#Middlebury #WinningWays
Insights for Constructive Living
by Pat Iannuzzi
If asked about the direction of our lives, I think most of us would probably respond that we still have some significant goals, personally or professionally, that we would like to achieve. Furthermore, we could easily come up with some persuasive reasons why these accomplishments would be of value to ourselves and the people who are important to us. We could probably list several benefits that would result from achieving these goals.
A logical question an observer could ask then is, “If these goals are so important to you, why haven’t you already achieved them?” We might come up with some valid excuses for our lack of goal achievement, but one key reason might be that we never really got started on our quest in the first place. We may have thought about it and talked about it, but for some reason or other, we just never took any action. On reflection, we would recognize that our goals were really more like wishes than sincere commitments.
For goals to really work for us to achieve significant results, they have to be structured in a way to engender success. Here are some elements for effective goal setting (and accomplishment) that can help us go from where we currently are in life to where we sincerely want to be.
A Goal Must Be Specific
A goal should be clear and specific; otherwise we won’t be able to focus our efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting a goal, we need to be able to answer the following question: What, exactly, do I want to accomplish?
A Goal Must Be Measurable
It’s important to have measurable goals so that we can track our progress and stay motivated. Tracking our progress helps us stay focused, meet our deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer and closer to achieving our goal.
A Goal Must Be Action-Oriented
A goal must incorporate “doing” rather than “being” language. If there is no call to action, we can delay or never even begin our journey. To be successful, we must clearly describe the actions and activities that will get us where we want to go.
A Goal Must Be Realistic
A goal must be realistic and attainable. It has got to be something that is, with the proper focus and effort, possible for us to achieve. Otherwise we would be wasting our time and energy and setting ourselves up for disappointment and frustration.
A Goal Must Be Time-Bound
Every goal needs a target completion date so that we have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. Without a deadline, a goal simply becomes an ongoing series of activities without any way to effectively track our progress.
Here’s wishing you more effective goal setting.
Pat Iannuzzi of Symbiont Performance Group, Inc. is a performance consultant, trainer and coach focusing on selling, presentation and interpersonal skills. He lives in Litchfield and can be reached at 860-283-9963 or piannuzzi@symbiontnet.com.
