If there is no goal, you must go with the flow, and if you have a goal, you may not achieve it. If the goal is not achieved, but you are unhappy after it is achieved, you may have already buried the problem when the goal is set.
When you set a goal, you need to answer at least the following 3 questions:
Q1: What kind of goal do you set?
There are at least 5 words in English that have the meaning of "goal", which are:
AIM: Derived from the original meaning of target, it usually refers to short-term, specific and clear goals.
Goal: A long-term, abstract, and ultimate goal determined by thinking and choosing.
Purpose: The desire of the heart, the intention to achieve the goal with resolute and prudent action.
End: With a purpose in mind, emphasizing the purpose to achieve the result, not the process.
Object: Emphasizes setting goals based on individuals and needs, rather than imposing them from the outside.
From the different words for "goal" in English, we will know that goals are different from goals, there are abstract concrete, long-term and short-term, whether they are related to results, and whether they emphasize personalization.
If there is no clear distinction, it may be misjudged and affect action. For example, if you set a long-term goal and do not break it down into short-term goals, it is easy to lose patience; If you set an external goal, not an internal goal, you may not be happy after achieving it.
Q2: Are your goals in line with the SMART principle?
The SMART principle was proposed by American management scientist Peter Drucker. SMART is an acronym that refers to:
Specific (explicit)
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
For example, increasing customer awareness, which is not a qualifying goal, some may understand it as reducing complaints, others may understand it as polite hospitality.
If the implication is to reduce complaints, "reducing the complaint rate from 5% to 3%" is a specific goal that satisfies the "S" principle in the SMART principle.
The 5 initials S, M, A, R, T are combined into the word "SMART", which means smart. It is easy to remember and reminds us that if we want to be a smart person and set goals smartly, we need to understand and master the SMART principles.
In other words, when setting goals, it is necessary to examine whether the five principles of "S", "M", "A", "R" and "T" are met one by one.
Q3: Do you use WBS to break down the goals?
A common and important reason why goals cannot be achieved is that the goals are not clearly broken down, and the large and complex goals are not broken down into small and simple goals.
There is such a frequently used metaphor for goal decomposition. It's an age-old question that asks, "How do you eat an elephant?" ”
At first glance, elephants, as the most continental animals at present, are huge, and it is really difficult to eat them. The answer was: "One bite at a time." ”
Similarly, the decomposition goal requires mastering the work breakdown structure WBS (WBS). WBS was first developed in the 1960s by the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA for procurement management of large-scale equipment procurement projects, and has now become a standard language and tool for project management.
WBS means following the result orientation, based on the project's deliverables, orderly disassembly, grouping and coordination of project tasks. Its basic process is sorted out into the following 4 steps:
Step 1: Define project goals.
Step 2: Determine the decomposition criteria.
Step 3: Sort out the deliverables.
Step 4: Verify the decomposition quality.
For example, when assessing the quality of decomposition, verify compliance with the MECE principle (Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive), which Chinese means "independent of each other, completely exhaustive."
There is no end to the 3 questions about goal setting, and more terms about goal management, such as "1237: Communication Goals", "139: Target Erosion", "1124: Extended Goals", "1664: Multi-goal Planning", etc., can be found in the "Intensive Reading Jun Tong Literacy".
The purpose of "Intensive Reading Jun General Knowledge Dictionary" is: one cognitive building block every day, continuous improvement and lifelong growth. There are currently 2000+ entries published, so you may wish to check the general dictionary before you act.