Goal Setting Theory – Don’t Ask How!
Goal Setting Theory – Don’t Ask How!
Copyright (c) 2009 Michael A Jones
Is a goal setting theory that is easy to comprehend and employ and which produces spectacular results just an elusive dream? Thankfully no. Although we may be forgiven for thinking so in view of the wealth of information available on goal setting, some of which makes it appear unnecessarily complicated. Perhaps that explains why many who set goals also fail to get results as they drop by the wayside.
Here are two goal setting theory approaches. You can pick the best out of each or use the approach that suits your personality and style. They can be summarized as follows:
Goal Setting Theory 1: You don’t need to know how you are going to reach your goal, just set the goal and keep it in front of you.
Goal Setting Theory 2: To achieve your goal you need a specific detailed definition of what you want to achieve and a step by step plan on how to get there.
Let’s explore these two aspects of goal setting theory.
Jack Black, a popular motivational speaker in the UK, used a catch phrase “Don’t ask how!”. His view was, by asking “how”, you kill the goal right there. Perhaps the goal seems totally unrealistic given a person’s circumstances in life. If a person born in poverty with no connections in life dreamed of being a famous actor, those around them might naturally ask “How?”.
Yet there are many life stories of individuals born in very difficult circumstances, with it seems, everything set against them in life, who hold on to a dream, and eventually get there! They don’t ask “How?” because, if they did, the desire and the goal would die. They just keep it in the front of their mind day in day out, year in year out, and they get there.
RAS (Reticular Activating System) has a role in this. Here is a definition of RAS: “the network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function”. It describes a particular way the brain works. Have you ever had the experience of wanting a particular automobile? You have in mind an exact model, color, specific extras etc. that you would like. You can just see yourself driving it. Then, within a short time, you start seeing this exact vehicle all over the place. Why? Because your brain is filtering information and as you have alerted it to a specific object, you now begin to notice it whereas before it was there but you didn’t pay any attention to it.
This really is the secret behind goal setting theory that says, “Don’t ask how”. By keeping the goal in the front of the mind, reminding oneself of it daily, constantly thinking about it, dreaming about it, you are training your brain to identify opportunities and the means or tools needed to get to that goal. They were there all the time, but the brain now filters information in such a way that they now leap out at you.
Goal setting theory number 2 some would say is much more realistic. You set an attainable goal. You craft a carefully worded ‘mission statement’ of what you want to accomplish. You research, find out the resources you will need. You identify pitfalls and things to avoid. You make a plan. You then take action on the plan. You break the goal setting exercise into bite size pieces. You set time limits on each section, etc. etc.
Perhaps some are put off with this approach. After all, it does sound like hard work. You might well be exhausted before you even start! However, many high performers in business, in sports, and other areas of life, have used this kind of formula and achieved outstanding results.
Aristotle is quoted as saying: “Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.”
So the choice is up to you. Perhaps you can combine the main concept of approach number 1 and allow your brain to filter the information you need naturally, with a basic framework suggested in approach number 2.
Maybe goal setting theory number one appeals to your temperament while goal setting theory number two doesn’t have any appeal at all. Or it could be the other way round. Whatever your viewpoint, do set goals! There is no doubt they are an essential ingredient in high achievement and satisfaction in life!
Michael has written what he calls the goal setting blueprint, an easy-read 7 step tutorial freely available here:
http://www.about-goal-setting.com/goal-setting-tutorial.html
Smart Goal Setting for Your Career
Smart Goal Setting for Your Career
Smart goal setting involves writing down your aims and ambitions, reviewing them, setting a course of action and a time frame and then getting down to the hard work. Irrespective of the amount of quality time on hand that you may have, there is no doubt that to realize your aspirations and dreams, you need to set goals and work towards them. Smart goal setting for your career involves creating a list of short and long-term goals and identifying ways to accomplish them. The generated goal list does not only motivate you, but also cements your aspirations.
