How to set a goal for yourself and achieve it. An example of a correct smart goal

We fill sheets of paper with multiple statements of our goals in life; our reality is saturated with advice on time management. But a mountain of sheets does not make our desires and goals more realistic.

How to achieve the goal? Make our goal become a reality, turn from a mirage on the horizon into a tangible “here and now”? How to organize your life so that setting goals and our actions are aimed at the result, and not at the process?

She told us about all this Anna Kebets, organizational coach, head of the consulting company GoodWin Group. The techniques described will help you create a system for achieving goals and make sure that your friends, colleagues or subordinates have the same understanding of the project you are working on together.

Determine the desired result

The SMART coaching technique will tell you how to set goals correctly and make your desires truly come true.

According to this technique, in order to set a goal, it is important that it meets the following characteristics:
Specific- specific;
Measurable– measurable;
Achievable– achievable;
Realistic/Relevant– real/relevant;
Timed– defined in time.

Specific goal. Before you start moving, make sure you are able to set yourself a clear and positive goal. For example, your personal task for today “send your resume” is not clear. It sounds much more specific: “today find 5 interesting vacancies, write a resume for each of them and send.” “Improve your diction” is also not the best example of how to set goals, and your specific option for self-improvement is “read the tongue twister twice every day.” “Organize a party for friends” also sounds too vague. But “to organize a party for 20 people in the style of office zombies in the open air outside the city” is a good example of how you can set a goal. The task “make a promotional video to wow!” will result in “uuh, what the hell did you film?” But “I want action with a cut of YouTube jokes in a one-minute video, where our ideal target audience receives the answer “why do I need this subscription to the site?” – gives your employees a clear understanding of what exactly you want to see and what goals they should set for themselves.

If something can be measured, then it can be done. Quantitative indicators help you understand what stage of achieving your goal you are at.

Measurable goal. A goal should always have results that can be recorded in some way. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand that achieving the goal is close. After all, if something can be measured, then it can be done. Quantitative indicators help you understand what stage of achieving your goal you are at. Therefore, instead of “increase sales,” for example, good sales managers set themselves the task of “increasing the average sales bill to $5,000 in May”: this is an example of how to set a goal correctly. And, for example, a marketer formulates measurability as follows: “publish three articles for one spread in three leading publications of the country / increase the number of VKontakte subscribers to 5,000 people.”

“Becoming more flexible” is not clear: how do you know what exactly to do if you set such vague goals in life? But it is quite clear what needs to be achieved in such cases - “in a month, reach your forehead with your knee without bending your legs / practice one negotiation technique per day.”

You must have the opportunity to implement your plans. It makes no sense to want a villa by the sea while spending all your free time on the sofa.

If it is difficult to understand how to correctly set a goal and measure it, answer two questions for yourself using a scale from 1 to 10 points: how many points do you define achievement of the goal and how close are you now to the final goal? The first question means that your task does not require a perfect 10 points, and you only need, for example, a 5 to check the “done” box.

Achievable goal. When thinking about how to achieve a goal, you need to evaluate whether you have the capabilities to implement your plans. For example, it will be difficult for you to marry a famous TV presenter without any access to the circles in which he moves. It also makes no sense to consider a villa by the sea as your goal in life, spending all your free time on the couch, not having rich relatives and not even getting involved in money scams.

Before setting goals, think about which of them you can achieve due to your professional skills or personal abilities. If you need to involve someone for this task, then choose someone who has the motivation, ability or necessary skills.

A realistic goal. Realism is determined by your external and internal resources. When building a system for achieving goals, honestly evaluate what you already have today to achieve your goal and what you don’t yet have. In addition, each new goal must be consistent with your other goals and activities. Otherwise you will stop yourself.

Don't stretch or compress real deadlines, otherwise you will have to do everything at the last minute or at an accelerated pace.

A goal defined in time. Effective goal setting always includes deadlines. In order to run a half marathon, you personally need to train for a year. Set a deadline - “in order to prepare well and not die during training, I need a year, but not one last month before the race.” If you want to set a goal to write a book review/financial report within a week (taking into account force majeure), indicate exactly this deadline. Don't stretch or compress real deadlines, otherwise you will have to do everything at the last minute or at an accelerated pace. And you will probably miss something important in a hurry.

