Goals.
When I hear goal setting the first thing I think about is work. My mind races to monthly quotas and turn-around-time.
It took a while for me to realize that even I have personal goals that should be worked on as well and not just the annual quota requested of me by a corporation.
Although not written down and explicitly said, I have goals that I aspire for at the back of my mind, one of which is elaborated below:
I grew my hair since the start of this world pandemic with the following goals in mind:
- Reach a length more than 12 inches
- Cut it off and donate my hair to a cancer institution
- COLOR the hell out of whatever hair is left on my head.
This goal was almost two years in the making, and now that 2022 has arrived, I was ready to put a conclusion to this tirade. And so, I chopped it all off and went as acceptably crazy as I could within the rules of my current employer. One day, if I was with a new employer that would permit it or if I was free from any employer, my hair would be pink, then blue, then purple. After I have had all of my fun, my hair will get back to plain-old black.
As this one goal of mine has come to fruition, and as 2021 is over, 2022 is posing itself as a new hill to climb. I look forward to the new challenges the year will bring. This year, I aim to accomplish more than I did the last.
And so, I spent the first few days of the year figuring out new Specific goals for myself for 2022. I had to pull myself down a rabbit hole of Goal Setting, what it really is, how one should go about it, and if it was worthwhile.
And so, after reading through and watching material after material, here are a few tips I came up with for myself that could help you plan your year out, as well.
Understanding the importance of goals and the techniques involved in setting achievable goals paves the way for success
-Positivepsychology (https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting)
1. Map it Out: Start at the end and slowly make your way back
By the 2nd day of January, I realized that I should categorize my goals depending on the different aspects of my life. I decided to have targets for my personal growth, my career, my blog, and, lastly, for finances.
Looking at my list of about 18 points, I was overwhelmed. How on earth could I get there?
According to the different sources I went through, all your Specific goals should be Measurable and Achievable. Based on my understanding, this means the mini-milestones needed for you to come closer to the bigger picture have to be planned out. The best example would be my goal to, let’s say, have a toned abdominal area. Ideally, I would know specifically what “toned” should look like for me. With that picture in mind, I should work backward from there.
For me to hit the goal, I should have a strong core. To get a strong core, I should complete specific exercises; and before I could do that, I need to start small.
For example, starting this January, I would need to start with short cardio and core exercises. I should squeeze in a 5-10 minute workout every week by January. These exercises would be increased to twice a week and probably up to 20 minutes once February rolls in. By March, it should be increased to a 15-20 minute daily exercise with one intense session a week. As the year progresses, so should the intensity of the workouts.
I hope you get the picture.
With these specific steps to measure and achieve the bigger picture, one could easily monitor if they are still on the right track.
Right now, I am in the process of mapping out each goal. My tip with this is to try to get creative! Have fun jotting or mapping the journey out. The more visualized each step is, the easier it will be for you to measure your progress. If you want, you can pin your map to the wall to remember your goals. According to David Novak in an article for Fastcompany, seeing your goals is very important in your journey to achieving them.
Just a quick reminder: Don’t forget to add to your maps allowance for rest (very, very important too). Personally, I chose not to put any “to-dos” down on a Sunday so I have one day off.
2. Repeat, Review and Recalibrate
According to different blogs, one of the biggest mistakes we make with setting goals is not looking back to the goals as the year goes by.
If you did not get to intricately map out the journey to your goal, then most likely, your goals were aspirations that you just threw to the universe, to some shooting star.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but life sadly does not work that way. Disney put our generation up for disappointment.
Even successful musicians and artists attribute their prowess to practice and not only God-given talent. You have to practice every day to reach the heights of the experts. And so, achieving your goals will be a DAILY, WEEKLY, and MONTHLY task that you have to work for.
According to an article published by the Harvard Business Review, a study done by Benjamin Bloom found that children who succeeded exceptionally in their chosen fields did not display early signs in their childhood of a promising future in that said field. These successful individually were observed to have “practiced intensively… The amount and quality of practice were key factors to the level of expertise.”
If your goal is to be a great drag race driver by the end of the year, then you should practice daily. According to the same article, the said practice is not for skills you already know but to develop your weak points or grow points you do not know at all.
Reviewing your map may help you see the progress of the daily practice you have been grinding through each day.
With the whole point of mapping out each and every detail of your goal comes the idea of recalibration. Just because you set a goal in your head does not mean it is not set in stone. As time passes by and you realize that you have not caught up with the mini-milestones in your map you are free to adjust your goals to what is more achievable in your situation.
The universe is vast, and new things can come left and right. This is a reminder to give yourself grace and recalibrate the end goal to what is achievable based on your progress. It is okay to adjust your deadlines if you have to. The point is to reach that goal and not give up.
So keep your head high and keep going!
3. Time, time, time
If you are like me, you have a lot to weigh on the table with all the goals you have listed. For crying out loud, I have to put up with 18 items in total. What on earth am I doing?
With all these goals, I realized that succeeding all boils down to exceptional time management. That in itself is a goal. You only have so much time in a day—including your regular 9. With such a limited resource, you have to decipher if the goals you put down are Realistic.
I could say I would want to be a millionaire by the end of 2022, but is it possible? Could I map out how I would achieve that goal on a day-to-day or month-to-month basis? Given my current pay grade and limited free time, it is not realistic.
The test of time will tell if these goals you have placed down for yourself are even remotely possible. Hopefully, mapping out each step you have to take to reach your goal would open your eyes to see how realistic your goal is in the time frame you set.
Another point all resources mentioned was how your goals should be Time-bound. There should a deadline. If we give ourselves all the time in the world, we will never get around to it.
Trust me with this, I wasted about 6 years of my life thinking I had more than enough time in the world when, in actuality, the time is NOW.
4. Peer Review
Nothing can better keep us in check than an outside eye. Although I do not plan to ask someone to check on my progress regularly—I know an outside force will help me stay on track. And so, I decided to look for those with similar minds to join me in my journey.
For instance, I decided to work out with my sister. That way, we would push each other to stay on track. I also started to talk to people about other things such as developing other sources of income. Hopefully, with friends on the same boat for this journey, there will still be a sense of security. Whether that business venture succeeds or fails, you have someone that has your back.
As they say, man is not an Island. The biggest billionaires out there started their businesses with a pal who believed and supported their endeavors, until they didn’t. Remember what happened in the Social Network (film). Even Elon Musk started with the help of his brother.
5. Evaluation
This is the hardest part. Evaluation either at the end of the year or on milestones throughout the year was something I only thought necessary for my job—annual performance reviews. The task is daunting and takes
time, sometimes even a painful time, too.
If your employer requires you to evaluate whether you have hit your goals for the best interest of the company, shouldn’t an evaluation of yourself be more important? Achieving your personal goals matter so much more than the demands of a company.
If you live a corporate life, you should not allow your personal growth to stop. Sometimes, we are too caught up with the demands and expectations of our company that we forget to cultivate our interest and hone our natural talents. What would happen when hit retirement and the life that you valued in the office was no longer an option? No one wants to be a sitting duck.
When 2021 ended, I was afraid to evaluate how much I’ve progressed since 2020. I know I am still at the job I decided to let go of in 2020. Also, my blog was not put to the potential I initially planned it to be. So far, I have two failures on my record. 2021 was not so great.
I plan to make 2022 better. This led me to the decision of taking a deep dive into GOAL SETTING. Hopefully, by January 2023, I will be looking back to a year of flying colors.
With this, I hope, even you could have a little more progress in your life by the end of this year.
Busyzi 
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