Working on your self-development and self-improvement is important. Having specific goals to achieve for your own personal growth will boost your chance of success. Self-improvement is especially needed when life throws you obstacles. Thus, it is crucial to always revisit and reflect on your goals to help you commit, charge and set your mind despite the setbacks. 

Additionally, setting specific goals will motivate you and keep you focused on your plans. Although it can be exhausting and daunting, it is an ideal roadmap of your life and your life’s long-term success.

The Goal-Setting Theory 

The goal-setting theory is the need to set specific and challenging goals. It has to be monitored regularly to keep track of the progress. There are five principles to follow to ensure that you are on the right track and reaching the right goals the right way. 

The Five Principles of Goal-Setting Theory

1. Clarity: your goals should be clear and well-defined.
2. Challenge: your goals should be feasible but at the same time challenging to trigger growth.
3. Commitment: it is vital that you should fully commit to your goals.
4. Feedback: you need to regularly evaluate and reflect on your goals to stay on the right track.
5. Complex Task: you need to give yourself ample time and space to reach challenging goals.

Important Factors of Achieving Goals

• You need to have the motivation to change.
• You need to possess the willingness to monitor the behaviour
• You need to have strong willpower to make it happen.

These three factors are a part of the SMART goals: an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Realistic. 

Specific

Before you set up your goal, ask yourself what, where, when and why. It will help you determine the specific goals that you need to overcome. Also, having specific goals will keep you on the right track and prevent you from getting side tracked. 

Measurable

It is also essential that you measure the amount of effort your need to put it. Also, it is helpful to know what benchmarks you will need to ensure that you are actually moving towards your goal. Also, it is important to be able to assess your level of success and know when and how to make adjustments. 

Attainable or Achievable

Another important aspect is for your goal to be feasible. If it goes beyond your capabilities, then it is not a realistic goal for you to reach and you might end up frustrated. If such a thing happens, your self-esteem will tarnish and you will lose the motivation to start again. Thus, it is crucial to set goals just within the range of your abilities and resources but also out of your comfort zone. 

Realistic or Relevant

As was mentioned, your goals need to be just within your area of reach. It has to be challenging but not too easy. Set goals based on your current circumstances so you can achieve them despite the challenge. 

Timely 

It is not ideal to have a goal that stretches all throughout your lifetime or shrunk into a day’s work. Your goals must be framed in a timely manner to help you have enough motivation to do them. 

SMART is your key to success. While most are only being limited to the questions of “what” and “how” the “why” however is what keeps you going. The “whys” are the purpose why you are doing it in the first place. It could be because it makes you happy or fulfilled. It could be also because you want to achieve it for your own personal advantages or a step towards a bigger goal. Whatever it may be, it is important to keep your mind in a positive mindset while being grounded.