Goal setting – reminders
Smart goals are reminders about the course of action that you need to take, as you walk to your work desk each morning. Your discussions for a raise or promotion are initiated on this sheet of paper. The realistic goals set and the time frame determined should be displayed in areas that you frequent through the course of the day. It is important to note that keeping your goals realistic gives you a stronger chance to fulfill them. Keep your list of goals in places where you will be reminded of them everyday. The list will automatically help you take even the smallest of steps in the direction of meeting those goals. Smart goal setting for your career within a time frame
Goal setting should be designed within a time frame. Don’t be vague. Tip the hat over the fence and give yourself dead lines. At the same time, give yourself ample of time to reach each of the targets. The time frame should be such that it motivates you to look at taking on extra work, learning new skills, earning certifications and attending workshops and updated orientations within the industry. The time frame also enables you to understand and plan the steps needed to reach each of the goals. This gives you the scope to recognize opportunities and stay motivated.
Plan Ahead, revise and review
You should be able to plan ahead for each of the goals. You should identify the specific steps required to reach out to the different goals and write them down. This will help you to achieve the goals when and as, by taking the necessary steps. You should periodically revise your goals and segregate those met and those yet to be achieved. This will ensure that you remain enthusiastic about the exercise and stay excited, all through the course of action. Review the list of goals whenever possible and strike out the completed tasks. Make changes if necessary. Add new goals to pursue your dreams and passions with even more determination.
The goal setting exercises for a career involve a lot of identification with specific aims and ambitions. You cannot be scattered in thought and expect to walk towards a particular goal. The current level of competition and the scarcity of good candidates for top-notch positions have made goal setting even more important. Your career graph will attain the required altitude only with the right attitude. A methodical approach will ensure that your career graph is more focused and stream lined. Goal setting for a career move is the best way to make your work station a potential playground everyday!
Sharon Alexander – Claim That Job
To download a free job hunting report, visit Claim That Job at http://www.claimthatjob.com .
Personal Goal Setting Worksheets
Personal Goal Setting Worksheets
Planning for our future allows us to put our goals on paper and sometimes failing to make certain plans is equal to planning to fail. Plans that are not written are usually considered dreams and most of the time they remained unfulfilled. By means of personal development worksheets, you can create an outline for your personal development, thus being able to remain on track for the future plans. These worksheets are meant to insure plans are kept and they also serve as reminders in order to reach the intended goals.
Businesses that succeed have a plan to cover their goals from the very beginning until their end. Thus, each step is created according to certain quantitative steps. Personal Development Worksheets will help you visualize all the steps you need to take on your road to success. These worksheets should begin from the very start of a person’s development. Although planning for unforeseen circumstances might seem impossible sometimes, using Personal Development Worksheets can make it realistic. Of course, plans will have to be slightly adjusted along the way in order to meet the established goals and to remain within the established time frame.
Personal Goal Setting Worksheets are also essential for a successful personal development plan. Taking time to establish clear goals is critical and this will require research and an honest self-assessment from your behalf. These worksheets can be of real help but they require a healthy dose of reality. In order to survive in this continuously changing world people have to set certain limits and to respect them. However, we all have to develop selective traits which will enable us to place more emphasis on personal development and to focus more on achieving our goals.
In order to reach a comprehensive understanding of personal development we must explore our personality and our goals on a more profound level. Personal Goal Setting Worksheets will enable us not only to set the goals we want to reach but also to keep a track of them and to see how many of them we manage to accomplish. These Personal Development Worksheets for personal use will capture critical goals, enabling you to make sure that goals are prioritized so that your energy goes to what is most important.
Once you develop personal action plans you will see where you spend your time and if you identified what is most important to you. Most of us are so busy with many endless demands on our time and stepping back and looking at how you have spent the last weeks will give you an answer of how you spent your energy. Personal Development Worksheets are meant to be used as personal tools, having a simple concept and format but a powerful content.
