When
setting goals, it is important to dedicate some time to think about what you
really want to accomplish both in the short and long term. In order to attain a goal, it has to be
clearly thought out, visualized and be able to be achieved in the time frame
you determine. For example, my goal for
the next year is to achieve an MBA in Finance.
In order to do so, it is imperative for me to find an accelerated
program that will allow me to do so. In
keeping with this notion, I have to realize that since the program is
accelerated, I will need to devote more time in order to study and maintain the
grade point average necessary to obtain my degree. Additionally, in order to devote more time to
my program, I would have to detract time from another activity I am engaged
in. So, I would have to think about an
activity I can eliminate in order to assure that I have the free time to
dedicate to the MBA program. In
assessing my time, I realize that I devote an additional ten (10) hours per
week to volunteering with domestic violence survivors. That ten (10) hours can be redirected to the
fulfillment of my goal. My thought
process would then be geared towards determining whether I really want to
obtain the MBA in the pre-determined time frame. In taking all of this into consideration, I
decided that this venture was what I really, really wanted to pursue.
This
is a real goal that I set for myself during the past calendar year and I’m well
on my way towards achieving that goal.
You can use this example to set a goal in your life since I clearly delineated
my thought process and created a roadmap for you to follow. The aforementioned example illustrates a
practical application of a regimented goal-setting session. This is an example of beginning goal setting
with the end in mind. It is a
conceptualization of “the big picture.”
It is my “big picture” for the next year. It is a professional goal that will lead me
to the next big thing in my life. You
can begin by setting a short-term goal which is your goal for the next year or it
may be for a shorter period of time.
Generally short-term goals are goals that can be attained in a year or
less.
Since
I am well-versed in goal setting methodology and have mastered the art of goal
setting and attainment, I generally set multiple goals for different areas of
my life. It has been my custom to direct
my life in a matter that is regimented and goal-oriented. I generally think about my long-term goal and
set it at the same time because my short-term goal is the goal that I achieve
on the way to by bigger goal which is my long-term goal. My current long-term goal is one that is a
five-year goal. In five years, I
envision myself as the administrator of a tuition-free STEM elementary school for
marginalized students. In order to
achieve that goal, it is necessary for me to obtain a Master’s Degree in
Business Administration. Another part of
realizing that goal is for me to first become the administrator of a STEM
nursery school. I am currently in the
process of doing so. Currently I am
raising funds to be able to assure that the students are not charged a tuition
while enabling them to have access to the finest nursery school education money
can buy.
As
you can see I have two short-term goals that I’m working on simultaneously in
order to assure that my long-term goal is achieved in an expeditious
manner. My goals are interrelated and I
use them as concrete examples of S.M.A.R.T. goals that you can use as a
reference point for setting both personal and professional goals. Currently, my personal life in on-track. I have found a peace like no other and am
able to do only the things that contribute to my peaceful existence while
avoiding the things that interfere with my internal peace and calm. This came with a great deal of work over the
years. I managed to finally get to that
place where I am comfortable with myself and all that I have become so I’m
focusing on adding value to the lives of others. My value comes in the form of working with domestic
violence survivors who are invested in living violence-free lives and in the
form of working with marginalized children who deserve to have a fair chance at
having a future full of hope and promise.
This is evident in my goals and I have become an expert at making goals
and attaining them. Moreover, I have
become the master of leading an exemplary personal life that is both fulfilled
and idyllic. With that being said, I
will reveal as much of my goal setting methodology as I can articulate in a
step-by-step manner while assuring that this blog is not too lengthy.
❶ Determine your “big picture” first and never lose sight of
it. When thinking about goals, think about your ultimate goal (s). Ask yourself what is that thing that you
would like to achieve before a milestone that you set. This requires a great deal of thought,
reflection and inner soul searching. I
remember setting goals early in life and not being able to attain them because
I did not have the tools now at my disposal.
As I got older, attaining goals became easier because I did set
realistic goals and assured that those goals were S.M.A.R.T. goals. My goals early in life were extremely
unrealistic and as a result they were not attained but as I got older I really
focused on what I REALLY, REALLY wanted and not on what I thought I
wanted.
When
trying to think about what I REALLY, REALLY wanted I would lay across my bed
with my eyes closed and I would envision what my goal would look like. I painted pictures in my head and if the
pictures were exactly what I wanted I was motivated to set that as my “big
picture.” I then began to make plans to
grab hold of my “big picture” and frame it for posterity. This worked for me but in coaching others for
over a decade, I realize that different individuals conceptualize their “big
picture” in different ways. For others,
determining their “big picture” involved actually cutting pictures out of a
magazine and creating a vision board. (The exact method for creating a vision
board will be covered in the next blog installment). These are but two methods of creating a “big picture.”
There are others and you may have personal methods for doing so. Please feel free to comment in this blog if
you think of other methods since this blog is meant to be interactional and I
welcome interaction by as many of my readers who choose to make comments or ask
questions. REMEMBER THE BLOG IS CALLED
ASK DR. MAXINE AND NOT PREACH ON DR. MAXINE.
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