What does your calendar have listed for today’s agenda? Most likely, today’s to-do list will be mostly things you have to do with a small mix of a few things you want to do. What about tomorrow’s schedule? Or in six months? How about a year? Or five years? When people make adjustments to their routine today, they can often set themselves up to achieve significant change over time. A significant body of research has shown the power of well-set goals.
“The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun,
in the short run. It seems to me, though, that
the people who get things done, who lead,
who grow and who make an impact… those people have goals.”
—Seth Godin
Despite the established knowledge that people who set goals achieve more, people understandably struggle with the practice. Seth Godin puts words to the main problem: making a long-term impact often requires a short-term loss. There are no short-cuts for achievement or substitutes for putting in the work. However, anyone pursuing a goal does need help. Support from friends and family can be invaluable in the form of encouragement, advice, and assistance, but often people need more than their family and friends can offer. More and more people are seeking out life coaching or counseling for goal setting help.
Thriveworks Austin provides counseling and coaching for people who are ready to focus upon what they care about most, set a goal, and achieve their dreams.
How Could Goals Help?
Finding a dream and working toward a goal sounds romantic, and it is truly easily said than done. Reaching a goal takes dedication. And yet, many people are able to balance out that ratio on their calendar—doing more and more of what they want and less and less of what they have to do. Often, the key toward achievement is setting goals. To list just a few benefits, setting a goal may help people…
- Eliminate or minimize distractions that redirect their focus away from what they care about.
- Build up self-control.
- Focus people’s attention on what they want and what is important to them.
- Motivate significant action.
- Bring people’s focus and behavior into alignment.
- Boost motivation to sustain setbacks and challenges.
Different Kinds of Targets
For some, even the term “goal setting” will spark negative thoughts about people making themselves eat more vegetables. Setting a goal almost always involves hard work, but it should never induce misery. Instead, setting goals is about people taking control of their time to use it as they see fit. That way, their lives more accurately reflect their values and priorities. This means people can set goal in any aspect of their lives, and they should. Goals can be serious and significant, or they can be fun and refreshing.
Here are a few examples of the different areas of your life where you could set a goal:
- Financial: How do you want to spend your money? Live debt free? Capitalizing on your earning potential? Meet giving benchmarks?
- Career: What is your dream job? Are you ready to advance in your current employment? Switch jobs? Switch careers?
- Fun: What puts a smile on your face and gives you energy? How can fun be more a part of your daily routine?
- Familial: What relationships within your family do you want to improve? What relational goals do you have?
- Physical: What adjustments might benefit your health? How you can grow stronger?
- Educational: What would you enjoy studying, learning, and exploring? What books to you want to read, museums do you want to visit, et cetera?
- Artistic: What artistic ambitions do you have and would want to devote your time toward developing?
- Attitude: What kind of a person do you want to be? What kind of character do you want to establish? Patience? Kindness? Self-confidence?
Structuring Goals Well
There is no limit to the amount or type of goals people can set, and the specific details of a goal will almost always be personal to the individual setting it. Goals should express people’s values and align with their talent, skills, and resources. Healthy goals are often achievable but stretching.
While specific goals will vary, the form of a well-structured goal will almost always follow the same pattern:
- Time-bound: Well-formed goals have a timeframe. The deadline could be in a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade—it does not matter. What is important is stating a clear finish line.
- Written: People take goals that they document more seriously. Written objectives can be reviewed when focus is waning.
- Specific: Vague goals are people’s enemies, and detailed goals are their friends. The more specifics, the better.
- Shared: Support can come in many forms, but in order for people to lend a helping hand, they must first know about the goal. Share goals and ask for allies in achieving them.
Goal Setting Help—Coaching at Thriveworks Austin, TX
Does your mundane schedule need shaking up? Are you ready to be doing less of what you have to do and more of what you want to do? If so, help is available. Thriveworks Austin has appointments available for counseling and coaching that may help you reach your goals.
When you contact our office, know that weekend and evening appointments are available. We also accept most forms of insurance. New clients usually meet with their coach within 24 hours of their first call. Are you ready to take control of your calendar and to-do list? Contact Thriveworks Austin today.
