By Wyatt Pottoe
We all need goals to achieve: that’s what helps us to really succeed. Goals are the carrots that pull us forward when times are rough. They help us overcome problems, setbacks, and resistance to our achievement. The most crucial goals of all are personal development goals.
Here’s the easy part: setting personal development goals for yourself. But the hard part is actually achieving those goals. One reason lots of people fail to reach their goals is that they made the mistake of setting blurry goals rather than crystal clear ones. Other people have a tendency to set a bunch of goals all at once. Still others choose target dates that are fuzzy or too far away.
To best set your own personal development goals, you want to sharply define what it is you want to achieve. Good for you for wanting to lose weight, but you must set a clear goal at the outset. Choose how much weight you will lose, and write down that as your goal. Pick an exact number of pounds or kilograms, and be sure it is really an achievable goal. Otherwise, you can set yourself up for failure. After you have chosen a goal of, for example, ten pounds, go ahead and create an exercise and diet plan that will aid you in accomplishing your goal.
Now, take on your challenge by setting parameters for your goal that are clear. With your diet and exercise plans laid out, and a clear number to aim for, set yourself a time limit. It could be ten pounds in the next two months, for example. Which is a little more than a pound per week: pretty achievable. You now have a sharp target, with a manageable time frame, and you will be able to sharply focus on your way to achieving your goal.
So the first step is done. You have established a personal development goal, and are taking the path to achieving it.
However, remember not to set your personal development goals so lofty that they are unattainable. If you do that, and you don’t succeed in reaching them, you may feel you are a “failure.” These negative feelings can affect your self-esteem, and your broader life outlook. So set attainable goals you can reach.
And when you work hard and reach your goal, don’t forget to give yourself a reward! A reward makes your focus and commitment worth something else besides the great accomplishment itself. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money or eat a giant cheesecake that will start you gaining weight again, for example. Why not take a rewarding walk in a park, have a glass of good wine, or take yourself out to a matinee movie? Reward yourself for sticking to your plan and meeting your goal.
Having achieved your first personal development goal, now you will be ready to set another one. Always set your next goal the same way you did the first, with clear, achievable results in a decent time frame. And who knows where this will all lead? In 5 - 10 years you will be shocked by where you have ended up. Setting small, achievable goals, one after the other, can lead you to heights you would not have imagined in your former life.
About the Author
Wyatt Pottoe is a columnist for several popular online magazines, on home equity and family video themes.