Guide to goal setting

Welcome back!
Today I would like to delve deeper into the topic introduced last week in our planning guide , and go a little deeper into the goal setting aspect.
Setting objectives embraces every aspect of our life: in fact the analysis technique can be applied to one's work environment but not only, our personal objectives are in fact a fundamental aspect of our life, everything depends on a correct definition, on establishing a point of arrival and the need to choose priorities.
Setting an objective means defining a purpose to be achieved : but how can we understand if we are proceeding in the right direction and, above all, if the goals to be pursued are really useful?

I had mentioned the concept of SMART objectives , George T. Doran spoke about them for the first time in 1981 as a criterion to increase the chances of success in achieving a goal.

The meaning of the acronym SMART is:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Relevant
T - Time-based (In a certain period of time)

But let's try to see in a little more detail what it means.

Specific
The application of the SMART method begins with the definition of a specific objective.
When deciding on a goal, being specific and extremely clear in defining and identifying what you want to achieve is essential.
For example, improving company performance is too vague an objective, it does not explain how, when and why it could be a useful action for you.
It can therefore be broken down into more specific and concrete objectives, which can be translated into actions to be carried out.
To help you think about a specific goal it must answer 6 fundamental questions:

• Who – who is involved, on whom does the achievement of the objective depend?
• What – go into detail about what you would like to achieve, outline exactly what it means for you, for example improvement.
• When – give yourself a time. A beginning and a possible date to reach.
• Where – if there are any, indicate the important places to achieve your goals.
• Which – Identify the obstacles, which ones could get in the way of achieving your goal?
• Why – What really drives you? Why do you want to achieve this goal?

Measurable
To be called SMART, a goal must be measurable. This is because if your goal is to get rich in three months or lose 10 kilos in a week it will hardly be a real goal. Measurable because you need to be able to see it over time, measure the progress achieved and set goals along the way.

Achievable
You must always take into account the resources you have, what tools are available and your skills . If by chance you realize that you are missing some of these elements it is certainly an aspect to focus on and dedicate yourself to.

Relevant
Your goal must be relevant to you and if it is a work goal with your business reality.

Time-based
For a goal to be concrete, it is necessary to set deadlines .
They can be short-term for smaller goals and long-term for more ambitious ones. But you must always have a dead line, it will be the one that will give you the push to move forward.

If you are looking for the right tool to track your goals, I am happy to introduce you to a new journal that we have selected.
The Guided Journal Goals is in fact a diary designed precisely for this.
It allows you to explore, track and reflect on your personal and work goals.
You'll be able to map out a plan to help you turn ideas into action.

This journal, created by a psychologist, guides you through the right grids and questions to work on defining goals and how to change your habits to achieve them.
In fact, the most important thing when we set ourselves a goal is our ability to analyze it and continue to do so during the path we will take to achieve it. In fact , we can control, manage and direct our objectives only by knowing them thoroughly .