Working through each task/desire/goal according to these five criteria will help you identify specific steps that will help you both set your goal and achieve its implementation.

We determine the conditions for achieving the goal

Do you want to get an objective picture of the facts and understand what is actually happening in your life/work regarding a specific goal (for example, a project, a task), what may prevent you from achieving your goals in life, and is this the goal you are striving for?

Here is a list of clarifying questions:

1. How are things going with this goal?

2. If we leave everything as it is, what will happen in a year, three, five?

3. What will happen if the goal is realized?

4. How much influence can you personally have on implementation?

5. What steps have already been taken in the chosen direction to achieve the goal?

6. Could more have been done?

7. What stopped you from doing more?

8. What resources are needed for implementation?

9. What resources do you already have, what resources will you need in the future, and where can you get them?

10.What are the possible risks?

11. Which partners/assistants/friends can help implement the idea, and which ones will hinder?

12.What measurable results are needed?

13. After achieving a goal, how will the realized goal affect everything that surrounds us?

Determining the strategy to achieve

If you clearly understand your goal, then you have several ways to achieve it. And how you can achieve your goal and the algorithm for subsequent steps depends on the strategy you choose. Want to make sure you find the best way? Test your strategy and chosen system for achieving goals.

So, brainstorm (if you are confident, you can brainstorm alone) and write down the answers to the following questions:

1. How can you achieve the goal you set for yourself? Write down everything, even the most crazy options. Don't dismiss anything.

2. What are the pros and cons of each option? Write down everything, even potential disadvantages and advantages.

3. What is needed to implement each option? Describe financial, human, time, etc. resources.

4. Which option will work faster, which one will be more effective? This question rejects decisions that are too long in time, require excessive investments and depletion of resources, and ineffective decisions to achieve the goal.

Surely, you are familiar with SWOT analysis, which allows you to evaluate a particular idea: Strengths (strengths), Weaknesses (weaknesses), Opportunities (opportunities) and Threats (threats). This is also a good tool for those who want to know how to set goals correctly. Analyze your goal and make yourself a chart to organize everything that came to mind during your brainstorming. As a rule, after these questions there are only a couple of options left, according to which you need to make a real choice of strategy.

Determining a specific plan

When you understand what goals to set for yourself, after the final choice of a single strategy, draw up an action plan (don’t forget to formulate everything according to the SMART principle!). Otherwise, all the work done is meaningless. The starting questions are very simple. We ask ourselves these questions every day:

1. What is the very first step towards achieving your goal that you are ready to take?

2. When exactly will you take this first step?

3. Who will you involve: who is the performer, the controller, who should motivate, etc.?

4. Do all steps have deadlines?

How to achieve your goals

What goals to set, how to set goals correctly, and the necessary steps to achieve any goal.

Good time to you! In the last article, we discussed the importance of the fact that success in any area of ​​life primarily depends on what many people think is nonsense.

And today we will consider: what goals need to be set, how to set them, and what is generally needed to ensure that you achieve your goals.

By and large, I won’t tell you anything particularly new, everything has long been known, rather I’ll draw your attention to some key points, and give you a simple, but really working scheme that I use myself, and which helps me step by step to achieve certain successes .

I won’t say that I have achieved great results financially, but the good thing is that I have already been able to get out of a deep hole in the form of considerable debt and loss of housing after my first unsuccessful experience in business.

So, as for goals in general, I am sure that the first thing that should be most cherished for any person is target - BE HAPPY.

That is, you need to want not to survive, not to somehow reach old age, but want to truly be happy! This means living a life in which you will increasingly feel comfort, peace and joy within yourself.

And until this goal becomes paramount for you, some fears, laziness and excuses will stop you all the time.

“Everything comes true when the decision to be happy becomes a lifestyle.”

But very, very many people, without even realizing it, live just by survival, just to somehow live. They are not trying to change anything for the better, to achieve something, but simply go with the flow, living in the usual (old) comfort, not caring about the quality of their life, and believe the well-known saying - “Better a bird in the hand than a pie in the sky.” .

