We have heard it said, ‘failure to prepare, is to prepare to fail.’
There are numerous advantages to setting goals, rather than just flying by the seat of our pants, hoping things will get done, or things will work out fine.
Goals hone our thinking, prevent wasting time through distractions, assist in managing change and personal growth, enhances mental health, and overall fosters a sense of self-mastery.
Goals are like the rudder of a ship, keeping us aligned, on course and moving toward a specific trajectory.
Locke and Latham in A Theory of Goal Setting & Task Performance delineate five principles associated with reaching goals successfully.
Clarity– without initial clarity as to the where, what, who and why of a goal, confusion and frustration are guaranteed.
Challenging– goals should challenge and stretch us to expand our thinking and increase our capacity in a particular discipline or toward a new discipline.
Commitment – without commitment there is no guarantee goals will be achieved; therefore, personal investment into the goal is essential.
Feedback – having a go-to person to talk about how we are tracking, enables us to tweak plans or personal expectations.
Complexity – align incremental goals along the way to match the complexity of the main goal/task.
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