The Average Joe
I don’t think the average Joe actually knows how to set a goal.
I know that this is a sweeping generalisation.
Furthermore, I think more people would be more satisfied, if their goals were more realistic and achievable.
I’ve spoken to many people who have expressed disappointment and frustration at their perceived lack of progress in achieving their goals.
Interestingly, in most cases, people do not have an estimate of how long it should take to achieve their goal, based on their circumstances.
Let’s imagine that Joe
- creates a “to-do list” which has 10 tasks on it for one day
- completes 7 out of 10 tasks on the list
- gets very frustrated that he was unable to complete the remaining 3 tasks
- calls some of his friends to share his frustration and fish for sympathy
But after reviewing
- Joe’s time available to complete the tasks
- how long the tasks take to complete
the maximum amount of tasks that Joe could realistically complete on that day was 7 anyway.
if Joe set a more realistic goal, he would probably feel a since of achievement for completing 100% of his to do list, rather than frustration.
Consequently, Joe tends to devalue his own achievements because of the images showing others, seemingly achieving their goals.
Is your goal SMART?
Most importantly, every single goal you have, should be SMART as a principle.
Firstly, I ask myself:
- What is the specific goal I want to achieve? I believe that the process of achieving a goal should begin by identifying the end point.
- How much will it cost? This includes initial costs and ongoing costs. This should include the cost of people’s time
- What options do I have for funding the costs?
- How long will it take? I use my best estimate or I research other what others have done before.
This helps me to clarify my goals and understand how long it might take….on paper.
Vision Board
The practical side requires persistent self-motivation. Visual reminders of goals can be very powerful in helping with this.
This is why I would recommend spending some time to create a vision board.
This is a sheet with images related to your goals that you look at every day.
The fridge door, wardrobe door, whatever door or wall you think is suitable in your home. Whatever you choose, the objective is remind yourself daily, of what you are working towards.
Lastly, vision boards can work for any type of goal, whether it is Ethical, Social, Financial, Family or Spiritual.
