Set Goals for Achievement and Success

Gerald Bricker
Aadvise Consulting, LLC

Are you good at setting goals but not so good at achieving them? Have you already missed the goals you set for the first few months of the year? Why are you good at setting goals but not so good at achieving them?

Many people set goals with the best of intentions. They spend hours putting together SMART goals that are set to help them to improve their health, increase their income, strengthen their relationships, get that promotion or even find that new job.  Before they know it life gets in the way. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re making plans.” Much of the satisfaction with goal setting is that is creates an air of expectation. Like many things the anticipation is nearly as satisfying as the actual event.

Perhaps the reason for not meeting your goals is that, like many people, you learned how to set SMART goals but not how to achieve those goals. One key reason this happens is that “life happens” and before you know it you failed to achieve your goals. Your time management does not help you to achieve what is really important to you.

Remember that the ‘T’ in SMART is “Time based.” The purpose for this is to focus your efforts on achieving what you want when you want it. Did you input your goal plans onto your planner, calendar or e-device calendar? If not the days and weeks went by and you neglected your goals. If that happened, don’t worry you can always adjust your goals and re-engage yourself in achieving them.

It’s better to set goals, even if you don’t achieve them all, than not to. Setting goals gives a focus to your time and your actions. Remember, many Olympic athletes work for years to be able to compete in the Games. Yet many fail to win a medal. However, they improve their skills and many of them reach the pinnacle of performance in their chosen fields so that they can become coaches and experts in their chosen fields.

Gerald Bricker is the Principal and Founder of Aadvise Consulting, LLC, a business and executive coaching practice, in Northville, MI. He can be contacted at info@aadviseconsultingllc.com or by calling 248-974-1537.