Use the Personal Goal Setting Worksheets to write down your current goals, challenges, areas of concern or opportunities and establish which ones represent a priority. Priority is a combination of importance and urgency and it will help you track down which goals are most important to you. In order to be able to fill in Personal Goal Setting Worksheets you need to take the following steps: write a general description of the goal, explain why the goal is meaningful to you, describe what you see when you imagine yourself achieving the goal and write the due date of this goal.
Do you want to improve something in your life and you don’t know where to begin from? Do you feel that something is missing and you need a change? Our Personal Development Worksheets are all you need in order to make a positive change in your every day life. Fill in our Personal Goal Setting Worksheets and start fulfilling your goals.
How to use the goal setting worksheet available from www.the-life-plan.com as a free download.
Goal Setting Tips For Beginners
Goal Setting Tips For Beginners
Are you new to goal setting? Are you in need of some tips, so you can get started with the exciting process of setting and achieving goals? In this article, you are about to discover some goal setting tips that can help you take your goal setting to the next level.
Goal setting is a great subject to get into. The person who sets goals and works to achieve them lives a long, happy, and prosperous life. Life takes on a new meaning, because you have taken your life into your own hands. Now you can weave your life how you choose, and write and set your own destiny.
Here are some goal setting tips that will help you when looking at how to goal set:
* Specific
* Time Based
* Decisiveness
* Persistence
* Focus
* Specific
Goals need to be specific. Without a specific goal, a goal can’t be achieved. Imagine the pilot who doesn’t quite know if he wants to go to London or New York! Goals need to be specific like a pilot has, a captain on a ship has, or even a business man or woman has.
* Time Based
Goals need to have a time limit. Without being conscious of the time, we can easily become lazy. The cure is to set a realistic time limit for achievement. This way, you know what you have to do, when you need to do it, to get the results you seek.
* Decisiveness
Like the pilot with the London or New York issue, without a decision to stick to something, we can’t achieve it. Goal setting needs a goal setter who can set a goal, and say ‘this I will do’. This way, you have done what many don’t do, and that is to make a decision, and keep by that decision, until completion.
* Persistence
As Dennis Waitley says ‘there was never a winner, where there was never a beginner’. I love that quote, and it contains so much truth. If you are setting a goal, it likely is a goal you have never achieved in your life.
You may imagine the millions, you may imagine the dream home or whatever it is you desire. But, persistence is the key to go from beginner to professional, from ignorance to mastership.
* Focus
A fun fare has many rides, and when we enter, it can be hard to choose. Life is like this, and when you decide on a goal, and work towards it, you will no doubt have a lot of new opportunities, that want to take your focus away from your goals.
Focus is essential for achievement of a goal. To do this requires a lot of discipline. Over time you will find it easier, but always keep your goal in front of you.
Goal setting can be a great way to cut down the time to success. Visit this goal setting link for my special formula. Also I have my blog up where I put some golden gems which can help you on your journey to success – success coaching. Need a life coach?
www.mindmaptoriches.com – These goal setting tips spell the difference between dreams and reality. If youre ready to start checking off items from your goals list, view this presentation.
Goals Setting Tips – Goal-Setting Tips For Down-To-Earth Folks
Goals Setting Tips – Goal-Setting Tips For Down-To-Earth Folks
Do you go through life without setting goals? Are you among those who feel that setting goals is for overly ambitious people, and not down-to-earth folks like you? You may have a problem with such an approach to life.
The fact is, your days are passing you by one after the other without a clear vision of what it is all about. Without the vision that setting goals gives us, we tend to waste time and effort on mundane activities which do not further us as individuals.
Goal setting does not mean that you have to live a strictly regimented life. All it means is that you set realistic and consistent goals so that your day-to-day and long-term objectives are fulfilled. It is also important to provide enough room in your plans to prepare for unforeseen eventualities. This is what is known as ‘having a Plan B’.
