THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING GOALS
By Nancy Powell
Ad Production Manager
Dairy Star / Star Publications
At our last MVP we discussed SMART goals, and how to set them (If you are not familiar with the concept, it is worth a search online.) This discussion got me thinking about how important goals really are both professionally and personally.
The main purpose of goals is to motivate, develop strategies and to improve performance. Goals can be big or small and cover any length of time, but the purpose and motivation they provide can create meaning and productivity.
In researching for this column, I came across a quote “You can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that and more.” (Source: https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-goal-setting/)
Goal setting increases motivation, provides a sense of responsibility, allows tracking of progress. How many times have we said it might be nice to improve upon something, but then nothing was ever set into motion? Goals can help with that.
The next time you have a task you need to accomplish, try setting a goal, or a series of goals, and use the SMART goal guidelines:
Specific – Be clear what goal you want to accomplish.
Measurable – Make sure you have a clear and measurable way to know when you have achieved your goal.
Achievable – Make sure the goal pushes the limits but is not so difficult that it can’t be achieved.
Relevant – Make sure the goal makes sense with your values and matters to you.
Time Bound – Set a specific time frame for the goal to create urgency.
Nancy
Ad Production Manager
Dairy Star / Star Publications
At our last MVP we discussed SMART goals, and how to set them (If you are not familiar with the concept, it is worth a search online.) This discussion got me thinking about how important goals really are both professionally and personally.
The main purpose of goals is to motivate, develop strategies and to improve performance. Goals can be big or small and cover any length of time, but the purpose and motivation they provide can create meaning and productivity.
In researching for this column, I came across a quote “You can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that and more.” (Source: https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-goal-setting/)
Goal setting increases motivation, provides a sense of responsibility, allows tracking of progress. How many times have we said it might be nice to improve upon something, but then nothing was ever set into motion? Goals can help with that.
The next time you have a task you need to accomplish, try setting a goal, or a series of goals, and use the SMART goal guidelines:
Specific – Be clear what goal you want to accomplish.
Measurable – Make sure you have a clear and measurable way to know when you have achieved your goal.
Achievable – Make sure the goal pushes the limits but is not so difficult that it can’t be achieved.
Relevant – Make sure the goal makes sense with your values and matters to you.
Time Bound – Set a specific time frame for the goal to create urgency.
Nancy