Setting and Defining the Goal for an Achievement

Success is an outcome of a complex combination of many things. But its way is straight and simple –

1.     Set and define your goal,

2.     Plan the strategy,

3.     Put your best efforts, and

4.     Persist even after transient failures.

Here, in this article, I shall be dealing with the first ingredient of success – setting and defining the goal. Other aspects of success shall be dealt with one by one in later posts.  

What is a Goal

A result in terms of preset quantity and quality for being achieved within a given time frame is how a goal could be understood. It has been found psychologically productive if the goal is given an expression particularly in form of a question, such as – ‘How do I author 50 articles in this month?’ In this frame, the goal is authoring of 50 articles in the month, but its phrasing in form of the question puts a psychological pressure on the mind of the person to find various ways of achieving the goal.

A friend suggests to create a visual form like a picture, chart, etc, for the goal and hang it on the wall in front of your work-desk as a continuous reminder helps a lot in achieving it. This may prevent your mind from loitering and wasting time elsewhere.

Important considerations in the setting of the goal are discussed here.    

1.     Set the bar high, yet feasible

The target should be good enough to keep a pressure on the person’s mind to keep him/her active and alert, for this the level of achievement should be high enough. But, on the other hand, it should not be that high as to convey to the person’s mind that it can’t be achieved and make it to give up making efforts.

In case the goal is not achievable in a single stroke, its sub-steps in form of quantum jumps must also be set in the goal itself.

2.     Acknowledge obstacles on the way

No big target is easy to achieve and without obstacles on the way. These obstacles need be precisely identified for finding ways of their elimination from the path to the goal. Brushing aside obstacles as minor irritants may prove costly on the critical path of achieving the goal. So, find them, ponder over their elimination and act accordingly before these prove as stumbling blocks for you in achieving the goal.

3.     Quality of goal

How much the person values the goal determines his/her dedication to achieve it. So, the goal should be in a field that the person loves to do and treats it as highly respectable. Goals such s those add respectability to the person’s status are easily adopted and adhered to by persons. Goals related to achieving good health, a performance level in a sport, a merit in the University examination, etc, are some examples that add respectability to the person in his/her society.

4.     Avoid fantasies

Fantasies for their thrills often attract mind easily but these prove perilous to confidence when their reality comes to surface. In my opinion, those with their minds on ideological quotations, etc. develop more fantasies around them and in their minds. Reading quotes and getting some occasional inspirations from them may be alright, but relying on them as guiding lights and ways for achievements prove futile. Every solution to a problem is always subject to circumstances of the individual while quotations are of general nature hence can’t provide solutions.  

5.     Progress chart

A simple chart to keep track and display current progress is an essential part of a goal setting and planning, but the chart should not be cumbersome in updating and become a project in itself and hence a source distraction from the goal. Keep it handy for updating with actions on the project daily for a short duration project like those of a few weeks, or weekly for long duration projects.