Previously we shared why it is important to set personal goals on the work floor and how to get started with this. But, it may be that you find it difficult to actually set these goals and make them realistic and concrete. We give you eight tips to formulate ambitious and achievable goals in order to reach them faster.

To achieve your goals, you need to know how to set them. You can not say ‘I want this’ and expect it to happen. Setting goals is a process that starts with a careful consideration of what you want to achieve and ends with hard work to actually do it. In between there are some steps that will make it easier for you to formulate and achieve your goals.

1. Focus 

Focus on your concrete goals. This is important to make them achievable. Do not shred your attention and choose one specific goal at the same time. This increases the chance that you will eventually reach your goal. In addition, it also motivates to complete projects after each other instead of doing everything at once and delivering half-work.

2. Share your goals with a friend

If you share your goals with your friends, this will lead to accountability. They will ask about it next time and you will have to answer this. This does not work for everyone, but telling your goal to a friend often forces you to take some responsibility.

3. Write it down

Studies have shown that actively writing down your goals gives you a better chance to continue. Just by writing down your goals you would get more energy. In addition, this offers the opportunity to look back at it later and to compare goals with each other. This can easily be done in TruQu’s online tool. By saving your goals in the software, adding interim results and asking for feedback on this, you will develop continuously.

4. Take it step-by-step

Here we come back to point three. Many people have roughly in their heads how they want to achieve their goal, but do not write it down. Writing forces us to become concrete. When you write down step-by-step what you have to do, you are more likely to achieve your goals.

5. Make it more fun!

You have set your goals to be able to improve yourself. This should not be so heavy that you no longer like the process. Have you lost your inspiration? Look back at your step-by-step plan and write up interim results. Speak out what’s going well to motivate yourself again.

6. Set goals that motivate you

Check with yourself if the goals you set are realistic and motivating. This means that you have to make sure that they are important to you and that it is valuable to reach them. If you have no interest in the content or if you do not find it relevant, then chances are that you will not achieve your goals.

How do you motivate goals then? Set goals that relate to high priorities in your life. This ensures that you do not set too many goals and you lose your focus. Achieving goals requires involvement, so to maximize the chances of success you need to feel a sense of urgency: ‘I have to do this’.

If you do not have that motivation, you risk not doing what you have to do to achieve your goals and you get frustrated and disappointed. This ultimately works demotivating. Do you notice that you lose your confidence in your ability to reach the goal? Then record why this goal is valuable to you.

7. Make your goals SMART

It is important that you make your learning goals SMART: specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and time-bound.

S– Specific: it is clear to everyone what it is about and what result you want to achieve. Describe the goal clearly and concretely.

M– Measurable: this means that the result (named under specific) must also be visible. That is why it is often expressed in percentages and numbers.

A– Acceptable: is it achievable for yourself? Is there sufficient support to achieve the goal? Is it action-oriented and leads to results? Employees must be able to accept the goal so that they are committed to it.

R– Realistic: the goal must be challenging, but realistic. An inaccessible goal does not motivate people.

T– Time-bound: goals must be realized within a certain time. When do we start with the activities? When are we ready? When is the goal achieved?

8. Be flexible

Have you followed the steps mentioned above, but are you still faced with setbacks? Then let it go for a few days. Chances are that motivation or a solution will arise afterwards. If that does not happen, discuss your goal or problem with a friend or colleague. A fresh look does wonders.

Wondering how TruQu can help you achieve your goals? Request a free trial.