Well, okay, if this tit can still fly somewhere, but for some it has been half-dead for a long time, its wings have been cut off and it’s not like flying, but weaving spruce-spruce.

Of course it's very important be able to live comfortably, being content with what you have, but you need to strive for the crane .

Therefore, you simply need to set yourself the main goal of becoming happy. This is the most important and wonderful goal!

But the point here is that this goal itself is vague, it does not indicate what we need to be happy. Therefore, first of all, let’s look at what it could be and where to look.

What goals should you set for yourself?

We have many areas in life and each is important in its own way:

• Internal, State of mind , this is the most important thing! If you experience mental suffering, all the time or often feel some kind of internal pain, then everything else (given below) begins to lose meaning. And this is the first goal that you need to set for yourself - to find spiritual comfort. After all, life is, first of all, internal state, not achievements, events and situations.

• Physical health , in case of poor health, for example, a person is paralyzed, even having a million dollars will not make him cheerful, money can only provide some comfort.

• Job(creative realization), if a person goes to work as if it’s hard labor, is forced to obey, endures and is afraid of losing his job, and every morning begins with the thoughts: “God, how can I get through another working day, I wish it was the weekend soon,” then we can hardly talk about happiness;

Take a closer look, everyone has some plans for you, your work colleagues, companies (organizations), the state and even your loved ones. Everyone wants something from you, but by and large no one cares about what you want. But it is very important not to ignore your sincere desires, satisfy them and do what you want in life. exactly for you likes it and gives pleasure.

Remember what aroused your interest or try yourself in something new, and listen to yourself, what causes a pleasant response in your soul. This could be any activity - dancing, music, painting, knitting, photography, cooking, gardening, programming, or even animal training.

And start getting involved in this, study and gradually become an expert, in the future, this can become the main source of your income, because it is in what they love that people achieve the greatest success. Especially now, when, with the development of the Internet, a lot of new professions and opportunities for self-realization and earning money have appeared.

And for this it is not at all necessary to take drastic steps, quit your previous job or start a revolution, act for the future, just start trying things and learning.

• Financial(material) sphere, if there is not enough money and you have to worry all the time about where to get something to at least eat normally and give the essentials to your family, this is also not very rosy and will always be stressful. I'm not even talking about our dreams and desires - to travel, to pamper ourselves, our family, etc.

• Personal(family) relationship. A lonely person can live well, but he will be happy only if he has been able, so to speak, to develop deeply spiritually, when he can only be pleased with his own existence. But you and I are not some enlightened people, not Buddhist monks, and constant loneliness will be a burden to us.

• Environment and friends , all this is also important for joy and pleasure in life, and our success largely depends on it.

But you need to be careful in choosing such people and not be afraid to leave those who do not support and inspire you.

• Self-development . Here I’ll just say - it’s always important for us to strive to develop, even in the smallest steps. We don’t have such a thing that having achieved some result, you can hang in this state and somehow hold back development. We either move forward or degrade.

If, for example, you are overweight and have weak muscle tone, then it would be good to strive to develop your body; if you are worried about internal problems and often experience negative emotions, or perhaps have emotional disorders, then it is important to take care of your inner world, study something and use to improve your well-being and its stability.

In general, you need to set your own goals in these areas, because all these moments together make us happy, inspired and energetic, and for everyone they will be somewhat different, because we are all different, we all have different conditions and resources, different predispositions and inclinations, and for everyone right now something may have a special need.

How to set goals correctly.

Take a pen, a piece of paper and, slowly, think and write down what your goals are now. What do you want from life? First write down everything that comes to mind, it could be 10, 20 or more goals.

Next, take another piece of paper and write down from all the previously described goals, the most-most necessary , the most cherished 2-3 goals for you, without which you cannot imagine a happy life, what you will devote yourself to with all your heart, what excites you when you think about it. In general, determine what you will want to wake up for every day, what will give you the feeling that your life is not in vain.

By the way, one of these goals, for a given period of life, will have priority over the others, this is the most what you need now, but priority may change over time.

When you write these two or three goals, leave some space between them about a third of the sheet, here we will enter “necessary actions.”

