Setting Goals and Achieving Them

The question of the week: How do you help people achieve their goals?

Some Ideas: While there are multiple ways to support individuals and teams in setting and achieving goals, I will offer up some general strategies for getting you started on accomplishing your next goal.

Consider:

1. Is the goal clear, realistic and achievable (even if it seems challenging)?

   1. I want to run a marathon. That is specific and indicates a specific number of miles

   2. I want to run it next weekend, but I am not currently a runner. This is unlikely to go well! Possible, but not probable.

   3. I have a hip injury. This is not a realistic goal. Are there other goals that could help me get more active and help me feel I have accomplished something worth celebrating even if it is not a marathon?

2. Set yourself up for success.

   1. Do your homework. What do you need to succeed? Don't get stuck here! Analysis paralysis may be avoidance. The only way to avoid avoidance is to keep moving and DO something that moves you closer to the goal.

   2. Make a plan, specify the steps without making each step so large we cannot actually reach it. Imagine a staircase where the next step is too high for us to reach or so challenging that it will make us want to give up.

   3. Tie the specifics of your plan to current habits and routine. Add it to your schedule in a way that decreases barriers (e.g., I'm a morning person so it is easier to exercise in the morning, I'll be too tired at night) and increases probability of success.

3. Monitor how you are doing and adjust where needed.

   1. What does adjust mean? Let's say I started training for the marathon and am unable to do the training runs as prescribed...is there an alternative plan that will still help me achieve the goal? Can I adjust the timeline slightly without giving up? Can I do something additional that will help me overcome barriers (is there a time of day I could train more consistently)?

4. Praise yourself for the steps you achieve on the way to the goal. How do you celebrate the success while reinforcing these new habits/behaviors?

5. Consider meeting with someone who can support you in achieving goals, someone who has already achieved this goal and/or someone who is an expert in goal setting. There is a strong body of research behind goal attainment and multiple resources to support you on your journey to success.