The Ultimate Guide to Successful Goal Setting

The Origins of Goal Setting

Goal setting, done the right way, is a direct process for success, happiness, wealth, and freedom. It has been for centuries, since the days of Milos in Ancient Greece, who used goal setting to gain more strength every day, to the days of conquistadors and kings searching for a route to the new world.

The greatest authors, scientists, and entrepreneurs from history all used goal setting to overcome perceived limitations and achieve faster results, making them legends.

“How much steel did your team make today?” he asked his day-shift foreman.

“Six heats,” the foreman replied.

Schwab took a piece of chalk and drew a giant “6” on the factory floor.

When the night-shift team arrived, they asked what the number represented. After hearing that it was the day shift’s daily production, the night shift team took it upon themselves to outdo that number.

What Exactly Is A Goal?

The dictionary defines a goal as:

1. The object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
2. The end toward which effort is directed

You’ve probably set goals for school (getting an “A” on a test), for your health (losing five pounds), or your wealth (getting a raise of $5,000 or saving $10,000 by the end of the year for a holiday vacation).

First, add a deadline. Second, add specificity. And third, be realistic.

To overcome the temptation to sit around wishing your life away, George T. Doran outlined the importance of objectives, the difficulty of setting them, and how to do it easier. This strategy was published in the November 1981 issue of Management Review and was dubbed the S.M.A.R.T. approach to goal setting.

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