Goal setting. In all areas of our lives, we tend to plan and to set goals for ourselves. Much has been said and written on this topic but here we just want to show some examples of bad (less than optimal, unlikely to work) goals/approaches and good (better, more likely to succeed) goals/approaches. This is a simple and short piece aimed to get you thinking so here we go…

The Bad The Good Notes
Lose 30kg. Lose 5kg. Goals that are too difficult, or will take too long, are often counter-productive. Something more attainable in the short term will work better.
Pay off my credit card. Pay off my credit card by end February. Adding a realistic timeframe for any goal, is really essential.
Make 10 life changes. Change 3 things in my life. Too many goals usually become distracting and dilutes your focus, ultimately demotivating you.
I will wait for the new year to set goals. I will set goals now. Any day, week, month, or year is a good time for goal setting, which is really a life-long habit worth developing.
I want to be happier. I love reading and it makes me happy, so I am going to read one new book every week. Getting specific and having a measure, changes dreams into realistic goals and plans.
I only set large long-term goals. I have big goals and smaller goals. Longer-term and more immediate goals. Once you embrace goal setting as life-HABIT you will see that you need bigger and smaller goals, those for the long term and those just for this week, or even just today.

Goal setting can and should be a habit. Setting a small number of realistic and measurable goals, associated with practical plans, is a great way to map out your life and to live more mindfully.

Written by Dr Colin Burns