“I love to win…but sometimes I lose. We all do!! Each and every experience has a lesson to teach and I try to learn them all. Constant improvement is my goal”
–Tatyana McFadden
Goals are something that we all have. Merriam-Webster defines a goal as “the end toward which effort is directed”. You’ve decided you want to accomplish something and so you set out to do it. Perhaps it is something small like getting out of bed or maybe it is something bigger like becoming the President of your company. The question isn’t whether you have goals but why you set them and what you learn from them?
Start BIG
When trying to set goals. Start big. Like 10 years big. What do you want your life to be like in 10 years? Once you have decided that, break it down into subcategories. This can be by time spans (e.g., every 2 years, 3 years, etc.), or it can be by category (e.g., personal goals, professional goals, etc.). Keep breaking it down, further and further. Now you can start working on hitting these goals.
But why? Why are we setting goals?
Benefits
Motivation – Setting goals helps you increase your motivation. Not only does having goals give you something to work towards, but they also give you a sense of accomplishment when you meet them, helping push yourself further.
Sense of Responsibility – Setting your own goals gives you ownership. These goals are of your own making, so it is your responsibility to accomplish them.Â
Track Progress – Breaking your long term goal into smaller goals gives you the ability to track how you are doing. Each time you accomplish one of these goals you get one step closer to your bigger, long-term goal.
Prioritization – When you take the time to think about what you want to accomplish, it gives you time to truly think about what is important and what you should prioritize. Maybe you discover that you have been on a path that diverges from your ultimate goal. Now that you know, you can get back on the right track.
Beyond the benefit of having goals, it’s also important to know how to set goals.
Setting Goals
Be Specific – Being specific helps ensure that you are on the right track
Make Them Measurable – You want to be able to have a goal that is measurable whether that is in time or other categories.
Make Them Achievable – This is probably the hardest part of setting goals. Goals should be achievable, but not too easily obtained. Reaching your goals should be a little bit of a push.
Make Them Relevant – Ensure that your incremental goals are directly related to your ultimate goal.
Use A Timeline – Every goal should have a target date.
To help facilitate goal-making, we recently added an amazing experience to our selection about goals with an incredible Paralympic athlete! Tatyana McFadden has won 17 Paralympic Medals and 24 World Major Marathons. Our new experience dives into some of her best tips and explores what goals are and how to set them with real life examples from her own experiences.
Join Tatyana at her experience How to Set Goals That Inspire Achievement.
Teamraderie Experiences can be explored and booked online via Teamraderie experience finder. If you are seeking a personalized recommendation, reach out to us at team@teamraderie.com.