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HOW TO MANAGE YOUR LIFE BY SETTING GOALS
In 1953, Yale University surveyed its graduating class and discovered that only 3% had writtengoals. Twenty years later, Yale surveyed the same class and learned that the 3% who had writtendown goals had amassed a net worth greater than that of the other 97% combined. The moral of this story is goals work and almost nobody uses them.
What is a goal?
A goal is a statement of results to be achieved in a specified time. Successful people succeedbecause they know where they wish to go, get goals in that direction and strive towardsachieving the goals, while retaining a certain amount of flexibility to allow for changes that mayneed to be made.Goals let you tap into a source of limitless possibility and boundless energy that gives you thepower to accomplish what you might otherwise never have imagined. If you want to make thingshappen in your life, you need to think about setting and achieving your goals. Setting goals is thefirst step in being able to convert the dreams we visualized into reality.When most people speak of goals, they are usually referring to professional ones; those thatrelate to the qualifications that we may wish to acquire, the career we wish to pursue or theextra skills that need to be learned. However to be truly successful and lead a balanced life, itis necessary to have goals that cover all spheres of life. In
Work Smart, Not Hard
, Sullivansuggests that we need to set goals in the following categories:
Career:
To get the next promotion, to complete a project in a given time etc.
Financial:
To earn a certain amount of money in a specified period, to save a certain amountevery years…
Educational
: To get XYZ qualification, take courses in subjects one is interested in..
Physical fitness:
To jog every day, to keep the body weight under XX Kg.
Community/charity
: Do volunteer work, to actively participate in the neighbourhood cleanlinessdrive….
 
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Personal:
Cultivate new friendships, meet new people…
Leisure:
Do something different such visit a new country, learn pottery making…If you do not consider all areas of life you are likely to write down goals only in those areas thatare currently occupying your mind, thereby neglecting other important areas of your life andmight create imbalance and stress.
Attributes of a good goal
A goal should be SMART for it to be useful, i.e.
S(pecific) :The goal should not be a statement of intent(e.g. ‘to save money’ isNOT being specific. ‘To save Rs. 2000/- per month during 1998’ isbeing specific)M(easurable) :The goal must be measurable. It must be easy for us to say whetherwe have achieved the goal or not.A(ttainable) :The goal must not be too easy to attain nor should it be beyondreach. If it is too easy to attain then there is no satisfaction on itsachievement. If it is beyond reach, it will not spur us on in ourefforts.R(ealistic) :The goal must be relevant and realistic. It must ‘make sense’.T(ime bound):The goal must have a deadline or time frame attached to it.
 
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How to meet goals
Meeting goals is the second step in the process of achieving your goals. To meet the goals set, itis necessary to inculcate the discipline of monitoring and reviewing the goals. Only then can werealise the benefits of the goal setting exercise.To meet the goals you need to be involved in the process of 
a.
Monitoring goals (which involves a discipline of regularly checking the progress against thegoals and taking corrective action to achieve them.)
b.
Reviewing goals (Goals need to be added/modified/deleted periodically. This so because ourlife constantly keeps evolving and therefore, goals have to updated. The goals that have beenachieved have to be deleted and replaced by the new ones.Typically, goal setting should be done once in a year while monitoring must be done on a weeklybasis (i.e. you must look at your goals at least once a week). The review of goals can be doneonce in three months.It helps to write the goals on a sheet of paper to which you have a constant access. It also helpsto share your goals with persons who are close to you and who are committed to your growthand development (e.g. parents, some close friends, spouse, teachers’ etc.).One way to make sure that you definitely achieve your goals is to visualise yourself as achievingthem. For example, if you need to shed weight, visualise a slimmer and trimmer you. As CharlesR. Hobbs, author of Time Power says, ”Dream a little. You have your whole life ahead of you toachieve these goals”.
Types of Goals:
Our development, improvement and growth can happen in two ways.
•
One through Incremental Goals: doing things more, better and more efficiently
•
Secondly by Breakthrough Goals: breaking barriers, records, changing ways of thinking,breaking away from the past (breakthrough goals).
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