Designing Goals

The Year 2020 is over (thank goodness!) and the new year is rolling in. I’m sure we are all hoping for a fresh start and are looking forward to the future with optimism. This year will be better than last year, right? 

With the start of the new year come new year’s resolutions and goals that often fall by the wayside within the first few months. Maybe you have fitness goals or career goals or a new hobby you want to pick up. Here are some tips that I think could be helpful for you in setting goals that you can achieve: 

SMART Goals

Most of you have probably heard of SMART goals but I think that it is worth a review. We may often forget one or more of these steps when we set our goals. 

Specific – Often when we set goals, we are so vague or general and we lose track of what we are trying to accomplish. Be specific about what you want to achieve. For example, instead of saying “I want to be better at sketching” you could set a goal to draw your favorite landmark or product. 

Measurable – Include specific dates or amounts that you can measure. For the last example, you might want to complete all the sketching exercises in the Learning to Sketch articles.  

Attainable – When we first set goals, we may be a little overzealous and set ourselves up for failure. Remember to make goals that are achievable and not too lofty. 

Relevant – Set goals that are aligned with where you are at right now and where you want to be. If your goals are scattered or random, then it will not help you get where you want to go. 

Time-bound – Set specific dates when you want to achieve specific goals. This will help you stay on track and be a reminder to keep working on the goals you set when you may not have the same motivation as when you originally set them. 

Set Goals that YOU Want – That You REALLY Want

I’ve learned from experience that it doesn’t do much good to set goals made by others. Goals are personal so they should be set by you. Everyone is different so trying to impose another’s goals and timeline to you may not work. Set goals for things that YOU are passionate about and that YOU want to achieve. 

Set Milestone Days

This is somewhat related to the “Time-bound” part of SMART goals, but I wanted to go into a little more detail. This past semester for school I had a major project due for a class that seemed overwhelming at first. Each individual student was tasked with building a line-following robot which was overwhelming to me because I felt like I knew almost nothing about robotics. But the syllabus laid out about 10 milestones due on specific dates that made it possible to build the robot before Thanksgiving break. Without those milestones, I would have felt lost or likely would have procrastinated some parts until it was too late to finish them. These milestones kept me on track and I was able to complete my robot by the due date. Even though these milestones and deadlines were given by the professor, I chose to apply those milestones to myself and the process can be applied to individual goals as well.  Self-imposed deadlines can keep you on track to achieve your goals by the dates you set. 

Be Accountable

Self-accountability is important, but sometimes you need some extra help. You could find someone who has similar goals and be accountable to each other, or even have a little friendly competition. Or if there is someone else who has different goals than you do, just ask each other often about how your goals are going. Knowing someone is going to ask you about your goal can encourage you to actually get it done. 

Use Visible Reminders

Life gets busy so it is easy to forget the goals that we set at the beginning of the year. Place visual reminders where you will see them often. Or set daily or weekly reminders on your phone. One place I typically put reminders is on my bathroom mirror – this way I see it every day, but it isn’t out in the open for the world to see. 

Be Flexible and Creative

Last year made it difficult to achieve goals because of shutdowns, quarantining, travel restrictions...the list goes on and on. If this past year has taught us anything, it is that it’s important to know how to roll with the punches and adjust our plans if necessary (trust me, I know - I had to plan and replan my wedding last year). Just because plans or situations change, doesn’t mean we need to give up on our goals entirely. Learn to be creative when circumstances change to achieve your goals. 

Consistent Evaluation

Lastly, one that I find vitally important is to have a set time to review and reevaluate goals. Having a set time, maybe once a week for five minutes, to review how you are doing on your goals is not only a great way to remind yourself about your goals, but also to stay excited and motivated about them. Review what good things you did and what you could do better. What is keeping you from achieving your goals? Do you need to change or adjust your goals/timeline so that you can achieve them? 

This list is not exhaustive, but I hope it provides a solid starting point for setting achievable goals this year that you will be excited to accomplish. 

References

“Golden Rules of Goal Setting: Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success.” https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm

“The Power of Accountability: 10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal” https://www.success.com/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal/