Seven Things to Consider When Setting New Goals
Stop shooting in the dark when you already have everything you need to succeed.
Everyone sets goals. Whether they be big or small, conscious or unconscious, subjectively good or subjectively bad. We all set goals for ourselves on a regular basis. Today we are going to talk about the process of conscious goal setting, exploring seven different things you may want to consider when establishing your newest goals.
Before we dive into the process of goal setting, let’s first set the scene with a clear definition, and some answers to common related questions.
What exactly is a goal?
Simply put, a goal is “the end toward which effort is directed.” – Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary Whereas a subconscious goal may be automated by internal systems, a conscious goal requires intentional activity.
What is goal setting?
Goal setting is the act of determining exactly what it is you desire to accomplish or attain, and devising an action plan to achieve it. In an article about setting and achieving goals, James Clear expounds on the key differences between goals and the systems we use to achieve them.
Why do we set new goals?
According to an article published to PositivePsychology.com, “Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. ... Setting goals not only motivates us, but can also improve our mental health and our level of personal and professional success.”
Now that we have a clearer understanding of what goals are and why we set them, let’s look at seven things you ought to consider when setting new goals for yourself.
Step One: Write it down so you can see/read/reference it.
The first practical step of defining any new goal is simple. Write it down. Sometimes we get so caught up in the ideas in our head that we never end up with any concrete sense of direction in our life. Of course, that’s only one of the reasons people often skip this part. Some people have given into the “expect nothing” gospel, so they never spend any time articulating the desires of their heart. Other people may be dealing with the residual effects of their unmet expectations from previous goals. Some of us simply struggle to see the hierarchy of our thoughts. Whatever the case may be, understand that it is very important to write our goals down as a necessary first step in understanding and clarifying them so that we may eventually reach them.
Step Two: Make it as specific as possible.
One of the top reasons we fail to reach our goals is because we honestly have no idea what they are or what achieving them could realistically mean for our lives. So for this step, practice clarifying our goals by looking at some examples of abstract thoughts vs. concrete goals. (BTW: Whenever you sign up for coaching with me, you can expect to be invited to complete this exercise towards the beginning of our journey together).
Abstract Thought: I would like to get an education.
Concrete Goal: I would like to graduate with a Master’s degree in Writing from New York University by May 2027.
Abstract Thought: I want more money for my business.
Concrete Goal: I would like to increase my profit margin by 30% over the course of the next two fiscal years.
Abstract Thought: I’m tryna step up my style game.
Concrete Goal: I want to find three style inspirations to help update my wardrobe this summer. I will get rid of clothing items I do not like, so that I do not feel tempted or obligated to wear them again.
Abstract Thought: I want to go viral on social media.
Concrete Goal: I’m going to create a social media content plan and build influence and authority this year through consistent high quality and frequent posts.
You get the picture? Clarifying your goals through the practice of defining the specific outcome you want to achieve will help you in taking definite action towards your success.
Step Three: Make sure it can be measured.
A goal that has no measurable quality to it is not real. Read that again.
The only way to understand your successes and areas of opportunity for improvement in the actions you take towards your clarified objective is by creating a measurable goal. For example:
In January 2022, one of my goals was to grow my audience by twice as many new followers than I had gained in the previous month. This means that in order to understand how many new followers I wanted to gain in January, I needed to be able to reference the number of new followers I had gained in December 2021. Since I ended the month of December with 28 new followers, my goal for January was to gain at least 56. That’s how I am able to conclude that my total of 61 new followers by January 31 meant that I had successfully executed my action plan, reaching and exceeding my very clear goal.
In February, my goal for that blog is to reach an even wider audience, adding at least 122 new followers to my page. As of this writing, I am at 82 new followers, which means that in the next five days I will need to gain at least 40 new followers. Which brings us to the fourth step – achievability.
Step Four: Make sure it is achievable.
Have you ever set a goal that was too far out of your reach? Like trying to become a millionaire in nine months without working knowledge of what it looks like to personally generate and manage six figures in new money on a monthly basis. I’m not talking about vision casting. Don’t get me wrong. I’m talking about setting up a goal that sounds too good to be true, because that’s exactly what it is.
The fourth step to consider when setting a new goal is making sure it is achievable. How do you know whether or not your goal can be achieved? Start by looking at goals you’ve reached in the past.
