By Charminae George
It is undeniable that setting goals is important. The question is, ‘How do you exactly go about doing that?’
“Goals are important so that we have a sense of direction, a sense of purpose and so that we have the capacity to evaluate our level of success,” Joan Underwood, a professional development consultant, stated on Observer AM recently.
Now that we have, more or less, established that goal-setting creates a roadmap for our lives, it’s time to brainstorm. According to Underwood, the best types of goals are those that “align with your vision for your life,” your value system, and they motivate you to pursue them.
While planning, one suggestion to consider is to create two lists. For the first you’ll write down everything you want to do, be, and have, in the next five years, and for the second, you’ll write everything you don’t want to do, be and have, in the next five years.
Although the second list may seem counterintuitive, it serves as a reminder of what you want to avoid, motivating you not to slack-off doing the things you want to do.
After you have your first draft of goals written down, following the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant to your vision for your life’s purpose, and Time-bound), there’s one vital thing that should be done. That is planning for obstacles that threaten to prevent you from achieving your goals.
“If you don’t mentally prepare for challenges, for obstacles, when you encounter them, you’re going to give up…Ask yourself, ‘what could go wrong?’ So that within your planning you build-in risk mitigation measures,” the professional development consultant explained.
Additionally, to successfully achieve the goals you have set, you’ll need a level of accountability. Whether it’s one person or more than one, there are three roles that will need to be filled to set you up for success.
“You’ll want someone who’s going to be your cheerleader, someone who believes in you…Next you’ll need a drill sergeant, someone to hold your foot to the fire…Then the third is your ride-or-die person…this person is going to be with you through thick and thin,” Underwood added.
Underwood is the Managing Director of Underwood Talent Development Services, a consulting firm specialising in professional development.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration from the George Washington University, along with an Executive MBA from the School of Business of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.