What Is A Goal
A definition of what is a goal and, what is not a goal, for you to reflect on before you set your goals. I’m sure you’ve heard the word “goal” more often than you can remember. You’ve heard it used in sports like hockey, soccer, and football. You’ve heard it used in space programs, fund raising, politics, and peace keeping missions.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “goal” as follows:
“Point marking end of race; object of effort or ambition; destination;...”
Here’s how I define a goal:
A specific, measurable occurrence, object, or accomplishment that I would like to achieve, or obtain in the future. One where I develop concrete action plans to take me to where and what I want in my future.
A key component in this definition is it points to where you want to end up, not where you are today.
Look at large corporations, for example. They do not let their business just unfold as it may. Corporations set goals. They identify where they want to be. They develop a detailed action plan that identifies the steps that each department needs to implement and accomplish to help them get there. They set time frames to accomplish each component of their action plan usually on a one year basis.
If you were to investigate unsuccessful corporations, you would find, in many cases, that their planning process was incomplete. When corporations become complacent, when they continue to conduct business without planning for the future, you can be assured that their longevity and survival is threatened. Why? Because their competitors, who plan for the future, will soon overtake and surpass them thus contributing to their eventual failure.
The same analogy applies to professional athletes. If they did not set personal achievement goals for themselves, their chances of winning a gold medal, or a league title, would be slim.
The same principles apply to every one of us no matter what your occupation, age, or education.
You can set a direct course for your future by defining your goals, or, you can take the opposite position and just let the future haphazardly unfold by itself. It is my prediction, however, that those who set goals, along with a clear action plan, will accomplish more in their lifetime than those who are willing to let life evolve with little focus, and misdirected action.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
Goethe
Goals are not get rich quick schemes.
Goals are not instant success.
Goals are not New Years’ Eve Resolutions.
A goal is not a dream, or a wish.
In my case, my goals were initially born as a dream of what I wanted to do. They became “goals” once I wrote them down, developed specific action plans that I could implement along with time frames for each step. I stopped dreaming and wishing and made a conscious choice to take the required action to attain my goals.
Goals Are Not
Occasionally, it is easier to define something by describing what it is not. So, let’s look at goals by examining what they are not.
Some people develop financial goals because they want to make a lot of money fast. Mistakenly, though, some have no specific action plans; some devise action plans that are inappropriate; and, others set unrealistic time frames. As is often the case, when they are not rich by the date they had originally planned, they quickly discard the goal. Let’s be very clear. It is one thing to set a goal, and quite another to develop an appropriate action plan.
Some people expect instant success once they have developed a goal. Just because you know where you want to end up doesn’t mean you will not be faced with obstacles, or challenges along the way
Instant success rarely happens. You need to be totally dedicated, and determined in order to achieve your desired result.
Consider the following quotes on success:
"The path to success is to take massive, determined action. Anthony Robbins
"Some are destined to succeed, some are determined to succeed." H. H. Swami Tejomayananda
New Years’ Eve is probably one of the worst times to set a goal. The majority of people who set goals as part of their New Years’ Eve tradition, never seem to accomplish what they intend to. In my view, there are five basic reasons for these goals failing:
1) they are only verbalized not written,
2) they are set on the spur of the moment,
3) they have no detailed action plan,
4) they have no specific measurable progress points, and,
5) they contain no time frames for completion.
Dreams and wishes are merely thoughts without concrete action plans. A dream or wish only becomes an attainable goal when it involves taking specific steps. A goal cannot be accomplished without taking concrete action.
Benjamin Disraeli
Some people adopt goal setting principles after reading a book on goal setting. Others attend seminars. They go through the process of goal identification, write them out, but then, do nothing!
Goals require dedication.
Goals require effort.
Goals are not quick fixes,
or an easy way out!
look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”
George Bernard Shaw
"We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once."
Calvin Coolidge