There is nothing easier than achieving goals, and there is nothing more difficult than achieving goals. How many books are written, how many trainings have been conducted, how much dough was earned on the ignorance of people who consider themselves to be losers. I am writing this note for myself, first of all, in order to understand what I myself know about it.
SMART goals
The most distinct technology for achieving goals, which I learned relatively recently. By the way, even without this knowledge, I managed to achieve some results, but not always, more precisely sometimes. So, we will decipher this strange abbreviation, which is also a step-by-step instruction for setting goals:
- S (specific, or specific) – determine the direction of the initial movement.
- M (measurable, or measurable) – set the units of its measurement.
- A (achievable, or achievable) – compare with the realities of the day and the environment.
- R (realistic, or realistic, pragmatic) – to have a subsequent application of this achievement.
- T (timed, or time-specific) – determine the date or period of achievement.
Here everything is described in detail: “SMART-goals, or Conditions for goal setting”. But why is it not always possible to achieve goals, sometimes without even starting?
Reasons for not achieving goals
On the basis of my own experience, I want to highlight several problem areas, which are worth paying attention to.
Indistinctness. When the goal is set inarticulate, it is unclear how to achieve it, and it is unclear how to determine that it has been achieved. An example of an indistinct goal: to become a dancer. How to understand that you have already become a dancer? Hell knows. But a more distinct formulation: one year five times a week for three hours to dance (or graduate from the choreography department of the Institute of Culture).
Why do I need this? When you, setting a goal, can not answer the question “Why?”, Most likely, the goal will not be achieved. And the body simply will not give enough energy to achieve it, especially when it becomes difficult or temptations arise. Motivation should be simple and understandable, for example: to earn money for a car, to rest from work, to update the interior of the apartment and so on.
Call. A drive appears when, in the process of achieving a goal, you can surpass yourself a little. For example, to achieve a better result than before, to win in competitions or create something that you did not create before, but this idea simply charges with energy. Most often, the challenge hides in the very setting of the goal: it’s one thing to put a brick wall and quite another to build a temple.
Deadline. Limiting the timing of execution and setting deadline acts as a battery for the brain: knowing that the time is less and less, you start to focus on the most important and cut off all unnecessary. Even if the goal is very difficult, it can and should be broken down into steps and for the first step, set deadline, then take a break and go further.
Dissipation of energy. It is best to focus on one important goal at a time, a maximum of two. Focusing on several targets simultaneously dissipates energy: the river is able to turn the turbines of a hydroelectric power station, when all the streams merge into a single whole.
What can prevent? When setting a goal, it is important to pay attention to factors that may hinder its achievement. Focusing on them helps to find potential problems, to work out ways of solving them and insure themselves.
Monitoring progress. It is important to see at what stage you are now and how much remains until the end. It is very charging and stimulating, especially when the forces are already running out and you want to quit everything.
Celebrating the achievement of the goal. Achievements need to be enjoyed and celebrated, especially if you have long gone to your goal. Our brain is designed so that it allocates neurotransmitters for different actions, so that we feel pleasure. If we do not feel the pleasure of achieving the goals, if we do not celebrate, we do not praise ourselves, life eventually comes down to an endless race for achievements. Do we achieve something in order to finally enjoy and enjoy the result, or not?
A simple recipe for setting and achieving a simple goal
To understand how to achieve the goal, it is not necessary to go into the theory. You need to set yourself a simple goal and achieve it. For example: I want to wring out 20 times in a month to surprise my mother. The boy said, the boy planned, the boy did. It’s simple!
But all this is garbage
Or rather, not really bullshit. These recommendations work to achieve simple short-term goals. But, in order to achieve something more, these recommendations should be ignored, to put it mildly.
They greatly embarrassed me and made me sad, and more recently I understood why.
At first, I saw Maxim Batyrev speaking (the manager, the author of the book “45 tattoos of the manager.” – Ed.), Who, on the basis of examples from his life, laid out everything on the shelves:
- The goal should be such that it is not clear how to achieve it. And do not be scared, but on the contrary, you need to rejoice. Then the goal motivates.
- The goal should lead to a change in the way of life or life in general.
- The goal should be a challenge to want to prove something to yourself or other people. Then there is energy.
- We need a living example, a landmark, to believe in reality, to catch up and overtake.
- It is necessary to imagine, as if you have already reached it, it is yours. If the goal is normal, then the dream begins to come true. If you are in a difficult situation, the goal and the dream save you.
Then I got Steve Pavlina’s book “A course on personal development for smart people”, in which I found ideas that confirm and supplement my personal guesses. Below are a few key quotes.
“Whenever you set a goal to achieve something, always ask yourself the following question:” How does the establishment of this goal improve my present reality? “. If this does not improve your present reality, then the goal does not make sense and you can discard it. But, if it brings more clarity, focus and motivation into life, when you think about it, it is worth it.
Set goals that help you feel strong, motivated and proactive long before the end result is achieved!
If you set a goal that improves your present reality, what difference does it take how long it takes to reach the end result: week, month or ten years? All the way brings fun and pleasure.
More importantly, you feel happy and satisfied at this very moment. You act in a state of joy, so that you are also productive. Instead of going to a goal that, in your opinion, will make you happy in the distant future – focus on the goal that makes you happy right now. Your goals should not actually be specific, clear and measurable.
You do not need a clear deadline and a detailed turn-based plan. All you need is a burning desire to take the appropriate action.
Do not set boring goals that do not inflame you. Concentrate on goals that inspire and motivate you in the present tense. Because this is the only place where you have any real strength.
If you are not ready to act, it means that your intentions are weak. You are trying to create something that you do not want strongly enough, and it dies in the bud. Your physical body is part of the process by which your intentions manifest. True desires will make you stand up and start moving. If you find that you are not at all ready to hit your finger on the finger, then you have set the wrong targets.
Desire is the fuel for movement. If you try to use false desires as fuel, you simply will not budge. If there is no movement, there is no motivation.
Achieving meaningful goals, as a rule, requires hard work, but if your goals suit you, then such work will not bring you suffering.
Choose goals so exciting that for you to make serious efforts will not seem difficult. “
In short, a great dream and desire – that’s what is more important than all recipes and recommendations. This is the main motivation and fuel of your ship called “Life.”
