We often hear people talking about goal setting- personal goals, team goals, work related goals, monetary goals, travel goals…… the list is endless. But do we ever stop to think about the importance of setting ourselves (or our team) goals?
Well, there are many reasons why this is important and goal setting benefits different people in different ways but clichés aside, here are some of the reasons you should start writing your goals down if you don’t already……..
Goals:
- Propel you forward
Many people are ambling through life and although they are working hard they may be lacking in direction or not achieving what they really want to. Setting clear SMART goals gives us direction enabling us to create a clear road map of where we (or our teams) are going.
- Enable you to measure your (or team) progress
Goal setting permits us to measure progress in an effective way- especially if your goals are SMART. This is essential for knowing that you are heading in the right direction and progressing at the required pace to get you to your final target. Measuring our progress and successes is a great motivator, it keeps us going and helps us overcome procrastination. We all love that sense of achievement!
- Create laser focus
Setting goals will help you (or your team) to decide exactly where you need to focus your time and energy, helping you to plan out each step so you know what needs doing and when. Creating this plan allows you to prioritise actions and tasks and break things down in to bitesize, manageable pieces so you can tackle each section at a time. In prioritising your tasks, you can get rid of some of the time-wasting tasks such as surfing the net and falling in to that social media blackhole meaning you are more productive with the tasks that really matter.
- Sustain motivation and momentum
When you have your goals in place, this gives you something to strive for. Goals ignite ambition, and this is motivating! Once you get started and begin to see progression this becomes addictive and is a powerful tool in keeping momentum going.
- Create accountability
Having goals down on paper really makes you more likely to stick to them, they are no longer a dream or an idea. They are something you’ve taken the time to think about, work out the details of and you can see the path you need to take in order to reach them! If you’re working on team goals, you have the rest of your team to be accountable to but if you’re on your own having these goals somewhere you can see them (i.e. on your office wall) is a great way of helping you hold yourself accountable. You could also share them with your coach, friend or accountability partner.
When you set goals you naturally look towards the next step which therefore pushes your behaviours and actions in the right direction.
Are you heading in the right direction? What do you need to do to make your goals real? If you’d like a copy of my goal setting guide, please contact me at hello@chloedelaunaycoaching.com
‘The secret to achieving your goals is to get started!’
