How to Set Goals

08/17/13: Goal setting is something that we hear about throughout our lives, but I have found that very few people actually sit down and articulate the things they want. I personally have yawned at the mention of goals mostly because the whole idea has been co-opted by self-help gurus and ultra-achievers. But what about just making some goals for living better? The following is a brief overview of the importance of goal setting, and the questions that you should answer to put your life in a new focus. Goal Basics In psychology language: a goal is "a mental representation of a desired outcome that a person is committed to." In regular language, a goal is a) identifying something that you want and b) are willing to stick with a course of action to achieve. This is different from a "value," because a value is something we find important, but does not have a specific course that we are committed to. For example, you can value being healthy and make some choices that are in line with that, but a goal related to health would be to "lose 10 pounds by December 31st." Psychologists have been excited about goals since the beginning of the profession. Research shows that actually setting a specific goal makes us more likely to achieve the things we want in life, and is important especially when we want to make a change. The best news is that setting and striving for a goal, even if you don't make it, will make you happier (read more on Increasing Happiness). Goal Setting Research sho...
Source: Staff Psychologist - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Tags: Blog Source Type: blogs