Target setting is one of the cornerstones of modern day planning. Usually, everyone sets targets for almost all the action plans. There are New Year targets, Academic targets, office targets and even personal health targets. Apart from these, there are also aspirational targets set by oneself for personal development. But, the bitter truth is almost 90% of the targets are exceeded or not met. This may be due to poor planning, negligence, low understanding of the target or a combination of all. In this article, we will see how a target is to set objectively so that the goals can be met.
First rule of goal setting is to break the goals into bite sized pieces. Man did not conquer the moon in one step. Key to successful goals is to set goals aspirational but then breaking down the goals into achievable and understandable pieces.
Second step of target setting is to set targets which are in line with the overall individual character. Whatever goals are being fixed must be for oneself and not for showing off to the society. The goals which are set in spur of the moment or for pleasing someone are seldom achieved.
Next, there is a tool for setting targets in an analytical and measurable way. The tool is called SMART target setting. SMART is an abbreviation which can be expanded as:
S for Specific: Setting goals which are set for specific objective. Such as running a marathon, or getting a PhD
M for Measurable: The goals must have a definition of completion or success. Once that number of targets is achieved then the goal is deemed to successful. Example: Completing 10 assignments, writing 5 books etc.
A for Achievable: The gaol set must be achievable within the given circumstances. Example: A BTech student setting goal to become a MTech is achievable, but getting a MD is not achievable within the given framework of education.
R for Realisable: The goal must have enough resources allocated for success. The resources can be in terms of time, hours or money. Example: For achieving my goal of writing 5 books, I will dedicate for desk research one hour a day from 6pm to 7pm.
T for Timebound: Any goal or target must be timebound. The goal must be achieved within the given timeframe. As any goal which is significantly late than intended will also loose its value. Example: Writing 5 books in 3 years.
Hence a well-defined goal would look something like this:
I will write 5 books on psychology in next 3 years, as I am a Phd in psychology and experienced in it. For achieving the goal, I will dedicate 2 hours of my day every day.
I hope you all follow this tool and put goals which can be transformed into action.
All the best to achieving your dreams.
Happy Reading!