Once you’ve set your goals and subgoals the next step is to put your
goals into action. It’s likely that having your goals broken down into
smaller steps, or subgoals, will make it a lot easier for you to achieve
your goals in the long-run.
Develop a plan of action
Write a step-by-step plan for achieving your subgoals, and ultimately
your main goal. This includes planning deadlines for each subgoal and
writing down all the “nitty-gritty” small things you can do today,
tomorrow, and later on this week in order to achieve your goal and
subgoals.
Case study: manuel’s plan of action
My goal: To be a competent soccer player within one year.
How I will benefit from achieving this goal?
- I love soccer. I will enjoy it.
- It will help me stay fit.
- It’s sociable, and something I can do with my friends.
- It’s a skill, and mastering it would give me a sense of achievement.
Subgoals (specific steps to achieve this goal), plus target dates for each step
- Ask mom and dad to pay for new cleats as part of my birthday present. Target date: tonight.
- Join a local soccer team. Target date: by Tuesday, May 2.
- Practice with Dan (my brother) who is good at soccer, and get him to give me some tips. Target date: regularly, starting May 4.
- Play at least three times a week (at least two afternoons after school, and once on the weekend). Target date: Starting May 24.
The nitty-gritty (things I need to do this week)
Tonight:
- Talk to mom and dad about cleats.
- Talk to Dan about practicing with him.
Tomorrow:
- Call the local team coach and find out about membership.
Wednesday:
- Sign up for the team by Friday of next week.
- Tell Nick and Steve that I want to join them when they play pick up games on Mondays and Fridays once I’ve got my cleats.
Give it a try
Choose something that you would like to achieve. Describe it as a
specific goal, and include a deadline for its achievement. Then describe
the benefits that you will gain, your subgoals and the steps you need
to take this week in order to work towards your goal. You can do this by
filling in the spaces next to the following headings:
Plan of action
- My goal;
- How I will benefit from achieving this goal?
- Subgoals (specific steps to achieve this goal) PLUS target dates for each step;
- The nitty-gritty (things I need to do this week).
Identify the obstacles
Once you’ve defined your goals and worked out subgoals and a plan of
action, you’re well on your way. But keep in mind that it’s not always
smooth sailing from here.
Sometimes, in spite of the best intentions and thorough planning,
obstacles get in the way. Obstacles are the things that can stop you
from getting what you want. They can be practical problems like lack of
time, or psychological blocks, like fear of failure.
Common obstacles
Here are some practical problems you might face:
- Not having enough time;
- Not having enough money;
- Not having enough knowledge or skills;
- Stress and fatigue;
- Parents or friends who don’t approve of your goal.
You might face psychological blocks as well, like
- Fear of failure;
- Fear of disapproval or rejection;
- Lack of confidence in your ability to succeed;
- Frustration;
- Lack of motivation;
- Short attention span;
- Lack of well-defined goal.
Obstacles don’t necessarily stop you from achieving your goals, but
they present a roadblock. They challenge you to devise strategies to
overcome them.
It’s often helpful to anticipate any obstacles that are likely to
arise while you are working toward your goals, and to plan out how you
can deal with them.
As an example, let’s take a look at how Casey planned to overcome her obstacles in relation to regular exercise.
sammy’s goal: To exercise at least five times a week.
sammy’s plan for overcoming the obstacles
Possible obstacle: I’ll get bored.
Strategies to overcome the obstacle:
- Vary my exercise. (For example, try different running routes; run sometimes on the sand at the beach;
take an aerobics class at the gym, etc.)
- Talk to Dad and Sasha about training together in the mornings.
- Listen to good music while training.
Try it out
List all of the possible obstacles that might get In the way of
achieving your goal, and strategies that you can use to overcome them.
- My goal;
- My plan for overcoming the obstacles;
- Possible obstacles;
- Strategies to overcome them.
Attaining your goals
Focus on the rewards
You might feel motivated if you focus on rewards rather than the pain
involved in achieving your goals. For this reason, it’s always a good
idea to write down all the benefits you hope to gain.
Try to think laterally when you write your list. Besides the direct
benefits of getting what you want, you might also feel the additional
satisfaction of being in control, which can increase your self-worth and
self-confidence.
Visualize success
Many people know the benefits of visualizing their goals—it’s a
technique that many elite athletes use. Focusing on the image of
swimming, or running or winning in front of a cheering crowd helps many
athletes stay motivated while they’re in training. In a similar way, you
can create an image of the things that you want to achieve and use it
for inspiration.
Other tips
Be flexible. There’s never just one way to achieve
something. Have multiple options in mind to achieve your goals. It’s
important not to put all your eggs into one basket. Investigate and plan
other ways to get to where you want to get, whether it’s a college
degree, job or vacation.
Get support. It’s important to reach out and get
support from others who can help you achieve your goals. This could be
practical support from teachers or coaches, or moral support, from those
like friends and family.
Try it out
Setting goals can keep you focused and motivated, and can increase
your chances of getting the things you want. You can set goals for
different areas of your life, such as your career, lifestyle,
friendships, attitudes, interests and health.
In order to achieve your goals, you’ll need to clearly define what
you want; set subgoals that you’ll need to achieve along the way, and
follow through a step-by-step plan of action.
Perhaps people fail to achieve goals because various obstacles get in
the way. Obstacles can be psychological (like boredom or a lack of
motivation) or they can be practical problems (like not having enough
time, money or support). When setting goals, it’s important to consider
the potential obstacles and work out a plan to overcome them.
This fact, is courtsy of an act for goals!
science foundation .2006
The talk of the town hot and steamy relationship between Polo Boss'
daughter Jennifer and Nigeria's number one serial playboy/bachelor Dbanj
has fizzled out. The former lovers reportedly parted ways amicably and
are still friends,however having sex has been ruled out of their
friendship for now....not sure oh.
