“Goal setting in psychology refers to a successful plan of action that we set for ourselves. It guides us to choose the right moves, at the right time, and in the right way”
“individuals who had highly ambitious goals had a better performance and output rate than those who didn’t.”
“effective goals are ones that are:
A – Achievable
B – Believable
C – Committed”
“Goal-setting as a psychological tool for increasing productivity involves five rules or criterion, known as the S-M-A-R-T rule.”
“Cecil Alec Mace was the first person to carry out empirical studies on goal-setting. His work emphasized the importance of willingness to work and indicated that the right plans could be a sure shot predictor of professional success (Mace, 1935). Locke continued his research on goal-setting from there, and in the 1960s, came up with the explanation of the usefulness of goals for a happier and more content life.”
“Goals play a dominant role in shaping the way we see ourselves and others. A person who is focused and goal-oriented is likely to have a more positive approach towards life and perceive failures as temporary setbacks, rather than personal shortcomings.”
“Studies have shown that when we train our mind to think about what we want in life and work towards reaching it, the brain automatically rewires itself to acquire the ideal self-image and makes it an essential part of our identity. If we achieve the goal, we achieve fulfillment, and if we don’t, our brain keeps nudging us until we achieve it.”
“Studies have shown that the more we align our core values and principles, the more likely we are to benefit from our goal plans. (Kearns)”
“A practical goal plan calls for a reality check. We become aware of our strengths and weaknesses and choose actions that are in line with our potentials.”
“Realizing our abilities and accepting them is a vital aspect of goal-setting as it makes room for introspection and helps in setting realistic expectations from ourselves.”
“Successful accomplishment of goals is a clear indicator of our success. We don’t need validation from others once we have achieved the goals we set for ourselves.”
“The Process Goals
These are the ones involving the execution of plans.”
“The focus is to form the habit that will ultimately lead to achievement.”
“The Performance Goals
These goals help in tracking progress and give us a reason for continuing the hard work.”
“The Outcome Goals”
“Outcome goals are the successful implementations of process and performance goals. They keep us in perspective and help to stay focused on the bigger picture.”
“goal-setting ensures success by serving three purposes:”
“Enlightening Us
Providing meaningful insight into our abilities and weaknesses, and by helping us prioritize our goals depending on our needs.
Encouraging Us
It provides the motivation and courage to implement the goals and execute the plans efficiently.
Enabling Us
Goal-setting enables us to achieve the balance between our real and ideal self. By implementing the goals and succeeding from it, we regain self-confidence, social support, and can evaluate our achievements.”
“Goals direct our actions and open us to a host of new possibilities. They help us stick to the relevant activities and get rid of what is irrelevant for goal-satisfaction.”
“Positive psychology incorporates the principles of goal-setting in several ways:”
“It commits to a specific set of actions for goal-setting.”
“It considers individual ethics and core values before setting goals.
It aligns actions to individual capacities and character strengths.
It has space for introspection and insight into one’s thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.
It helps in setting realistic goals and expectations, thereby aiming to boost self-confidence and energy by task accomplishments.”
“optimistic people have a strong sense of self, which helps them derive the motivation to set goals and extend them for self-improvement.”
“Positive psychology, according to Latham, intersects with goal-setting in the sense that it calls for building self-efficacy and create a sense of mastery over our internal and external environments.”
“successful goal-setting mainly involves asking three questions to the self:
How important is the goal for us?
How confident are we about reaching and accomplishing the goal?
How consistent is the goal with our core values and beliefs?”
“Smith said that successful leaders and management professionals use this systematic approach when striving for goal accomplishments and use threads of positive psychology such as optimism, thought replacement, strength, and resilience.”
“The goal-setting theory by Edwin Locke (1968) answered all the seemingly important questions about the importance of goals for a successful life. Locke’s prime concern was to establish the power of setting accurate and measurable goals.”
“He believed that rather than focusing on general outcomes, professional goal-setting and management should focus on meticulousness of the tasks and address specific goals for each area of accomplishment. The goal-setting theory Locke designed, set an impetus to increased productivity and achievement.”
“Locke believed that there are five key principles of goal-setting:”
“Clarity – How specific and comprehensive the goal is.
Challenge – How difficult the goal is and the degree to which it requires us to extend our abilities.
Commitment – How dedicated we are to reach the goal and what value it renders to us.
Feedback – How our achievements are perceived and recognized by others. Positive feedback increases satisfaction after achieving the target.
Complexity – The difficulty of the tasks that we need to accomplish for reaching the ultimate goal.”
“Locke said that there are four core components of a goal that makes it useful. These are the key aspects that we should keep in mind before committing to a plan.”
“Although while selecting a target, we may tend to shun away from choosing the harder ones, difficult goals are undoubtedly more motivating, energizing, and satisfying after accomplishment.”
“Thus, before setting goals, it is vital that we choose only the ones that are truly rewarding to us, no matter how much we need to push ourselves to achieve it.”