# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A process to define goals
Developing a goal setting definition can be as a simple as deciding what you want to achieve and planning to do it. Or, you might need a process!

As Edwin Locke, noted psychologist and goal-setting guru once wrote:

One must focus one's thoughts on what one wants to achieve and on the means to attain it.

A simple, powerful statement but wouldn't it be helpful if we knew which factors were more likely to make goal setting more effective, and encourage not just success - but worthwhile success? After all, goals are a fundamental part of being able to live life on purpose . They are about purposeful action, making choices about what you want to do.

So what features of goal setting are important, especially if we want to ensure our goals are successfully achieved? Any useful goal setting definition should be informed by those factors that are likely to make goals achievable.

Here we'll build on the insights and extensive research of Edwin Locke and another noted American psychologist, and prolific author, Gary Latham. Firstly, they define goals as:

the object or aim of an action, for example to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit.

Locke and Latham have suggested that we are far more likely to be motivated to achieve our goals if we remember three key things.

Our goals should be:

Challenging rather than mediocre

Clear rather than general

Informed by timely feedback

So when trying to define goal setting we need to ensure that challenge, clarity and feedback are essential parts of the process.

A Process to Define Goals

A goal setting definition is only the beginning. Creating effective goals requires an effective process, something Locke and Latham also emphasized:

Every person's life depends on the process of choosing goals to pursue; if you remain passive you are not going to thrive as a human being.

So to be effective and increase the likelihood of success, any goal setting process should ensure:

Effective goal setting should start with challenge, be defined by a clear plan, and be fueled by encouragement from feedback. To move from the challenge towards the plan, belief and commitment are needed. Finally, three crucial ingredients need to be blended together: a desire to achieve the goal; the opportunity to attempt it; and ability achieve it.

And Finally...

Goals that are purposeful can help shape both our careers and our wider life, but it's worth adding one more useful thought. You're more likely to succeed in attaining your goals if you don't have too many of them. A few goals allow you to focus on what is important. Too many goals mean you run the risk of never achieving any, and perhaps just as bad, not really knowing which are the important ones.

In our article: why is goal setting important?, we explore a related and equally important question: what kind of goals will make us happier. Combining the ideas in these two articles will help to set goals which are more likely to be successfully achieved and are more likely to make us happier.

If you want to read more about why goal setting is important, see our range of knowledge hub articles and tips, or read our goal setting quotes for some inspirational quotes about goal setting.

Putting your personal goal setting into action!

You can also find our more about the benefits of goal setting in our e-guide: SMART Goals, SHARP Goals to help you do just this. The guide contains 30 pages and 5 tools to help you to set SMART goals, then take SHARP action to achieve them.

It includes:

How do you define goal setting?

What features of goal setting are important, if we want to ensure they are more likely to be successfully achieved?

What kinds of goals are more likely to make us motivated to achieve them?

How do you set SMART goals?

Why do goals matter?

What kind of goals should you pursue to be happier in what you do?

How do you set team goals?

What strategies can you apply to overcome barriers to setting goals?

How do you develop SHARP plans of action that help you to achieve your goals?

What techniques can you use to get things done?

How do you set personal goals?

Tools:

Tool 1: Conventional goal setting
Tool 2: Setting SMART goals that motivate
Tool 3: The kind of goals that will make you happier
Tool 4: Taking SHARP action
Tool 5: Team goals flowchart
Tool 6: Eight personal goal setting questions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Goal Setting Definition | A process to define goals - The Happy Manager

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A process to define goals Developing a goal setting definition can be as a simple as deciding what you want to achieve and planning to do it. Or, you might need a process! As Edwin Locke, noted psychologist and goal-setting guru once wrote: One must focus one's thoughts on what one wants to achieve and on the means to attain it.

# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Goal setting is an important part of starting and growing a small business. Goal setting can play an important role in many different parts of your business, from starting a business to marketing to sales ​to succession planning. Goals provide direction, motivation and a clear way to measure your forward-moving progress.

Without goals and a process for tracking your goals, you may have difficulty seeing the big picture and staying focused. Goal setting helps you build a bridge that can guide you from where you are right now to where you want to be.

The following tips will help you get started with goal setting for your business, focus on the specifics of what you hope to accomplish, and start to put your plan into action.

Start With a Dream

The first stage of goal setting is about considering everything you dream of accomplishing. It doesn't need to be realistic at this point, so avoid limiting your thought process to what you think may be possible. Now is the time to consider every possibility, as if there are no boundaries.

To get started, grab a piece of paper and think about where you want to be in one year, five years and ten years. Don't worry about how you will get there, just write down every possibility -- big and small.

Brainstorm the Possibilities

Once you've written down your clearest dreams, it's time for a brainstorming session to access some of the ideas lurking in your subconscious.

You can follow any brainstorming method that is most effective for you. If you get stuck, here are a few brainstorming processes to try:

Brain Dump - Let your mind take off and write down everything that you think of, whether or not it makes complete sense at this stage.

