Tips for Setting Goals
It may be March, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to set goals. There are so many benefits of goal setting. Some include higher energy, more clarity, more control of your future, and personal satisfaction in life.
If you are wondering how to set goals, our staff here at Sundial Apartment Homes came up with three helpful tips. Try them out!
Listen to the Experts
The internet is full of goal-setting theory. Two individuals known for their theories are Edward Locke and Gary Latham. According to their research, setting specific goals leads to higher performance. Together, Locke and Latham developed five principles to setting goals:
- Clarity: Set only clear, concise goals.
- Challenge: Don’t be afraid to set goals that are challenging but still obtainable.
- Commitment: Only set goals that you are willing to work on.
- Feedback: Obtain feedback from others or gather data on your progress.
- Task complexity: Set goals at the right level of complexity. Eating bite-sized chunks is better than trying to swallow the elephant whole.
Write Them Down
You may have childhood memories of writing down personal goals during the beginning of a new school year (a class exercise that many elementary school teachers utilize in their classroom). There is a reason that your lovely teachers told you to write down your aspirations.
According to the book Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive , writing down goals increases your odds of success. In one of the studies the authors reference, researchers found that only 17 percent of individuals who passively agreed to a volunteer project showed up. Out of the individuals who actively agreed to show up (signed a contract or wrote it down), 49 percent kept their promise. Truly, there is power in writing down your plans! So grab a piece of paper and a pen and write down your goals.
Make Them Public
Publicly sharing your goals can increase your motivation and push you to achieve them. When you don’t have a cheerleader or coach encouraging you to finish your tasks, you may postpone them or forget them altogether. By sharing your goals with another person, you are holding yourself accountable to that individual.
Sharing goals looks different for everyone. Some people prefer to post about their goals on social media. Others who tend to be more private prefer to share their goals with a few trusted friends. The method you choose doesn’t matter; the important thing is that you share your goal with at least one other person.
Setting goals can be a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly task. If you need help setting goals, listen to the experts, write them down, and make them public. Doing these three things will help increase your chances of completing your goals. Happy goal setting!