So, for these purposes, describe in detail, how would you like to live and what to do? For example, I would like to do this, have such and such a family, have such and such, specifically in numbers, material income, where and how to live, for example, in your own house on the river bank, there are so many rooms in the house, there is a garage, etc., in general, describe in more detail and more colorfully.

And don’t write some pipe dreams, like: to have a billion dollars and for everyone to love me, but let them be brave and hot dreams, but what is certain is that realistically achieved in some foreseeable future(for example 1 or 3 years).

You can take your time and draw up a sheet of goals gradually, over several days, now the main thing is begin, and then, without delaying too much, bring it to the end.

How to achieve a goal - specific actions

After describing the goals, in the space left, write the following paragraph: “The most necessary actions leading to the goal.”

At this point, think and mark those specific actions that need to be taken to achieve what you want.

Moreover, write actions starting with the smallest steps, what will be the first and what will happen next.

For example, if you are single and want to start a family, then the first action would be: go out and walk to where you can meet certain people, or find a dating site. And the second step will be: without any extra thought, while still feeling embarrassed, approach and talk to the person, say at least a few words or write him a message.

And if now you are prevented from doing these actions by being overweight and the uncertainty associated with it, then we set ourselves intermediate goal: “Start eating right and playing sports in order to become more confident and attractive.”

The same applies to the most important thing – our health.

What does it take to feel good, cheerful and energetic? And now think about how best to achieve this - what actions, where to start here and there?

These actions should be reliable, that is, proven, proven and working effectively, and not some of your own or someone else’s, little-tested stories and conjectures.

Example. For my good health, stable, well-being and energy, I need:

• relax regularly (what specific actions?)
• proper rest (when, how and what?)
• playing sports (what sport, what do I like best, what will be especially useful in my case?)
• learn (which ways exactly?), etc.

That is, describe specific actions in stages necessary to achieve the goal.

Scheme:

1. A detailed, clear goal that we have set for ourselves.

• (the most effective actions)
• (... action)
• (... action)

1. Second detailed purpose

• (... action)
• (... action)
• (action), etc.

We consolidate our goals

After writing a piece of paper with goals and actions, often find a separate minute and remember (dream), periodically look through this sheet, and even better, if you at least sometimes (preferably more often), and for example in the morning, rewrite the goals in a separate notebook, in this case motor skills will be activated. It has been scientifically proven that the brain begins to perceive information described by the hand differently, more deeply and purely, and assimilates it better. Imagination and writing on paper are the most powerful tools for self-development.

It will also help greatly if you record your goals on an audio player and listen to the recording from time to time. After all, it is important not only to know your goal well, but fix it in your mind, make it an idea And start living for her . After all, there is nothing stronger than an idea; once some thought has built a nest in our heads, it begins to control our lives, and it’s good if this idea is useful!

I would also like to recommend you one very convenient service, which was created specifically for setting and achieving goals using the SMART method. The service was created by Russian enthusiastic developers, it has all the necessary tools and the opportunity to further motivate yourself with the help of like-minded people and social networks. Probably for some of you this particular method of tracking and achieving goals is best suited. SmartProgress.do >>>

What you should always remember

Dreaming and acting towards your goals is important remember the present otherwise, constantly thinking about where you would like to be, you lose the ability to enjoy life here and now.

It doesn’t work in life that, well, I’ll achieve my goal and then I’ll live and become happy. In life it's the other way around at first you relax mentally and begin to relate more simply towards yourself, towards your goals and life itself, and without unnecessary stress, without burnout, you begin to move towards your plans, and then everything magically, albeit not always quickly, works out.

Therefore, keep a big goal for the future, but try seize the day , solving small problems as they arise, and not thinking about everything in advance, and not driving yourself to illness with the race for achievements. A big goal, like a bright landmark to which you need smoothly pursuit.

Just don’t forget that everything you do is primarily for the sake of your happiness, and you can be in a good mood and be satisfied with life right now, and this, oddly enough, depends only on you!

How to achieve your goals

Having set goals and periodically remembering them, begin to move towards this, trying no distractions to harmful thoughts, useless and stupid people, quarrels, arguments with someone and empty activities.

And start already right now, at least just do it taking your first steps without waiting for the perfect moment .

One of the biggest mistakes many people make is to constantly wait for that perfect moment to start something. Their whole life passes in this expectation, until their dream one day turns into disappointment. And this happens very often in life.

People think like this: I’ll start when I’m ready, when I gain more knowledge, or when my condition improves and I gain confidence, or in general, when some stars align and there’s a sign from above.

In fact, it's simple - there will never be a perfect moment, and you you're disturbing yourself change life for the better. You are afraid and listen to your fear, you have no faith in yourself and your strength. Probably sometime earlier you made a mistake and perhaps more than one, or maybe someone told you some kind of “nasty” thing, you believed it and that’s it. And now you are fixated on the fear of failure, which now prevents you from doing something necessary, and some people even began to think that he is in life.

And the maximalist always thinks that they are not competent enough, that they need to gain more knowledge, although, in fact, you don’t need to gain anything, it’s enough if you just know something well and can bring real benefits with it, and perfection will come with practice and time.

And all you need is trust yourself, trust life And take the first step!.

Of course there is a risk, but risk, this is second gold, it always exists, and it differs from recklessness with great opportunities to make your life and the lives of your loved ones happier.

And often in life, one necessary action is more important than all knowledge, just as a few seconds can change everything. For example, when meeting someone, when all you need to do is make up your mind and just start talking.

Finally:

Surely, many of you are now thinking, “Oh, I’m reluctant, I’ll write about my goals later, I don’t have time for that right now,” or “This is not so important, I won’t write anything, it’s unlikely to help anyway.” This means that your old beliefs have worked inside you, which are slowing down and ruining your whole life.

For those who did, save this sheet with goals and actions, review and apply it, it will be very useful to you!

If nothing comes to your mind right now and it’s incredibly difficult to think about goals, perhaps

Sincerely, Andrey Russkikh

P.S. Watch Brian Tracy's video on how to set goals.

This article will talk about how to achieve your goals and make your dreams come true. I will describe several approaches that, in my opinion, have a lot in common.

The dream will not come true until you take action.

A small digression: in Russia the words “goal” and “dream” have different meanings. A goal is the result we strive for, and a dream is something transcendental that may or may not come true. When we dream, we rely on chance, on the universe, on coincidence.

Consider the difference between these two statements: “I want to go to the gym” and “I intend to go to the gym.” There are desires, and there are intentions. To achieve something, you need to not just want, but intend.

Over the 4 years of working as a copywriter, I studied (there were orders) a lot of technologies for making wishes come true. I am a skeptic and don’t particularly believe in the Universe, miracles and all kinds of magic. But these techniques have their place and are popular.

A person who dreams of winning the lottery must at least buy a ticket. And if you dream of being at sea, buy a plane ticket or a trip.

1. A wish card is when you write down your wishes, put pictures on a sheet of paper, and hang them in a visible place. As coaches say: ask the universe and it will give you. This makes sense if you are clearly aware of your desires and see them every day. You program your brain, subconscious and actions to make them come true;
2. Write a list of 100 wishes for the year ahead. First the important ones, then the minor ones;
3. Keep a gratitude diary, every day before going to bed, write down 5 things for which you are grateful;
4. Imagine that you already have what you want. That is, you sat down, relaxed and imagined the emotions that fill your head when your desire is fulfilled.

All these desires will not come true if you do not act. If you just lie on the couch and wait for you to start earning more, then nothing will happen. I think you understand this yourself :)

How to set goals correctly?

There is a whole technology for setting goals called SMART. This technology is good for setting goals for 2-4 or even 6-8 months. It is used in many companies and helps to clearly formulate and understand their purpose.

• S pecific (Specific);
• M easure(Measurable);
• A chievable;
• R elevant (Current);
• T ime-bound (Limited in time).

Goal: buy a fur coat costing from 50,000 rubles. for money earned from freelancing until March 1, 2018.

The goal should have a time limit, a measurable result that you are striving for. The bar must be real. “I want to live with dignity” or “earn a lot” are not the goal.

• “I earn from freelancing from 60,000 rubles. Monthly, starting April 1, 2018";
• “I am married to the man I love until December 2018”;
• “I have a new, higher-paying job with a salary starting from 50,000 rubles and a flexible schedule until June 2018.”