You should look at the setting of goals as a sort of game you play in your mind. It is not a one-time activity – you need to revisit your goals often so that they become fixed in your mind. The objective is to reach a state where almost everything you do derives from your short-term and long-term goals. It should not be a conscious process, but rather a reflexive one. Goals Setting Tips
While setting your goals in life, there are certain guidelines you can follow. One is to be as specific and detailed as possible while setting a goal. This will help you establish in your mind the ‘who, what, when, where, which and why’ of your objectives. Such visualization has been proved as highly effective when it comes to the attainments of a certain goal.
The attainment of goals should also be practically measurable, meaning that you should be able to track the progress you are making on a certain goal at all times. Remember that if is measurable, it is attainable – a common-enough maxim among successful athletes.
Obviously, a major prerequisite is that your goals should be attainable, and that your short-term goals are in line with your long-term ones. To be attainable, objectives need to be realistic – they should make logical sense.
You should be able to gauge whether you have the resources, the time, the basic abilities and the motivation to achieve what you are setting out to. It is perfectly okay to aim high while setting goals, but you must be sure you have the talent, strength, knowledge and support it requires.
Finally, good goals are always time-bound. If you do not have a deadline, you are apt to let your goal slip away from one day to the next – and procrastination is the deadliest of goal-killers. Goals Setting Tips
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How Can Goal Setting Worksheets Help You
How Can Goal Setting Worksheets Help You
Goal setting can be done in many ways. For example, you could simply think about it, make big plans or even use goal setting worksheets. Success is determined by a system that can streamline the process. Join me as you discover how goal setting worksheets can help you.
In any goal, there is always a way for its achievement. We can look at the success as a spectrum. On the one end, failure, and on the other, success. To achieve success then needs to do things different. After all, we see many people who have a goal, even if they haven’t consciously thought about it. For example, those who want a Yacht, and want to retire to a sunny beech, but in most cases never do.
I truly believe that every goal you desire for the fulfillment of, you can achieve. However, tools are needed. You can’t put on a new tire on a car, without effective tools, not can you succeed without the effective tools.
In goal setting, this is the goal setting worksheets. You see, from that spectrum of success, we can see less we do, less we get, and the more we do, the more we get. This applies in most cases but not all cases.
You could plan to make a cup of coffee, and make it into a 100 page business plan of how you will make the coffee. What we need is a simple way to do things. A goal setting system with goal setting worksheets that make this possible.
There are many places that offer goal setting worksheets, and some even offer comprehensive goal setting systems. These can be a great way to keep things simple, without having to fall short on the necessities of goal setting.
You can think about a cup of coffee and make it without plans; however, you can’t just leave your life goals to such chances. They must at the very least be written down on paper. Even if you don’t have a goal setting system, simply writing it down, will improve the likelihood that you will achieve that goal.
If we look at that success spectrum again, we will find that there are things we can do to either make it more likely to manifest in our lives, and decrease the time to achievement. Achieving both of these is a science and an art in goal setting.
It needs smart goal setting. And smart is all about finding solutions that makes life easier, cut down the time to achievement, and increase likelihood of success. This takes time, and even with a full on system, you may find that you can tweak the goal setting systems to meet your needs.
Goal setting worksheets are great for many reasons. Once you use them over time, you will find them become second nature. And then your goal setting will take on a new meaning. With you setting goals and achieving them on almost a daily basis.
Find out more about smart goal setting and the goal setting worksheets I use, and get your free eBook worth , where I give you the 10 best goal setting ideas. Get your copy by visiting: www.howtogoalset.info
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Three Goal Setting Tips That Will Change Your Life
Three Goal Setting Tips That Will Change Your Life
If you use these three goal setting tips you will be on your way to creating the life you desire.
Goal Setting Tip #1: Where are you going?
This goal setting tip can be summed up with the title of a book my father bought me on goal setting quite a few years ago. The title of the book was “If you don’t know where you’re going you’ll probably end up somewhere else”. Those words have stuck with me all these years.
