The Goal-Setting Process

Step One: Create a Vision

Successful leaders know the practical value of the visioning process. They also know that creating a vision is the first step in goal setting. Before you begin to set a goal, you need a clear mental picture of what it is you want to achieve. This picture is your vision of success. Creating a vision is the ability to see beyond what is to the picture of what could be.

To start the visioning process, you must get in touch with your true desire. What is important to you? What matters? What do you care about? What do you really want? A vision comes from the heart. It must be truly meaningful to you.

Once you are clear on what you want, begin to form the picture. Create a mental picture of what you want. Make the picture clear, specific, and detailed. See yourself in the picture. What are you doing? What are you saying? Wearing? Who else is with you? How are people treating one another? How do you feel about yourself? About the others around you?

The visioning process requires quiet reflection. Step back from your busy, fast-paced environment and relax, releasing your creativity and imagination The more relaxed you are and the farther away you are from day-to-day tensions, the easier it is to create, the easier it is to visualize. The ability to see yourself successfully achieving your goal is a critical first step in the goal-setting process.

Step Two: Decide on Actions

Now that your vision is clear, you can begin to determine the actions that must be taken to achieve the vision. These actions become the specific goals that are to be accomplished. A goal is a target, an end, or an objective. It is the accomplishment of these targets—or goals—that brings you closer to your vision.

For example, if your vision is to achieve a more prominent position in your organization or to move higher on your career path, you would first go through the visioning process and become crystal clear on what it is you actually want. You would know exactly what it would look like and how it would feel. Then ask yourself, “What do I need to accomplish to get to my vision?” One action may be to go back to school and complete a degree program. If you need the degree to achieve the vision, it becomes one of your key goals.

Step Three: Identify Roadblocks

Now that you know what it will take to achieve your vision by outlining key actions or goals, you can begin to identify the barriers or roadblocks that may get in your way. It may sound negative to spend your time and energy thinking about barriers or problems, but there are two good reasons for this:

First, if you are able to think about what problems could stop you, you can also begin to generate plans to get around the problems if they should arise. And second, when they do come up, they do not paralyze you. Many people have had their goals undermined when problems surfaced. Sometimes people will even tell you they thought the problems would arise.

Back to our example of going back to school to get your degree…Some of the roadblocks you could anticipate in this goal might include (1) not enough time, (2) fear of going back to being a student, and/or (3) financial constraints. For each of the roadblocks you identify, develop some strategies to get around the problem. They may include (1) changing your own thinking, (2) getting help from others, and (3) committing to specific time blocks to do what you need to do. Keep the vision in mind and then overcoming the roadblocks will not be so tough.

Step Four: List the Benefits

If you spend time listing the problems or roadblocks you could encounter, you will find it much easier to generate a list of benefits you would receive when you achieve the goal. The question that then needs to be answered is, “Do the benefits make the goal worth achieving?” If the answer is yes, you know that it is worth tackling the problems to achieve the benefits of goal attainment.

Continuing with our example, some of the benefits of going back to school and obtaining a degree might be (1) improved chances for promotion, (2) increased salary, (3) enhanced self-esteem, and (4) the feeling of accomplishing something you have wanted for many years.

As you list the benefits, you will want to make sure the benefits outweigh the problems you will encounter. If the benefits do not outweigh the problems, the problems will stop you. Focus on the benefits. They will help you get through the tough times!

Step Five: Write the Goal

The research on high achievers shows that successful goal setters write out their goals. There is something almost magical about writing down goals. Without writing down the goal, it is merely an idea or a wish. Writing it down helps to bring it to life.

Here is a simple, yet effective guideline for writing good goals. It is called the S-M-A-R-T model. Each letter of the S-M-A-R-T model refers to a characteristic of effective goals:

Specific. Good goals are specific. They detail exactly what is to be accomplished. Don’t be vague or general. Write out specifically what is to be accomplished.

Measurable. You must be able to measure the success of your goal. In other words, how will you know when you are successful? Whether the goal is broken down into number of units produced, salary earned, days worked, pounds lost, chapters completed, or number of classes attended, you need a way to quantify your results. Measuring your results helps to keep you moving toward your goal. Yes, it is a great motivator!

Attainable. Research shows us that high achievers set goals that challenge their abilities, but that are not unrealistically out of reach. When you set challenging, but attainable goals, you will experience success and increase your self-esteem. Be realistic about your goals. It is not unrealistic to go back to school for a degree. It is unrealistic to expect to get a doctorate in only one year. Make your goals a stretch, but make them a more guaranteed stretch!

Relevant. Do not forget that your vision is the driver for your goals. Make sure that your goals are relevant to the vision. The accomplishment of each goal should move you closer to realizing your vision. Keep your goals moving on the track to your desired future.

Time bound. Good goals have a time frame. When you set a specific time frame to get something done, it will always take you that amount of time or even less time to complete the task than if you had no time frame at all. For example, when you prepare go on vacation, you have all sorts of tasks that need to be accomplished before you leave. You may be rushed, but you will always get the tasks done. You have to because you are leaving. If you were not leaving, those same tasks might take you two or three times as long to accomplish. Life is short! Set a time frame because you will always accomplish more.

Step Six: Design an Action Plan

Now that you have your goals and they are S-M-A-R-T goals, you know exactly what you want to achieve and by when. The last step in the goal-setting process is to design a specific action plan to achieve the goals. This is a step-by-step breakdown of the small actions you will take to achieve each goal and when you will take them.

Back to the degree example. Let’s say your goal is stated like this:

Your specific action plan might look like the one on the next page.

Each time you complete an action, check it off or scratch it out and then celebrate. You are on your way to achieving your ultimate goal!

Remember, the secret to achieving goals is your willingness to do whatever it takes to get there. It means that you are willing to sacrifice to accomplish your goal. It means that you are willing to confront problems and roadblocks and work around them. It means that you will write out your goals and ensure that they are S-M-A-R-T. It takes work. And, it also means that you will reap the benefits—that you will bring your vision to life!

A sample format for setting detailed and specific goals is provided on the next few pages.