How to create and achieve goals in a simple and efficient way
Some people begin planning the goals for the next year when the late year is ending, but often this planning is not well done, which leads to the abandonment of many of these goals.
The cycle happens year after year, goals and plans are set to be abandoned next. So how can you create effective plans and goals that are not easily abandoned?
Here I present a simple and practical guide, a step by step program, for you to create effective goals and plans.
Step 01: Focus on what is important to you
Often the reason for abandoning planning is the realization that they are working to accomplish something they really do not really want.
The main part in any planning is commitment, many people create plans to achieve goals that are not relevant to them.
Always remember: if the goal is not relevant then you won't have the motivation to work hard and pay the price to achieve it.
So, the first part of any planning is to create goals based on what’s really important.
It is necessary initially a process of self-reflection based on two factors:
- Needs: What is perceived as necessary for the future?
- Dreams or desires: What are the desires and dreams that the person wishes to accomplish?
Surely you will list a wide variety of items after this process, so you need to filter out those that are most important and discard what is not relevant.
It's relevant to remember that planning is the art to know how to set priorities, and at this point it's necessary to evaluate and define what is more important, what can be saved for the future, which can be discarded.
"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." ― Tony Robbins
Focus is a important factor, pick only one or two goals at time, Steve Jobs used to say that you have to say no to the hundred good ideas you have and pick carefully.
Having different goals to work at the same time disturbs and disperses your resources and energy, which can lead to physical and/or mental exhaustion and also to desistance.
Step 02: Setting goals efficiently
Once you have defined what you want to accomplish, you need to format yourself efficiently, simply and objectively.
Some important points for you to set goals efficiently:
- Goals should be simple, it is important to know how to divide the larger goals into smaller goals;
- Goals should be focused on what you want and need, not on running away from something you do not want;
- They must have a deadline;
- They should be very clear and well defined in the smallest details;
- You should list all the gains and expected results (very important) and what can be lost (also very important).
Too long goals also lead to withdrawal, ideally is to set short-term goals (about 3 months each) or break the long ones into a set of short goals.
A good tip is to have a large annual goal divided into quarterly goals, one of which will lead to another, and thus, at the end of the year, the overall goal reached.
Step 03: Testing the goal
Goals are the main part of planning because they are going to be the engine of the necessary motivation, so it is very important that they are well structured and really important.
A good tool to check this is a visualization exercise called “Bridge to the Future”.
It is quite simple, once the goal is established, just close your eyes and imagine how it will be when the goal is achieved, trying to perceive what you feel when you visualize the result.
If the result is a sense of fulfillment and happiness then you are on the right direction.
Step 04: Strengths and weakness
Developing the goal effectively is the first step, but it is not enough, for it is also necessary to understand your current situation.
Often the goal is well-built, but lack of an understanding of your limitations and strengths can lead to failure.
You will need a process of self-knowledge, taking a look on your strengths and improvement points.
You will need to evaluate your current situation and check some points:
- What are your main strengths?
- What strengths need to be developed;
- What are your current limitations (physical, educational, professional, in-house, financial …) that should be developed;
Understanding these points is key to develop everything you will need along the way.
Step 05: Resources and opportunities
Once you have made a general assessment of yourself, you need to look into the environment for the resources and opportunities that come your way to achieve your goal.
Important items that need to be evaluated:
- Who are the people who can help;
- How the resources available (or what needs to be developed);
- What are the obstacles I will have ahead and how to circumvent them;
- What opportunities present themselves at the moment and which ones can be created.
Step 06: You need a plan.
Once you have all this information, the next step is create a simple plan to achieve your goal.
Planning should be simple, practical and objective, translated into a step-by-step sequence of actions.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin
Each step should consider all of the above information, as well as the time it will take to accomplish, the costs involved, the resources that will be needed, the likely obstacles faced, and alternative ways of getting around them.
Step 07: Action
The action plan is something simple, but it works when you do the most important planning step: put it into action.
Without action nothing happens, because it is through it that everything is accomplished, there is no point in planning and not doing.
It is also necessary to understand that no plan is perfect, so it is only when putting planning into action that it will truly perceive the failures or errors that it has.
Thus, you will have the opportunity to adjust the plan according to the feedback of reality.
Conclusion
Often goals are not achieved because they are not relevant to the person or are poorly constructed.
Creating an effective goal and planning taking into account some important factors may be fundamental for it to be achieved.
In this article you learned a simple and effective way to develop effective goals and plans, now it’s getting to work.
I hope this text has helped to help you, lease, leave your questions, questions, criticisms and suggestions in the comments below.
