Goal setting and planning ... for success

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action with without vision is a nightmare.” —Japanese proverb

We all make goals,  big goals and little goals,  short-term and long-term goals.   They are what motivate many of us,  what drive us.   For many people these goals are only in their head, almost unconscious. Others write them down.     But without goals,  we don't really know where we are going.  We can't control what we don't know.   Achieving the goals one sets requires planning.   Planning is like figuring out how you will get where you want to go.





In the most simple example,  when you leave home in the morning to go to school or work, getting to your destination is your goal.   Most of the time you are successful.     Deciding how you will  get there is the planning part.   You must choose your time,  your route,  your mode of transport.

The most successful people in the world regularly do goal setting and planning.   And for most of them it is very explicit.   They think seriously about and write down their goals and planning.   They revisit these goals regularly and revise when appropriate.

Goals can be about any part of your life.  Education.  Family.  Social.
Professional.  Financial.

As another example,  if your goal is to make a million dollars by the time you are 30,  then certainly you will have to make plans.    You may even set sub-goals,  such as to make $200, 000 in the first 3 years,  and so on.

At university,  it is simpler.   Your goal setting will revolve around each semester,  each school year, and the duration of your academic program.    Of course,  your primary goal is to pass all your courses,  but you might want to get high grades,  to please your parents,  or to get a scholarship or a good job.   You might actually want to learn something.    What is it that you want to accomplish?   This is/these are your goals.  

SMART goals     

Effective goals are SMART.

Specific --  a goal needs enough detail and clarity;  it should not be vague or too                 general
Measureable --  if you cannot measure your goal,  how can you know if you                      accomplish it?  Succ measureability may be simple yes/no or it may                   involve degrees (i.e. 70% done)
Attainable -- it should be possible for you to accomplish this goal in the time                      you establish
Relevant -- the goal should be important and relevant to your life and your                        situation
Timely -- there has to be a time element in which you will complete the goal                      (i.e. 1 week, 1 year, etc.)

Example (Part 1):

Recently,   my pants have been wearing too tight and I don't have the energy and stamina I need.  I want to be fitter.   After doing some thinking about this, I have decided that I want to lose ten pounds by Christmas.   This is highly specific,  it is certainly measurable.   Is it attainable?   Maybe 5 or 7 pounds is more realistic, but I will aim high.   This goal is relevant and highly timely.   Once the  goal is made and written down, the next step is planning how to achieve it.   They are many paths.

The 5 Steps of SMART Goal Setting

Planning -- Strategies and Tactics

“You've got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” —Alvin Toffler

Most of the time accomplishing a goal needs a plan.  Effective planning requires serious thought about strategies/methods/actions, and timing/time management.  

Strategies enable us to achieve our goals in the best way and in the best time.   A strategy is like a method for achieving a goal.  Having good strategies is important.   This means strategies that are right for you, and that work.  Let's say my big goal is to improve my academic performance this semester.  I have decided that micro goal supporting my macro goal for achieving this is to regularly arrive at my classes ten minutes  before they begin.  This might also be considered a strategy.   I then must think of tactics to support this goal. The actions one takes  are often called tactics.    They support your strategy. For morning classes,  choosing to leave home for school before 8 a.m. to beat the traffic and so find a good parking space is an important tactic.  This will require numerous supporting actions such as waking up earlier than usual.    It looks like this:

Example (Part 2):

How can I lose ten pounds by Christmas?    That is three months away, which means about 3 pounds per month.     I did a little research on the Internet (an important component of planning) and learned that someone can lose 1 pound per week by burning or cutting out 3500 calories from their diet.    I will do this by a combination of diet and exercise.     My research also showed me that the first several pounds are the easiest to lose, therefore the early part of my plan will be easier than the later part.   

The timing of my plan is to go by months

Month 1 --  lose 4 pounds (a pound a week)

Month 2 --  lose 3 pounds

Month 3 --  lose 3 pounds

With timing established,   I now must consider strategies and actions to help me accomplish this.     As I noted, my strategy to accomplish this will be a combination of diet and exercise to shave 3500 calories weekly from my lifestyle.  

Tactic 1:    Cut 250 calories daily from my diet 
Tactic 2:    Burn 250 extra calories through exercise

Action 1:  Cut portion sizes and drink more water
Action 2:  Eat more fruit and vegetables.  Reduce bread and rice.
Action 3:  Always eat breakfast.
Action 4:  Drink coffee and tea without sugar or cream.


Action 4:  Walk rapidly  or swim for 30 minutes.

At the end of the week,  I will check my weight and see if it has gone down.

Academic Scenario

Imagine you have a 4000 word research paper due at the end of the semester for one of your courses and it is worth 40% of your grade.    This is an example of something that needs some goal setting and planning for you to be successful.    You should first decide on the mark you want to receive because this will determine how much effort you spend on this.   (Of course,  you also need to know your own knowledge and ability.)

Big Goal: get 75% grade on the research paper

Planning 

This is mid-September and the paper is due at the end of November, which means you have 2-1/2 months, or 11 weeks to complete it.

Timing, Tactics,  & Actions

•  try to finish one week before it is due
•  first two weeks :    read about the topic,  do initial research,  make outline discuss with a classmate,  ask teacher any questions 
• October -- do more research -- finish research,  start writing body of essay
•  November -- first two weeks finish draft 1 and have a friend peer-edit it- third week,  do draft 2,  also have a friend peer edit it

When pursuing goals,  it is important to establish priorities.  You cannot do everything all at once.   What is most important now?    You may choose only to focus on one or two goals at a time.     

Remember to regularly measure your progress and to revise any part of the goal or plan as appropriate.    You may find talking to other people helpful.

Also,   you should reward yourself as you progress on the way to realizing your goal.   This helps to keep you motivated.

If your goal is really important to you and you have decided on some effective strategies,   then you have created a solid foundation for success.   

And don't forget to celebrate when your goal is achieved.