Considerations in Setting Goals

October 24, 2020

"The people who achieve their goals are simply the ones that refuse to give up and put in the work" -gymqoutes.co

People always think of their ambition for personal gratification. But nowadays, as the world becomes busier, it becomes easy to lose focus on the goals. People seem to be rushing around trying to accomplish more but accomplishing very little due to lack of focus and improper goal setting. Others are shifting one job to another, lost in their way to finding their real destination, and confused about which path to follow.

In my previous article about What Is Your Goal?, I have mentioned there some reasons why we need to set a goal.

"Setting goals will motivate us to develop strategies that will help us accomplish our goals at the same time. It will also help us organize our thoughts. Setting goals will also enable us to acquire something new, nurture new skills, and help us improve our work. It will also encourage us to prioritize important things. It will help us define what we certainly want in life and live the life that we truly want to live. And to achieve success and personal development, then setting a mental goal is essential."

By taking considerations in setting goal, it will give a sense of direction, it will organize your thoughts, and will increase possibilities to reach your goals. In short, goal setting is an effective motivator, and an optimistic process of setting goals can help you succeed.

Here are things you need to consider in goal setting:

• Goals should be specific

Setting goals should be clear, specific, and realistic. You should specify the goals you want to achieve and its importance. Moreover, consider the involved persons, locations, or limits. When your goal is clear in your mind, you will exactly know what requirements are needed and will improve your understanding of the undertaking. Otherwise, you won't be able to concentrate well on achieving your goal. In taking these considerations, you should always follow the 5W's and 1H questions:

• What exactly your goals?

• Why is it important to set that goal?

• Who are the persons involved in your goal setting?

• Where will it take place?

• When do you want to make it happen?

• How will you be able to achieve that particular goal?

For example:

• One of my goals is, "I want to work in Japan." So the first thing that I need to consider is to save money for acquiring the requirements in applying for a job bound to Japan, and answer the 5Ws and 1H questions before I start pursuing that goal.

• Goals should be measurable

Measurable goals are significant to track your improvement, and getting closer to achieving your goals is motivating. In this consideration, you will need to break your goals down into measurable elements. You will need shreds of evidence to make your objective clearer and faster to accomplish.

For example:

• Since I want to apply for a work bound to Japan, I need to acquire the necessary skills to become qualified for a caregiving job. I need to learn the Japanese language and enroll in different kinds of training, such as Caregiving101, first aid, and elderly care/childcare within a certain period.

And in goal setting, avoid saying, "I will try to do my best." You usually tend not to perform well when trying to do your best. And those who lack confidence tend to lower the chance of reaching their goals and decrease the possibility of attaining a brighter future.

• Goals should be achievable

As I have mentioned in my article What is your goal? your goals should be realistic and within your reach. How will you be able to achieve it? It should be realistic based on other limitations, such as personal, financial, and mental aspects. If you do not have enough time, money, and necessary skills, then achieving that goal would be difficult. But as the saying goes, "everything is possible," so if you have that determination to achieve your goal, then planning smartly and pursuing it will help make it possible to accomplish.

For example:

• In applying for a job bound to Japan, I need to ask myself first, "am I capable enough to pursue this job? "Are my skills, money, and experiences enough to be qualified in this job?"

Do not set a goal that is far within your reach. It should be attainable to be successful. If you don't have the money, then think of a way to gain it. If you don't have the skills, then undergo training to acquire the necessary skills. And if you don't have enough time to pursue that goal, then think well if you truly wanted to accomplish it. If you have dreamed of it, then you will do everything to achieve it.

• Goals should be relevant to your other goals and your current life

Make sure that your goal matters to you and should be relevant to other things. You are the maker of your objectives, so you should be responsible for achieving your own goals. You should know the real purpose of your goals and why do you want to achieve them. And your goals should be relevant to the current environment and situation.

For example:

• Let say I already have set my goal to apply for a job in Japan and acquired the necessary skills, training, and experiences, but there are things that I still need to consider. "Why do I want to work in Japan?" "Do I need to work abroad?" "Will I be able to handle being away from my family?"

So make sure that your goal will benefit both parties and will navigate everyone forward. If your dreams are just for yourself, then setting that goal isn't worth it. Remember, goals are not for ourselves only, we are making that for the benefit of our family and loved ones as well.

• Goals should have a time frame

Every goal requires a target date, so you will be motivated to focus on the deadline and work harder towards achieving your goal. Keep the timeframe realistic and flexible. We all know that setting deadlines will make us switch into action, so it is vital in setting goals. "When do you want to accomplish your goal?" "Five to six months from now? "Before the year ends?"

For example:

• To get the necessary skills to become a professional Caregiver, I need to undergo additional training. "How long will it take to complete the training and acquire the skills?" "Do I need to take specific exams to be eligible for the said position?"

It is significant to give yourself a specific timespan for accomplishing short-term goals that are important to fulfilling your final goal.

If you have read the article well, you will notice that the considerations form an acronym SMART which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time frame. I've got this idea from reading positive articles regarding goals.

Reading became my past time hobby, especially when I am sad. I have mentioned this as well in my article The Art of Depression about reading positive books. It helps me gain more knowledge that is truly helpful in making positive decisions and motivating myself to pursue my goals. Moreover, it gives me an idea of creating a good topic for an article.

Always remember,

SMART + GOALS = SUCCESS

Written by: @Jane