Top Tips for Setting Goals

Setting goals can be extremely influential in fostering success in both personal and professional spheres. Not only does setting goals provide a tangible benchmark to aspire towards, but it also enhances concentration and boosts confidence through each accomplished goal. Research indicates that individuals who set goals are 10x more likely to succeed compared to those who don’t. Incorporating goal setting into your Professional Development journey can significantly contribute to your success.

Here are Salford Professional Development’s top tips when setting goals;

1: Use the SMART System

The SMART system stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound. This framework was developed by George T Doran in the 1980s and is widely used as a tactic for setting goals effectively. Making your goals Specific ensures the focus of the goals is clear, by clearly articulating the exact goal in as many words necessary to ensure it’s understood. The goals must also be Measurable, be that through figures or markers to ensure you are able to keep track of how far away you are from achieving this goal. For example, if the goal is to increase a companies social media following, using data-analytics tools will be valuable to measure this with. To reach your goals, they must be Achievable, or in other words realistic, as it’s much easier to have smaller goals to begin with as you strive towards a larger goal. The goals also need to be Relevant to your professional goals or your companies’ goals. It’s important not to set goals that don’t align with what you’re trying to achieve. Finally, goals should always be Time-Bound with a deadline set to evaluate progress made in achieving the goal.

2: Set Short Term Goals

Setting short-term goals is another fundamental aspect in achieving your goals. These goals, typically spanning over a period of weeks, allow you to break down larger objectives into more manageable and actionable steps. By defining specific and realistic targets within a shorter timeframe, it helps maintain focus and motivation, as the attainment of these goals provides a sense of achievement along the way.

3: Avoid Comparison

It may be easy to compare how far along you are in completing your goals in comparison to colleagues or friends however it’s important to try and minimise this. Comparison can significantly lower your self esteem which makes it more difficult to stay motivated in achieving goals. One way to help with this is by trying to maintain focus on your achievements and accomplishments during those times that you find yourself thinking and comparing yourself to others. The best thing to remember during these times is: The only person you should compare yourself to is the you of yesterday.

4: Evaluate Progress Monthly

Keeping on-top of your progress is a great way to stay consistent on the path to achieving your goals. Ways to do this include creating a spreadsheet where you can track your goals each month, arranging meetings to discuss with your manager how far off you are or even writing down what you’ve achieved that month.

5: Don’t Be Scared to Fail

Many people are afraid of failure, however, to succeed it’s crucial to put away these fears. Failure isn’t always negative, as there’s many ways that we can benefit from it. For example, failing lets us evaluate ourselves and why this may be the case and therefore helps us become the best versions of ourselves. Failure can often be a way to help us find solutions to problems, instead of being a problem itself. To continue striving towards our goals eliminating this fear is necessary.