3 Requirements for Effective Goal Setting

I am such a list person. I have mentioned here before about how my hubby laughs at me for making so many lists. (crossing "write blog post" off the list now...)

Along with my love of lists comes a love of making goals. I like to make a goal so that I can accomplish them. Checking it off my list makes me feel like I did something. In the past, my goals have been all over the place as far as content goes. But I have recently learned more about making better goals. Here are three requirements for effective goal-setting:

1. Make it relevant- You don't want to set a goal to lose weight if you are already healthy. It just doesn't make sense to waste your mental or physical energy on such a task. You also wouldn't make a goal to become a professional football player if you have never touched a pigskin in your entire life. Be smart about what goals you want to make. Don't make a goal just for the sake of having a goal. Make it one that is relevant to your life.

2. Make it measurable- This is such an overlooked aspect of goal setting. How many people have you heard say "Oh, I want to lose some weight"? This is a big no, no. You need to have a measurable goal. Instead, you could rephrase that statement into "I want to lose 10 pounds." You know what you are trying to accomplish. You have something with which you can gauge your improvement.

3. Make it have a due date- This goes along with #2. Not only should you have a measurable goal, but you need to give yourself a "I need to have this done by _____" date. The people that say they want to lose some weight never do because the goal is not measurable and it does not have a due date. Due dates give you an end point. They give you the final destination of your goal. I can't overstate the importance of having a due date. They are THAT crucial.

I always like to make goals at the beginning of each month and have them due at the end of the month. For example, I want to have a consistent job by the end of the month. I want to lose 5 lbs this month. But I also have made other goals with a due date farther along, such as I want to read the Help by the movie release day. (note to self: look up when the movie comes out...could affect when I accomplish this goal)

Goals keep us focused. They keep us going down the right path to our accomplishments. They give us something to aim for.

I hope this helps you to make better goals for the month of August.
What are some of your goals?