5 characteristics of successful goal setting

Achievable

Goals must be achievable. A person cannot become a doctor if he has not been graduated from medical school, nor can a business increase its sales if it does not have an advertising budget. In a savings-related goal like our example, a person must ask himself whether the goal is achievable with his current resources. When creating a goal, ask yourself whether you have the skills, tools and resources needed to achieve the goal.

Measurable

Goals must be measurable to assure success. When setting goals, it is important to describe how each result will be measured. In our example we set clear steps and timelines. Our action step involves increasing deposits by an established amount. We set measurable tracking points by establishing a weekly timeline. If goals are not measurable, individuals cannot track their progress. Goals set successfully always answer the question "How can I measure my success?"

Specific

Goals must call for specific actions, behaviors or events to be successfully met. Individuals must define their desired results within each goal statement using a proactive voice. For example, "I will increase my savings deposits by $50 per week in order to fund my summer trip to Europe." Goals should contain not more than two sentences and should establish what, where and why.

Timely

Successful goal setting must set forth measurable points for starting, ending, review and assessment. A successful goal has deadlines and endings. In our example, we set a weekly period goal and an end goal of summer. Open-ended goals often fail because individuals have not have set dates to review, measure and revise

Realistic

Taking a realistic approach is perhaps one of the most important characteristics of successful goal setting. Goals challenge us to achieve or attain what is important to us. For us to maintain motivation levels and avoid frustration, goals must also be realistic. In the example goal, if we could not afford to save the $50 dollars a week, then we would face hardship and would not reach our goal by summer. Realistic goals are honest goals. Goals established thoughtfully can challenge us, but are not set beyond our natural abilities. Setting realistic goals involves asking "Is this possible?"