In the previous step, I shared a real life example of one of my goals regarding a relatively new personal blog I’ve been building on a platform called Medium. In January 2022, my goal was to double the number of new followers added to my audience in December (28). This meant I needed to gain at least 56 new followers to successfully reach my goal. As I sat down to define my February audience goal for the platform, I determined based on my previous goal and performance that my objective to gain twice as many new followers in February than I had gained in January was an achievable goal. Determining the achievability of your new goal should not be rocket science, that is, unless your goal is specific to actual rocket science.
Step Five: Make sure it is relevant to your skillset and your capacity.
Katy Perry has a song called “The One That Got Away.” Here are some of the lyrics:
In another life
I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world
In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were
The one that got away
The one that got away
Sometimes we make goals that only work in an alternate version of the reality we are currently living in. But when you’re serious about using what you have to achieve something you desire, you’ll make sure the goals you set are relevant to the skills you currently possess as well as the conditions you currently live in and your capacity to invest your time and energy.
Another mistake we often make, if we’re not careful, is that we'll embark on the journey to achieve a goal at the wrong time. Sort of like dropping a Christmas album in June, or promoting a live event during a statewide quarantine.
Answer these questions:
Is my goal worth my time, energy and resources?
Does it make sense for me to pursue this particular goal at this time?
Step Six: Make sure it is time-bound.
When setting a new goal, it is important to know when you expect to meet your objective. Say this with me: “An objective outside of time is no objective at all.” Here’s a simple way of breaking it down:
I personally invest a lot of time working towards very specific goals for my life. Building multimillion dollar businesses, reaching specified target audiences with my work, etc. When articulating my goals, I look to people who have made it beyond where I am looking to go (because success always leaves clues), I may consult a mentor, and then I’ll check in with myself to assess my commitment and capacity before assessing how long it might take for me to reach my goal. Here’s an example to help break this step down.
I have a very specific goal to reach 40,000 followers on my personal blog by the end of the year 2022. Coming into the new year with a whopping 33 followers makes this goal seem pretty crazy, however, when I consider the investment of time and resources required to make this happen, as well as the potential return on that investment, I am able to confidently break down my goal month by month. Here’s what it looks like:
MY 2022 PERSONAL BLOG AUDIENCE GOALS
January: 33 + 56 = 89
February: 89 + 112 = 201
March: 201 + 224 = 425
April: 425 + 448 = 873
May: 873 + 896 = 1769
June: 1769 + 1792 = 3561
July: 3561 + 3584 = 7145
August: 7145 + 7168 = 14,313
September: 14,313 + 14,336 = 28,649
October: 28,649 + 28,672 = 57,321
November: 57,321 + 57,344 = 114,655
December: 114,655 + 114,688 = 229,343
According to this chart, if things should go according to plan, then I should have exceeded my audience growth goals by mid-October 2022. Having these monthly markers available for reference can also help me to better understand what growth metrics to keep an eye on week by week and even day by day if I should choose to check in that often.
If you’re in the business of setting real goals, you’ll know when your goal begins and ends.
Step Seven: Follow up and assess your performance/progress regularly.
Consistency begets momentum. Once you have established your goal with clarity around its identity, measurability, achievability, relevance and timeline, be sure to check in on a regular basis to assess your performance and your progress.
Using our ongoing example from my real life, it’s important for me to regularly assess my performance by looking at both the quality and quantity of blog posts published, as well as the progress of audience growth against my monthly and overall goals.
When working with new clients, I always start with a series of questions to better understand where they are vs. where they would like to be. And along the way, we regularly check in to determine where we are on the journey to reaching the goals we’ve set. If you would like to learn more about purpose coaching and how it can help you identify and more confidently pursue your goals in life, please feel free to contact me here.
Let’s recap. Here are the seven things you should consider when setting a new goal:
Write it down so you can see/read/reference it.
Make it as specific as possible.
Make sure it can be measured.
Make sure it is achievable.
Make sure it is relevant to your skillset and your capacity.
Make sure it is time-bound.
Follow up and assess your performance/progress regularly.
Positivity Now.
🤎🤎
Positivity Now. 🤎🤎
The aim of the Sustainable BPA blog is to deliver useful articles and resources in reasonably short reads that allow you to spend more time putting what you’ve learned into practice.
Please note that this article is not a substitute for therapy, nor should any part of its contents be mistaken for legal advice, financial advice or medical instruction. For more information about 1:1 purpose coaching sessions, please visit our services page.
Love. Light. Clarity.
🤎💡👁🗨