When you think about the title and realize that most people have no idea where they’re going or what they want. It’s really sad. Our minds are goal seeking computers. Just give it a specific goal and it will work to complete it. However, all most people have is vague wandering thoughts of what they want. They’ve never written their thoughts down in a coherent manner.
If you send a message to a friend you don’t write the words down in whatever order and expect them to figure out what it says. Why do we do it to ourselves with what we want out of life?
It’s your job to write down on paper how you want to live.
Get out a piece of paper and start with your top 100 goals. Start writing a list of the things you want to accomplish in your life. I mean anything you can imagine, learning a language, taking a trip, meeting a famous or not so famous person. Write on that list everything from the littlest thing like brushing your teeth twice a day to flying in the space shuttle.
Keep making the list until you reach 100, however, don’t stop there. Carry the list with you and continue to write down more goals as you think of them. It may take several hours or days to complete this list. However, it’s essential that you do it.
Goal Setting Tip #2: Let’s get specific
The second goal setting tip, get specific about the things that you want. Take your top 100 list and start with the easiest ones and write a more specific description of what you want. If it’s a car, what make and model, what color, leather or cloth seats. If it’s a trip, where are you going, how will you get there and what will you see. If it’s money, be specific. How much, why do you want it and what will you do with it when you get it. Remember, BE SPECIFIC!
Goal Setting Tip #3: It’s in the want to, you’ll find the how to.
Now let’s discover the key to successful goal setting. Why do you want it? Think about and write on paper why you want each of the dreams on your Top 100 list. Get specific and dig deep to the emotions and feelings that are behind each one. It’s in this step you’ll find which ones you truly are willing to pay the price to get and which ones are not really important.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it”. – Chinese Proverb
In order to create your future you have to know what you want to create.
Jim Klein provides salespeople with effective strategies to increase their business while working less, GUARANTEED. Receive free sales training by reading all the articles at From The Heart Sales Training.
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Goal Setting Tips You Can Use Right Away
Goal Setting Tips You Can Use Right Away
What is the key to success in any venture? Well, there are many components to success, but one of the most important building blocks is setting effective goals. By learning the goal setting basics you can vastly improve your end results, and improve your lifestyle dramatically.
Here are four goal setting tips to help you set meaningful goals, and to follow through and actually achieve them.
1. You must understand the reason why you are setting a goal. This is actually more important than the goal itself. A great saying I came across from Jack Zufelt, a world renowned trainer in personal development, is that the most important thing you can do is to understand your why.
This makes sense because that will actually motivate you to work hard to achieve the goals that you set.
2. When you write your goals down, you should have a plan for achieving them. Our lives are very busy, so to prevent becoming distracted it becomes crucial to have them written down. This keeps your focus on what is important to do today.
There is something magical about writing down a goa,l and then putting a plan in place to achieve it. It is not enough to commit it to paper, to see real benefits you will have to view it repeatedly throughgout the day.
3. Along with having written goals and a plan, you should know exactly how you are going to act upon your plan. A plan without action will never be achieved, and this is often times when many people fail.
Another interesting point about having a plan is you can make adjustments if your plan is not working. For example if you have a goal to hit a certain income level in a home business, and things are not moving at the rate that you want, you can make adjustments to your plan and hopefully hit your goal.
4. Work hard, but have patience. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. As long as you are working towards achieving the goals that you have set, you will get there eventually. The key is to be confident that the work you are actually doing is what is necessary to achieve your goal.
A common mistake many people make is to work hard on a business, but not work in it. They may think that the things they are doing on a daily business basis are moving their business forward, when many times those things are just busy work. An example of this would be constantly making adjustments to your website, versus working on getting traffic to it.
Anyone can reach their targeted lifestyle and business success by applying these simple goal setting tips on a consistent basis.
