Do you set a goal for the end of each year or are you a “go with the flow and hope for the best” sort of person?

Work Smart Not Hard Tip No. 5 in a series written for Indie Cambs

Lots of people don’t set goals or make plans because they think they’re setting themselves up for failure but I’m going to give you some reasons why setting goals is a good thing, even if you don’t achieve them.

Why bother?

This is the key question.

Setting goals for the sake of it rarely works.
Having a reason works.
Knowing how you’ll feel when you succeed works.
Having fun along the way works.

Why you should set goals:

• By setting a goal you decide what’s most important and what isn’t. Apparently, there never used to be a plural form of “priority”!
• It saves a lot of time and head space when you’re making decisions. If something takes you closer to your goal, do it, if not, don’t.
• Planning for each quarter of the year works a lot better than a 12 month plan or no plan at all and gives you a chance to see what’s working so you can be flexible and adjust quickly rather than plough on with something that isn’t working because you haven’t got anything to measure it by.
• Life can be messy and unpredictable but if you treat your goal as a compass to point you in the right direction, it helps you stay on track. Some days may feel like it’s two steps forward and one back but at least you’re going in the right direction instead of in circles!
• If you never set a goal, you don’t get to know if what happens is down to you or pure chance. Whether you achieve the goal or not you can always celebrate that you figured out what works and what doesn’t.

Don’t even think about doing this perfectly.

Just work out one thing you want to have done by the end of the year that’s not too hard and not too easy and write down the steps you need to take to get there. Add a few milestones e.g. what you need to have done by the end of month one, and take it one step at time.

For extra fun choose some guides, real or imaginary, living or dead, who will inspire you to keep going if you’re tempted to give up, and pick a tune that will make you feel good that reminds you of why you’re bothering.

And if you need any help, like figuring out what’s achievable, just ask!