Did you notice? Everywhere there is “I” or “I have”, because the goal must relate specifically to you.

Once you've written down a list of your goals, take each one and divide it into subgoals.

• Find 6 regular customers before March 1;
• Make a price list for your services;
• Make a resume;
• Complete specialized training;
• Read book XXXXX.

Afterwards, break down each subgoal into even smaller steps.

• Every day you need to send your resume to at least 10 companies until 2 are invited for an interview;
• Write on social media network 1 post per day and add 6 potential customers as friends, write them messages offering services;
• Take 2 tasks on the stock exchange per day.

1. Break down one common goal into the smallest steps. Thus, one complex task is broken down into simple steps; it’s easier to take on simple ones (just don’t go to the point of absurdity in crushing);
2. Write down all the steps on a separate sheet, and put a date next to each one;
3. The goal must be realistic. If you now earn 25,000, then set the bar at 28,000 for the next month, if 35,000, then set it at 39,000. Increasing your indicators by 10% is more than realistic. Naturally, if you have 20 now, then 1,000,000 next. It will be difficult to do in a month.
   Growth of 30% per year for the average person is the norm, but jumps in income by 2 times in a couple of months are rather a beautiful marketing ploy for various trainings;
4. You must really want to get what you want, if the goal is not yours, but imposed by parents, spouses or someone else, then you can take a lot of actions on how to set goals correctly and achieve them, but in the end nothing will work, because there is no sincerity in the intention;
5. Your goals don't exist until they are written down. Write them down on paper. We also have .

How to set goals for the year?

I listened to Andrey Parabellum’s audiocasts that any long-term goal should follow the formula: be able to, master, be.

I am an internet marketer, I have a Porsche Cayenne, I know how to set up automated sales funnels.

I have my own business, I know how to sell kitchens, I earned money for my own home.

There is another opinion on this matter: people live according to the formula - I have something, I do something, then I become someone. I earned initial capital, bought an apartment, rented an office, have a car, I started selling kitchens, I became the director of the company.

The following formula would be more correct: I have become someone, I am doing something, I have something. That is, you have to imagine the person you want to become in a year (maybe two), then do what this person would do, communicate with those with whom he would communicate, and one day you will become this person.

You can change in one moment - at the moment of making a decision.

I just write 100 goals for the year, I need this to understand where I’m going and what I want. Both personal and work-related - all in one list. Do I want to work more - no. But to buy a new, more spacious apartment - yes. Work is a tool, not a goal.

American approach to goals and planning

At one webinar on SMM from Timur Tazhetdinov, he said that in America goals and dreams are very closely connected. There is one common vision for your future or the product you produce. The more accurate this vision and more detailed idea of ​​the necessary steps to achieve the result, the faster you can get what you want.

If you want to set goals and achieve them, you need to be able to imagine the desired result in great detail.

Goal: climb the volcano and watch the sunrise before the end of 2018. Before doing this, you can look at a photo of this place to get a better idea.

Freelancing - microbusiness

– a small business, since it works with orders. Working with indicators, planning, and goal setting are part of any business, if, of course, you strive for success. If there is no boss, then you will have to set tasks for yourself.

Without clear goals, there will be no results.

How to force yourself to move?

1. Trainings. During the training you will receive good motivation for action;
2. Inspirational films. It doesn’t work for me; I only need inspiration for a day or two. But this may be enough to get started;
3. A hopeless situation. Any discomfort makes you move;
4. Find a mentor who will push you to achieve results.

To achieve your goals, you need to do more, talk, think, and reason less. Just start moving.

Goal: learn to hit a target from 15 meters.

Literature and films on goal setting

A huge number of books have been written on the topic “How to set goals and achieve them” and are freely available. I recommend watching the movie “The Secret”. Watching a movie is easier than reading a book. Spend a couple of hours, it will really inspire you to do great things. Already from a state of inspiration, start writing your goals.

Goals written on paper work. Believe me.

In conclusion, I would like to give an example:

When I worked as a coach, I set a goal for my students - to get an interview within 1 week. Those who sent their resumes once or twice were not included. The names were those who sent 20-25 times. This suggests that you need to go towards your goal, and not wait for everything to work out on its own. You can't wait.