Alan Thomas is an experienced business owner who has helped many people develop their own successful home based businesses. You can find more information on Goal Setting Tips and Legitimate Home Based Business
Practical Goal Setting Tips
Practical Goal Setting Tips
One of the most difficult behaviors you will probably all face at some point in your lifetime is planning, carrying out and sticking to a goal. Too often other distractions enter your life and push you off the path. This leads to frustration and a sense of failure. By following a few goal setting tips you will find yourself easily accomplishing your goals.
Make a List
Begin by making a physical list of your goal or goals. Do not go overboard, as too many goals can seem quite overwhelming. When you write down your goal be as specific as possible. Your goal must have a time limit and there must be some way to measure your interim achievements as you move towards your goal. With each goal you write down include the reason why you wish to achieve this goal and how it will benefit you.
Devise a Plan
Now that you know exactly what your goal is, your next step is to determine what you need to get there. For example, maybe you want to become a unit manager at work. Are there any outside educational courses on management that you should enroll in? Or are their continuing education courses in your chosen field that might benefit your advancement? Maybe you would benefit from taking different positions at work so you can learn the whole process of your office. Include in this plan a time line for the different achievements that you need to meet to achieve your goal.
Prevent Failure
One of the most important goal setting tips is to actively prevent failure. Take note of all stumbling blocks that could slow you down or push you off track. Develop plans to face and circumvent these obstacles. And if you do get pushed off your path, have a plan in place to get you back on track. The smart warrior goes into battle knowing his enemy well. Be smart about failure and prepare to face and fight it successfully.
Acknowledge Sacrifices
Be realistic and face the fact that you might have to give up some facets of your life. Maybe you will have to spend more money, or work more overtime or spend occasional weekends away from your family. Whatever the sacrifices you must willingly agree to make them until your goal is achieved.
Assemble a Team
Do not hide your goals. It is very important to let those around you know what your goals are. This is especially true if those around you might be inconvenienced as you work toward your goals. If you have to work more to achieve your goal your friends and family should be aware of this goal so they can cheer you on instead of resent your time away. Try to find a mentor that has already achieved your goal and ask him or her to help you and keep you on track. The more people you have supporting you the easier you will find it to achieve your goals.
Reward Yourself
Finally, one of the best goal setting tips is to remember to celebrate. As you reach important steps toward you goal take time to reward yourself and those around you who have been supportive. Have a party for everyone, take a trip with family, buy a piece of jewelry or a new outfit and take everyone to dinner. Whatever you choose, just be sure to have a great time!
Victor Ghebre is the editor of http://www.settinggoals101.com where you get
practical tips and information on goal setting, motivation, leadership and
more.
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Goal Setting Exercise – Motivation Goal Setting
Goal Setting Exercise – Motivation Goal Setting
Have you been always planning and setting goals but you don’t always achieve them most of the time? Do you want to learn better techniques and strategies on how you can possibly achieve your goals so that you can make great things happen in your life right away? If you want to make your dreams come true, then you definitely need to work hard for it. One of the best things that can help you achieve your goals would be considering goal setting exercise.
Click Here To Learn How To set Goals Effectively!
Goal setting exercise can help you big time because it can make you realize how important it is to set goals and achieve them. Moreover, this exercise along with workshops and coaching can help you understand more about setting goals and achieving them in time.
In life, it’s really important that we know how to set and achieve our goals. We could never ever have a brighter and bigger future if we don’t know how to plan ahead of time. Remember that doing whatever it takes to have the life that you deserve will absolutely help you reach the top that’s why even though the road to success won’t be that great at all, just try to keep in mind that you’re doing all of these because you would want to have a better future and better life.
Try your best to attend coaching, workshops and know more about goal setting exercise so that you can really have a better understanding about the importance of planning ahead for your future. The goals that you set will determine what kind of future you want in life, so you need to make things happen right away.
Don’t let anything discourage you from making your dreams come true and just do what you need to do to have a better life ahead. I wish you all the best and good luck!
Click Here To Learn How To set Goals Effectively!
This author writes about Goal Setting Activities at “>Goal Setting Tips.
