Goal Setting 101

“Setting your goals is a statement that you refuse to be ordinary. Setting your goals is a bold play for your best life. Setting your goal is an act of heroism because you are reaching for the potential that has been invested in you” ~ Robin Sharma

Many self-help books talk about the importance of setting goals for oneself but very few books provide details on “How” to go about setting goals. Through this article, let us explore a step-by-step approach to goal setting.

On a broad level, there are 2 possible approaches by which one could set goals. The first method is using the time tested method of starting with all the roles a person plays in his life and then drilling down to thinking what one wants to achieve for each of those roles (Some examples of roles could be Father/Mother, Son/Daughter, Husband/Wife, Professional, Painter etc.). Once the roles that one plays have been identified, the next thing they need to do is also think on the 4 human dimensions namely physical (health), mental (Enhancing ones’ knowledge), spiritual (Meditation, clarifying purpose in life) and social (Helping others) and set goals along these 4 dimensions as well. For each of the identified roles & on the human dimensions, one needs to identify suitable goals. Thinking along the lines of roles & on the 4 human dimensions helps us to cut the chaff and focus on the key essentials that make for a rich and fulfilling life.

A sample template on how this could be done is given below for reference.

The other methodology one could follow for setting goals is by using what is called as a “Wheel of Life” approach (A sample “Wheel of Life” is given in the below picture). The idea behind this approach is to rate oneself on a scale of 1-10 on various aspects of their life like career, finance, health etc. and then decide on the area(s) on which to focus for the year. A good starting point would be to look at areas in which ones’ score is lowest (Which are areas of improvement) and have clear goals for them. It is also essential that some work might be required on a constant basis for some of the ‘high’ score aspects as well & these also needs to be included in your goals.

This is a far more straight forward approach when compared to the first one. However, one needs to be cautious while choosing goals and need to ensure that “all” dimensions of life are considered.

Once you have a clear idea of the goals that need to be pursued, it is a good idea to consider the following points while noting down your goals:

1. Specify the goal in such a way that you will be able to visualize the fruit of achieving it (Ex: I want to create a stunning, content filled presentation on ‘Artificial Intelligence’)
2. State the goal in positive terminology. It is always better to describe the state you want to achieve rather than describing the state you don’t want to be in (Ex: It is better to state the goal as “I want to spend my free time in an useful manner by reading books” rather than stating the goal as “I don’t want to waste my free time & hence would read books”)
3. Be specific (As much as possible). State your goals in a precise manner to the point of stating the days on which you will be completing something (Ex: By doing exercises on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will achieve a weight of 70kgs so that I will be able to participate in the Wipro 5km run at 8 AM on 30^th September 2019)

Given the importance of how a well thought out goal is for achieving something worthwhile, it is important that we spend sufficient time doing it. To begin with the activity of setting goals, schedule an uninterrupted meeting for an hour with oneself!!!

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes