Why should we set goals On May 25, 1961, President JFK announced an ambitious goal for the nation: We will put a person safely on the Moon before the end of the decade. At the time, many thought his goal was impossible because the technology at NASA was nowhere near the kind of technology that would be needed to accomplish that goal. To our amazement, JFK’s BHAG (bold hairy audacious goal) was achieved on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong set foot onto the surface of the moon. On that fateful day, when Armstrong uttered the unforgettable words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, as he set foot on the moon, it was the JFK’s initial goal that motivated Armstrong and the nation to make that possible. August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. We remember very well, the words of Dr. King’s famous speech, “I have a dream that my 4 little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” When he uttered those words, the nation was far from granting civil rights to its African American citizens. If you looked at the climate of the nation, the chance of these things become true was slim to none. Big dreams and goals not only motivate nations and great leaders, but they also motivate all of us as well. Wisdom from research and practice is clear: Those who set effective goals are more likely to achieve them than those who don’t do so.
4 Reasons we should Set Goals
- Goals Motivate
- Increase success rate/achievement
- Increase focus.
- Reduce frustration.
Obviously, we know that goals without actions are dead. Effective goals coupled with great standards can convert our thoughts into action. Below I share with you an acronym that I use with my patients to help them set good weight loss goals. I get my patients to set weight loss goals because I’ve discovered that effective weight-loss goals can mean the difference between success and failure. Effective goals keep them focused and motivated and provide a focused plan to help them transition to a healthier lifestyle. Change is hard and we must do everything possible to make sure that we build and keep the momentum needed to succeed. Obviously, not all weight-loss goals are helpful. Vague, unmeasurable, demotivating, unrealistic and overly aggressive goals don’t work in the long run and often undermine any early successes. Use the following tips to help you set the kinds of goals that will set you up for success. If you are my patient or taking one of my weight-loss courses, I will actually encourage you to write down your goals and not just have them in your head. Studies have shown that people with clear, written goals are significantly more likely to succeed than those without clearly defined goals.
Effective Goals Start with Why?
Author and leadership expert, Simon Sinek wrote a classic book titled, Start with why, that has popularized the idea that successful endeavors start with purpose. He says, great leaders start with why, then how, then what. Your why is what motivates you to succeed. If you want your goals to be effective starting with purpose (why).
Related Article: SMART Goals and SMARTER Goals.
Three Types of Goals
If you want to set effective goals, there are three types of goals you should set: Outcome goals, Process goals, and Performance Goals. Read more here.
SMART Goals: How to Set Effective Goals
We’ve already discussed that effective goals motivate and inspire us, increase success rate, focus us, and reduce frustration. But how do we set effective goals? An effective goal-setting tool is the SMART goal checklist. SMART is an acronym that spells out Specific, Measurable, Audacious, Realistic, and Time-bound. Your weight loss goals should be a combination of process and outcome goals and meet the following criteria:
- Specific. An effective goal must be specific. E.g. A goal that says “I will exercise weekly” is vague and not specific. On the contrary, saying, “I will ride my bike for 30 minutes 5 days per week is specific. You answer what, when, and how questions.
- Measurable and Trackable. Your goal must be measurable and trackable. If you cannot measure and track your goal, you won’t be able to objectively determine if you have succeeded or not. A goal that says, “I will eat better or I will run more” is difficult to measure and track. But saying I will run 1 mile daily or eat 1,200 calories or less per day can be measured. An important reason why your goals must be measurable and trackable is also that such goals allow you to assess and track your progress as you move towards your goal.
- Audacious/Ambitious but achievable. A goal must also be audacious to be motivating. Small unchallenging goals don’t motivate people. However, it’s important to make goals that aren’t just challenging but also achievable–ie. you must be able to procure enough time and resources to achieve the goal. While you should have an audacious goal, it also must be achievable. Setting unrealistic goals actually undermines our efforts and frequently results in frustration and disappointment.
- Realistic. Goals need not only be audacious, but they also have to be realistic as well.
- Time-bound. Effective goals are ones that have a deadline.
 Step out in faith and pursue our goals
After we have set our goals, we shouldn’t waste any time because we could lose the momentum we have gathered. Step out in faith and tackle your goal. The reward is only possible when you actually embark on your goal, not when you simply set it.
Plan for setbacks and Evaluate yourself frequently
“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. That’s Murphy’s law. So while we hope for the best, we must also plan for the worst. Stop and think, what are some of the things that can interfere with your weight loss journey? How can you take preemptive steps to mitigate these distractions? We all have competing influences over our lives. We also need to reassess ourselves and our progress regularly to make sure we are making progress. Also, be flexible as you move on your journey. If you made goals that were unrealistic and you discover that those goals are not realistic, don’t quit. Instead, come up with more realistic goals and continue the journey. The same is true if you came up with goals that were too small and you end up achieving them too easily, then make the adjustment and come up with more challenging but realistic goals.
