A goal can’t be too general. Most life goals or company goals are just that. Saying, “I want to lose weight” or “We need to increase sales,” doesn’t convey a specific message, making it harder to achieve.
Answers to three questions can be helpful here:
- “What do I want to achieve?”
- Why do I want to achieve this?
- How do I want to achieve this?”.
Based on the answers, it’s easier to define a goal based on specific numbers or figures.
A well-defined goal is one that allows us to know precisely whether it has been achieved. It’s also important to be able to monitor its stages on an ongoing basis, making it easier to recognize progress.
An example goal might be: “I’ll save 6,000 złoty for a vacation to Bali, or I’ll increase our company’s revenue by 15%.” In both cases, both progress and goal achievement are easily measured.
Here, we focus on the motivation to achieve the goal. It should be challenging and ultimately teach us something new.
The goal shouldn’t be too easy, as achieving it won’t bring us satisfaction. It’s best if it requires time, some sacrifice, or is challenging. This will increase our joy in achieving it.
Constructing a profit and loss table related to achieving the goal can be a useful tool here.
The goal we set must have a specific date by which we want to achieve it. A more appropriate phrase would be: “I want to lose 5 kilograms by the end of next month.” This not only motivates us to take action but also streamlines our work by allowing us to establish a schedule or milestones.
