Work-Life Balance - Setting Goals

The most important objective of setting goals is that it gives you a clear focus and aim, as compared to leading an aimless life. Goals are the fuel that drive your ambition and teaches you to pursue your dreams. This not only helps you to manage your time efficiently but also helps you to prioritize your work in such a way that you meet your targets. To save time sufficiently to spend it on important tasks, we need to know how to say ‘no’.

It might sound harsh, but if spoken earnestly and politely, stating all the reasons for it, the other person will be convinced that you are, right now completely focused on meeting your targets, and would appreciate if others appreciate it too.

Knowing how to tactfully, say ‘no’ to somebody is an art and needs constant practice. An assertive approach is needed to manage cases like this in a proper way. However, the truth is- if you have to find time to address all your concerns, then you have to say ‘no’ to people.

There are 3 Ps that will help you in getting more goal-oriented. They are −

• Positivity − Your goals need to produce a positive, encouraging energy when you think about them. That will give you the drive to achieve them. Goals that are imposed upon you seldom succeed in creating the motivation needed to pursue a goal until its complete execution.

• Personal − You need to be personally attached to your goals. The minute you feel the goal you have set for yourself is for realizing somebody else’s dream, and not yours, you would stop having any ambition towards its implementation.

• Possibility − Your goals shouldn’t be too far-fetched. In other words, it should be a gettable or achievable goal. Sketching tall plans for yourself and not meeting the unrealistic expectations only brings self-loathing and depression in the long run.

For your goals to be achievable, there are five qualities that it should have −

• Specific − goals must describable in figures and number, e.g. - 3 chapters a day

• Mentionable − goals should invoke a sense of pride on mentioning it to friends.

• Achievable − goals must be achievable. Ten chapters a day isn’t achievable.

• Reflective − goals should be fulfilling a personal need or ambition.

• Timely − goals should be achieved within a set time-frame.

Together, these qualities make a goal SMART!