INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS GOAL SETTING?

The definition of goal setting is the process of identifying something that you want to
accomplish and establishing measurable goals and timeframes.
When you decide on a financial change to save more money and then set a certain amount to
save each month, this is an example of goal setting.

TYPES OF GOALS:
1) SHORT TERM GOALS: A short-term goal is something you want to do
in the near future. The near future can mean today, this week, this month, or
even this year. A short-term goal is something you want to accomplish soon.
Example:- Getting good marks in end exams can come under short term
goals.
2) LONG TERM GOALS: A long-term goal is something you want to
accomplish in the future. Long-term goals require time and planning. They
are not something you can do this week or even this year. Long-term goals
are usually at least several years away. Sometimes it takes many steps to
complete a long-term goal.
Example:- To get a job can come under long term goal.
3) LIFETIME GOALS: A life time goal is something that we set in a certain
point of time and we work to achieve it by making some planning in
lifetime.
Example:- For people below poverty line, building or buying their own
house with all facilities can come under both LONG TERM AND
LIFETIME GOALS.

Why goal setting is necessary?

The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field
and never score.
Bill Copeland, an American poet, writer and historian
. Here are 6 important reasons why you need to set goals for yourself:

1. Goals Propel You Forward

Having a goal written down with a set date for accomplishment gives you something to plan and
work for. A written goal is an external representation of your inner desires; its a constant
reminder of what you need to accomplish.
Theres a very common pattern that comes with working towards goals that were all familiar
with: you set your mind to something, you get excited and work like mad, and then motivation
starts to wane. Having goals that you can focus on and visualize helps you better connect
yourself with your inner desires, and gives you the motivational energy you need to work
through periods where your focus inevitably starts to wane.

2. Goals Transform Insurmountable Mountains Into

Walkable Hills
Most of us have big dreams that seem impossible to accomplish. Its easy to feel discouraged
when youre staring at a massive, seemingly insurmountable mountain.
Proper goal setting can help break larger, intimidating aspirations into smaller, more achievable
stepping stones. Planning towards these smaller goals not only makes it easier to formulate a
definite plan of action that we can start working on right away, but research has shown that
hitting smaller milestones provides real motivation and greater contentment.

3. Goals Help Us Believe In Ourselves

Setting goals for yourself is a way to fuel your ambition. Goal setting isnt just about creating a
plan for your life and holding yourself accountable, its also about giving us the inspiration
necessary to aim for things we never thought possible.
Do you want to accomplish something that many people dream about, but few people ever
actually accomplish? Unless you make it a goal for yourself and work every day towards
achieving it, why would you ever believe that you could accomplish it? Unless you see yourself
slowly making progress, your dreams and aspirations are nothing more than vague notions
floating around in your imagination.

4. Goals Hold You Accountable For Failure

If you dont write down concrete goals and give yourself a timeline for achievement, how can
you look back and re-evaluate your path if you fail?
Theres something extremely humbling about looking back on a goal you set for yourself 6
months, 1 year, or even 5 years ago and realizing that you were supposed to accomplish a lot
more than you actually did. Its a concrete sign that whatever youre doing isnt working, and
you need to make real changes if you want to get where you want to be.

5. Goals Tell You What You Truly Want

There are certainly times where we set goals that dont really reflect what we want. Sometimes
we think we need more money, when really we need a change of environment, or someone to
love. Sometimes we think we want more free time, but what we really want is work that we can
be truly passionate about. Sometimes we think we want to be alone, but really we need to be
around more positive people.
If you never set goals in the first place, how do you find out what you truly want? If you wander
through life with vague notions of success and accomplishment, you might never discover
that buying a new BMW isnt what will bring you true happiness, or that landing that coveted
promotion at work will make you miserable because the extra money and fancy title wont make
up for the reduced time with your family.
By asking ourselves what we really want and constantly re-assessing our goals, we gain the
benefit of introspection and self-reflection. We can figure out what it is we really want in life
and then we can go out and do it.

Some real-life examples of achievement of people by setting goals

1. Milkha Singh is the role-model I want to talk about, who has set his goals
and achieved it.
2. At the early stages of his life he has lost his parents, in the bifurcation riots
of India and Pakistan but did not succumb to all the miseries he has faced.
3. He has set up a goal to join the Indian army and was rejected thrice but
finally he achieved it.
4. He did not stop there as he achieved his goal, but further set a goal which
made him famous in the entire nation, that is to become an world renowned
Indian athlete.
5. He is the first person to achieve a gold medal in the common wealth games
in the independent India. He then got the title "Flying Sikh". All these
achievements are made possible only because he had a vision to set up long
term goals and not only setting up goals, he worked hard with dedication
6. His life in his words- "Hard work, willpower and dedication are necessary
for human to achieve anything".