List Making - Focus on one significant idea at a time and create an outline of all of the possible goals that may be part of each larger idea.

Mind Mapping - Start with one idea, then use words and drawings to create a map of related ideas.

Sort the Options

The next step involves taking all of the dreams and ideas you have down on paper from Steps 1 and 2 and making sense of them. It's useful to sort your ideas into a few categories, based on measures that are important to you.

For example, you might create categories based on your priorities, ranking your ideas by how important they are in your life. You could also categorize your ideas based on:

Attainability

Time commitment required

Financial impact

Desirability

The categories you create for your ideas isn't as important as the process of creating a way to sort them.

Once you create meaningful categories and start to put your ideas into groups, you may be surprised at how much overlap there is. In some cases, once this step is complete, you may find that you have a few consistent themes that continue to reappear in the process. It is a sign that you are on the right track in identifying your most important goals.

Create a Plan

After sorting your options, you should be able to identify one or two loose business goals that you want to focus on (if not, go back and start brainstorming again). SMART goal setting -- which means setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based -- is a powerful way to move your rough goals from abstract ideas into specific action steps.

The action plan you create for accomplishing your goals should define specific actions you need to take to reach your goal while placing a focus on why the goal is important to you and what it will mean to you once you achieve it.

Focus on Today

Striving toward a specific business goal can be overwhelming, but if you have broken the goal down into bite-sized chunks, then you should be able to take a series of small, digestible steps each day to get closer to your goal.

While you don't want to lose sight of the big picture, if you take an ambitious goal one step at a time, one day at a time, you will start to build momentum and confidence in yourself, and with steady and purposeful progress, you will reach your destination.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Get Started With Goal Setting in Five Steps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Goal setting is an important part of starting and growing a small business. Goal setting can play an important role in many different parts of your business, from starting a business to marketing to sales ​to succession planning. Goals provide direction, motivation and a clear way to measure your forward-moving progress.

# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As most people say, success doesn't happen overnight. Reaching your dreams requires scheduling, planning, goal setting, and quite a bit of hustle and bustle to create the life of your dreams. Research shows that those who set goals are 10 times more successful than those who don't.

If you are ready to hit the ground running towards each goal you have set in front of you, there are a few go-to tips to strategically reach each one without failure.

1. Know Each Goals Purpose

Whether your goal is to cook more at home or workout at least four times a week, understand how this goal will, and can, benefit you. Instead of associate saving money with cutting out all your favorite things, think about how saving can be a great tool for purchasing your dream house.

2. Put Pen to Paper

Now, write them down! Writing out your goals consistently can help you focus on what you are wanting to achieve and why. Doing so can actually increase your chance of meeting your goals 1.2 to 1.4 times than if you chose not to.

3. Make Each Goal Manageable

We all love to dream big. Whether you have dreams of traveling the world or buying your first house, set micro-goals to keep you motivated to reach your high-level goal that may take months, or even years, to achieve.

4. Be Realistic With Your Schedule

Along with setting micro-goals, be honest with yourself and your time when planning. Most of the time, goals take a while to achieve and even longer for those that have tighter schedules or larger goals.

5. Know Your Obstacles

No matter what you do, life will most likely throw curveballs your way. If you are reaching for a health and fitness goal, you may get sick or really want just one donut. You may even find yourself more motivated the second time around than your first.

6. Have a Support Team

Tell those around you about your goals. Not only can they be there when you hit roadblocks, but they will also be the ones on the sidelines cheering you on. Instead of going out to dinner or coffee with your loved ones, they may ask to cook in the comfort of one of your homes.

7. Always Stay Positive

You won't just wake up tomorrow with all your goals met. Stay positive and keep your mind on the goals you are wanting to achieve and why, even when times get a little sticky!

Check out Mint's infographic for an easy go-to guide to reaching your goals this year!
Author Bio:
Kayla Montgomery is a digital content marketer who helps Mint create helpful and compelling stories worth sharing. Her background in digital marketing and creative writing has led her to cover unique topics ranging from business to lifestyle. In her spare time, she enjoys working out, writing for her own blog, traveling, and exploring all the in's and out's Austin, TX has to offer. To learn more, connect with Emily on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-s-montgomery/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Master Your Goal Setting Strategy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As most people say, success doesn't happen overnight. Reaching your dreams requires scheduling, planning, goal setting, and quite a bit of hustle and bustle to create the life of your dreams. Research shows that those who set goals are 10 times more successful than those who don't.

# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Student Services Office offers three student developmental classes for beginning students. These classes introduce students to the College's available resources and to techniques conducive to achieving success. The flexible scheduling of these courses helps students fit this valuable course into their first semester on campus.

