Do you have goals? Do you have goals? What do you dream about? Probably all of us, at some point in our long or short lives, have stopped to think about the future.
This future can be full of many things, but what is usually present when we think about the future are the future goals that we want to achieve. In this article We will address the topic of how to set goals what are the most common objectives grouped by categories, and much more!
Before explaining how to set goals, let’s specify what they consist of. Objectives are ends to which our actions, desires or concerns are directed. The objectives can be passionate, work, work development, social, family…
There are as many objectives as there are types of desires people have, achieving them or not will depend on several factors; motivation, effort, perseverance, coherence.
In this article we will look at the most common goals and review various useful techniques to learn how to set goals effectively.
The most common objectives
As already mentioned, there are as many types of objectives as there are types of desires. Here you will find some more common specific objectives, classified by categories which can help us think about how to set goals.
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6. Couple goals/emotional sphere
Finding the better half
Spend more time together (with your partner or romance)
Improve the relationship with your partner
Have a passing adventure
Talk confidently about my sexual identity
Experiment more in sex
Have sex more frequently
Form a family
7. Social development objectives
Have more friends
Meet people
Meet up with friends more often
Get friends together more often
Take a great trip with a great friend
8. Professional development objectives
Make a master
Learn a language
Obtain the X degree
Change jobs for another one that you are more passionate about
Leave before work
Learn to use a computer program
Be able to manage time
Create your own company
Get along better with colleagues
Learn to lead
Have more vacations and free time
Increase profits
Increase staff motivation
Reduce conflicts
Reduce stress
Think less about work
Improve the way the company operates
Ascend
9. Domestic goals
Move flat
Buy a plot to build on it
Renovate the bathroom or kitchen
Buy a mountain bike
Put parquet on the floor
Recycle more
Change city or country
Techniques to know how to set goals effectively
Before stopping to think about how to set goals, The essential thing is to think if there really is a real motivation to obtain those objectives
We must keep in mind that there are a series of characteristics that are important for the objectives we set for ourselves.
Thus, to prepare a list of specific objectives, it is important that they are clear and specific. If these are also measurable, it is a positive constant, since this allows us to quantify the level of achievement and thus when we want to measure that objective, we will be able to know if we are on the right path and thus obtain positive feedback to continue working on it. it.
Besides, The objectives should be, as far as possible, achievable They must have a high part of realism and there must be a part of real possibility of achieving them – that they adjust to our capabilities and limitations -.
And lastly, It is important that the objectives we set are, to a certain extent, temporary That is, they are limited to a certain period. Setting a temporary goal may increase the motivation to achieve it.
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Steps to follow when setting goals
But how to set goals, in a more practical way? Here you can see a series of steps to do it.
1. Make a detailed list of objectives
In every aspect of life you can set goals A good idea is to write a list with everything you want to add, change or modulate in your life, and have it visually.
2. Establish a specific time period to achieve the objectives
Qualifying a certain deadline is important to continue not diluting that goal and focusing as much as possible on it knowing that it has an ‘expiration date’.
3. Specify and clarify the objectives as much as possible
As we have already seen, it is important to limit the times of the objectives that you want to achieve. For example: “I want to study French four days a week”, “I want to go to the gym from 8 to 9 every day”.
The fact of specifying favors the acquisition of the habit, because you know exactly what you want: how much, where and when. Furthermore, it is important to leave aside generalities; “I want to improve my professional career”, “I want to eat healthier” and focus on specific aspects; “I want to do this master’s degree”, “I want to eat vegetables five days a week”.
4. Identify the purposes that support the objectives
Another step to follow on how to set goals is to identify the purposes on which they are based. So, It is essential to think and remember the reasons that have given rise to that objective Having reasons to support the pursuit of the objective is very important.
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5. Break down each objective into tasks to perform
Designing a plan to follow to achieve that goal is in itself very motivating to continue with the mission since you can evaluate your degree of pursuit of the objective.
For example: to get in shape and lose extra kilos, you must:
Find information and sign up for a gym that suits your needs (time, location…)
Select the classes or machines that best suit you
go regularly
Replace certain foods with more energetic ones
6. Take action immediately:
After searching within yourself what motivates you, what you dream about, and why, it is time to take action. Focus on what you want, internalize it, and start acting!
7. Do something every day that brings you closer to your goals
The next step in relation to how to set goals is to do something every day that brings us closer to them.
In this way, a good way to get closer to your goals is through discipline: Do something every day that guides you towards your goals and allows you to maintain that initial momentum. Periodic action increases determination and energy.
8. Think about goals daily and track progress periodically
It is important to be fully aware of what your goals are. Think about them, and the positive consequences that can derive from those objectives and doing it periodically, is an undeniable stimulus to not abandon your conquest process.
Furthermore, it is known that the subconscious is programmed automatically when you think about something repeatedly, intentionally, and if it is with high doses of emotion, the better.
Marinak, Barbara A.; Gambrell, Linda B. (2008). “Intrinsic Motivation and Rewards: What Sustains Young Children’s Engagement with Text?”. Literacy Research and Instruction. 47:9–26.
Zeus, P., & Skiffington, S. (2002). Complete guide to coaching at work. Madrid: McGraw Hill.