HOW DOES ONE SET GOALS? (The Dos of Goal Setting)

Decide-

Think of something you want to do or work towards. It should be something you want to do for
its own sake not for something or someone else.
Set Goals that Motivate You- When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate
you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving
them.
Make an Action Plan- This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused
on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing
out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you
are making progress towards your ultimate goal.
Write it down Carefully- Writing down our goals increases our chances of sticking with them.
Write down how you will know you have reached your goals and when you'd like to have
achieved it by. Ask yourself: what it will 'look' like and how will you feel when you've done it?
How does it connect to who or what you value in your life? Describe your goal in specific terms
and timescales.
Break your goal down- This is especially important for big goals. Think about the smaller goals
that are steps on the way to achieving your bigger aim. Having several smaller goals makes each
of them a bit easier and gives us a feeling of success along the way, which also makes it more
likely that we'll stay on track towards our bigger goal.
Plan your first step- Even if you don't know where to start there's no excuse - your first step
could be to research 'how to' on the internet or think of people you could ask or to get a book
on the subject from the library.
Keep going- Working towards our goals can sometimes be difficult and frustrating - so we need
to persevere. If a step you're doing isn't working, think of something else you could try that still
moves you forward, even a tiny bit. If you're struggling, ask people you know for their ideas on
what you could do. They may help you see a different way. Thinking about different ways of
reaching our goals makes it more likely we'll be successful.
Make sure your goals excite you! - Your goals should be a source of joy in your life. They
should be one of the main reasons you get out of bed in the morning. If your goals dont excite
you, then you need to re-evaluate them.
Stick with It! - Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots
available to review your goals.
Set goals in multiple life areas!- Dont just reserve your goals for your career. You should
challenge yourself to set fitness goals, finance goals, family goals, relationships goals,
educational goals, spiritual goals, health goals, and adventure goals. Every area of your life that
you value should have a goal to help you improve upon it.
Set performance vs. outcome goals!- Many things are outside your control. So what are you
aiming for? If your answer is nothing, then you probably wont like what you get out of this life.
Instead of simply drifting along reacting to what life brings you, take proactive steps to go out
and create the future you want. While we cant control everything that happens to us, we can
control ourselves by following goals that bring out our passion for life.
Do one thing every day that brings you closer to your goals- Work on them every single day.
Yes, every single day. No matter if it is only ten minutes or two hours. Work on your goals every
single day so it is inevitable you will get what you want. Use the compound effect in your favor;

the earlier you start, the bigger the changes become as time goes by. And the more time you spend
working towards your goals, the faster you will achieve them.
Celebrate- When you reach your goal take time to enjoy it and thank those that have helped you.
Think about what you enjoyed and learned along the way.

Always keep this in mind while setting goals:

S. M. A. R. T

S specific/ significant/ stretching

M measurable/ meaningful/ motivational
A - agreed upon/ attainable/ achievable/ acceptable/ action-oriented
R realistic/ relevant/ reasonable/ rewarding/ results-oriented
T - time-based/ time-bound/ timely/ tangible/ trackable

THE DONTS OF GOAL SETTING

Despite the popularity of goal setting, there is compelling evidence that regardless of good intentions and
effort, people and organizations consistently fall short of achieving their goals. More often than not, the
fault is attributed to the goal setter. But the real problem may be in the efficacy of goal setting itself. And
if the goal is not attained, we can often engage in thinking we are failures, not good enough, not smart
enough, not beautiful enough, etc. So the un-attainment of goals can create emotions of unworthiness.

Setting Unrealistic Goals: once you've decided on a goal, make sure that it is realistic,
and that you can actually achieve it in the time frame that you have set for yourself.
Focusing on Too Few Areas: Many people focus solely on their work when they set
goals. However, you can't neglect activities that bring you joy.
Underestimating Completion Time: If you don't estimate goal completion time
accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they
should.
Not Appreciating Failure: So don't be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals just
take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time
around.
Setting "Other People's Goals": family, friends, or even your boss may want to
influence the goals you set.
Not Reviewing Progress : No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making
progress
Setting "Negative" Goals: Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it
hard to focus on them.
Setting Too Many Goals: The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time
and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you can't give individual
goals the attention they deserve.

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT HAVING A GOAL

1. We can become passive.
2. It is impossible to do any real evaluation.
3. We can fall into the trap of doing something just for the sake of doing something and it is difficult to
state why we are doing this or why we are not.
4. We lose motivation because we are not challenged.
5. It becomes easy to settle for a maintenance mode instead of development mode.
6. It is easy not to plan ahead.
7. The emphasis becomes upon activity rather than output.

THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE

Goals reduce your current happiness

Goals suggest that you can control things that you have no control over

SUMMARIZE AND CONCLUDE