SDEV 0170- College Success (1 credit hour)
This course is for the new student transitioning to college. Course topics include, but are not limited to college resources, time management, note-taking, degree plans and transfer strategies, campus culture, career exploration, and college policies and procedures. Familiarization with these topics contributes to students' personal and academic success. Required of students with fewer than 15 credit hours, except dual credit, at the time of first enrollment at Northeast Lakeview College.

SDEV 0370- Foundations for College Learning (3 credit hours)
This is a first-year seminar course designed to support the transition of students into their college experience. Students
acquire a clearer understanding of college requirements, campus culture, and resources. They will explore career paths, examine personal motivation and develop study skills common to successful college students. SDEV0370 will meet the requirement for SDEV0170. Required of students with fewer than 15 credit hours, except dual credit, at the time of first enrollment at NLC and who require two or more remedial courses in English, mathematics, or reading.

SDEV 0171 - Strategies for Success (1 credit hour) Prerequisites: SDEV 0170 or SDEV 0370
This course is designed for the academically at-risk student needing to improve skills for academic success. Topics covered
in this course include, but are not limited to: time/priority management, study techniques, motivation, goal setting and
decision making, critical thinking skills, learning styles, stress management, career planning, and interpersonal skills. Required of students placed on Academic Dismissal, Permanent Academic Dismissal and/or Financial Aid Suspension. Recommended for students on Continued Academic Probation.

A registration hold will be placed on the record of students who do not take SDEV 0170 or SDEV 0370 in their first semester at Northeast Lakeview College. Students who do not successfully complete the course during their first semester will be required to meet with an advisor and re-enroll in the course.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alamo Colleges : NLC : Student Development

# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you ever feel like you're spinning in circles with too many goals? Are most of them conflicting? The good news is, you're not the only one who feels that way. It's ubiquitous, but you can solve the problem. You can narrow down your goals.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
Indeed reviewing last year's goals I had set for myself, I saw by March I had crossed off two of my goals. These were goals that I really do want to accomplish. But in reality, I had set my too many goals that were time-consuming.

Too many goals? Narrow down your goals thoughtfully.

So I chose two of my goals to set aside. Not forever, just for now. This season, when I need to focus strongly elsewhere. Indeed to narrow down your goals is not always easy.

I struggled with it - but once I let go of them and opened up that time, I was able to move forward with my more essential plans and made genuine progress.

We really can't have it all. At least not at the same time! Don't let having to modify or even throw out your resolutions or aspirations get you down. Do it thoughtfully and carefully, and you will gain peace and satisfaction.

"Capitalizing on the enthusiasm and energy you have for a goal will give you the drive to accomplish that goal. It's okay to leave some other ambitions on the table and come back to them later when you have more space in your life to pursue it."
Narrow Your Goals, Eric Ravenscraft

Here are some things you can do if you're overwhelmed with hopes.

Look for overlaps. Sometimes there is a natural and logical relationship between objectives. Suppose you want to get healthier and to have more leisure time. Making time out for active leisure like tennis or running will accomplish both goals at once.

Sometimes two plans seem to be in direct opposition to each other, like wanting to travel and having more time at home. In this case, write out both goals, and next to each of them, write out why you want to do each of them. You might find that what you want is to be away from work. In this case, your real goal could be to change careers.

Or, you might discover that you can satisfy your desire to travel by a short vacation or a road trip with the family. Maybe you don't have too many goals! When we narrow down your goals we sometimes find the overlaps and it becomes less intimidating.

Get to the essence of the intention, and they'll work themselves out.

Make the time. We tell ourselves there are "only so many hours in a day," and that we're "too busy" to take on anything else right now. Your time is precisely that - yours.

Instead of saying, "I don't have time to learn a language," try saying, "I'm not making time to learn a new language." We find the time for the things that matter most in the season we are in.

Be flexible. It's a good thing to put a timeline together and have definite dates and time-sensitive goals. But remember that life happens, and often it even gets in the way. There is an ancient Greek saying: "If you want to make the gods laugh, tell them your plans."

Having milestones and plotting points along the timeline is good, but don't hold yourself to it so rigidly that you cannot adapt to the occasional curveball. Or in many of our lives - the daily curveball! Too many goals can leave us feeling defeating. Narrow down your goals so you can breathe.

Again, if it feels to you like you have too many goals or if the ones you do have are in conflict with each other, then search for the essence of each one.

That will help you determine what's most important to you right now. Then work on one purpose at a time. By concentrating on which one means the most to you right now, you'll put those goals into perspective, until they don't seem like so much anymore.

Please note that some of this site's links are affiliate links, and BlessedReject.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program (and other affiliate programs, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. At NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, I will earn a small commission, if you purchase them. Please note that these are products I know/use and recommend to my customers. I recommend them as they are good products.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Practical Ways to Narrow Down Your Goals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you ever feel like you're spinning in circles with too many goals? Are most of them conflicting? The good news is, you're not the only one who feels that way. It's ubiquitous, but you can solve the problem. You can narrow down your goals. Please note that this article contains affiliate links.

# data[].attributes.body
Arelyn J