень бедности на треть.

OBJECTIVE. Краткосрочная (ближайшая) цель, часто заменяемая словом «задача». Как правило, это предварительно оговоренные и официально утвержденные цели.

Example: We met to set the business objectives for the coming year. – Мы встретились, чтобы обсудить наши бизнес цели/задачи на следующий год.

TARGET. Слово близко по значению к русскому слову «результат». Имеет четкие количественные критерии измерения: сумма денег, количество единиц и т.д.

ExampleThe company is on track to meet its target of increasing profits by 10%. – Компания находится на правильном пути к достижению запланированного результата по увеличению прибыли на 10%

PURPOSE. Синоним слова «намерение», «назначение», «причина» по которой кто-то что-то делает или причина по которой что-либо существует. 

Example: The game has an educational purpose. – У этой игры образовательное назначение. / Эта игра была сделана с намерением образовывать. / В эту игру играют, чтобы чему-то научиться.

AIM. Из всех слов, обозначающих цель, данное слово имеет элемент неопределенности, неясной цели, чаще в значении «ориентира».

Example: The main aim of the plan was to provide employment for local people. – Основной целью плана было трудоустроить местных жителей.

TEST yourself NOW:

  1. The aim/target of this project is to help clients to be more independent.
  2. My current target/goal is to hike five miles today.
  3. Our goal/purpose is to provide a good standard of medical care.
  4. The team has been successful in achieving purposes/objectives.
  5. The president had the aim/goal of being re-elected.
  6. We are setting a target/purpose of 3,000 new members.
  7. What is the purpose/goal of your visit?
KEYS. 1. Aim 2.Target 3.Goal 4. Objectives 5.Goal 6. Target 7. Purpose

SHARING WISDOM

 

“You cannot go back and change the beginning,

but you can start where you are and change the ending” C.S. Lewis  

 

Here’s a 6-minute guide to SMARTER goal setting.

Enjoy and benefit!