Can Goal Setting Boost Your Confidence?

Do you practice goal setting? If not, do you know what advantages goal setting can do for you?

Like the person in the following story, I didn’t used to  bother about goal setting.

The chief executive of a large supermarket chain in the UK was interviewed on television. He said that his career path was never planned. He  worked hard and opportunities just came his way as if by accident! The way he related the story implied that he aimlessly wandered through life and then one day he was invited to have dinner with the chairman of the company who asked him to be the new CEO.

I used to have this philosophy. I worked at my job and opportunities just seemed to appear. The difference though was that I did not always consider carefully if it was the right direction to go in.  A job opportunity arose and I took it.

This resulted in me taking one or two jobs that I was not really suited for and with bosses who turned out to be nearly insane! I was fired from one job because the boss and I just could not get along. I should have known this from what was said in the job interview. She was a control freak and I am a person who likes to be left alone to do the job.

The more my boss kept checking up on my work progress, the more mistakes I made. This led to a lack of confidence and self esteem.

Maybe the wait to see-what-turns up approach works for you.

I found  that goal setting is a better way to help me be more successful in life. Here is why:

Goal setting will:

• Give you direction in all areas of your life
• Give you a purpose in life
• Give you an incentive to get up in the morning with a positive aspect
• Put drive and passion into your life

As you start to achieve your goals you find that your self-esteem and confidence are boosted.

About 95% of people do not set goals. Research has shown that people who set goals are far more successful than those who don’t.

How do you set goals? There are many theories and methods for how to set goals. Here is my mini-guide to goal setting:

• State the goal in positive terms. Instead of saying I will get out of debt, rephrase this as: ‘I am wealthy.’
• State the goal in the present tense as if it is already here.
• Ensure that the goal supports your work-life balance. There is no point setting your goal as finding the lost city of Eldorado if this means taking years away from your family.
• Ensure that the goal is something that is within your control and is realistic. Do not make your goal to be heavyweight champion boxer of the world if you are  80 years old.
• Make sure you have or can obtain the resources need to reach your goal. If your goal is to play the saxophone then the minimum resource you need is access to a saxophone.
• Make sure you know how to evaluate or measure your progress in reaching your goal. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds then your progress is easy to measure using scales, but other goals, such as being happy, may be more difficult to evaluate.

Goal setting is a big subject and one which I will come back to. You can start your own goal setting program by re-reading the above and then start to set a goal. Your first goal does not have to be huge.

Your first goal could be:”I am more kind and loving towards my partner.”

This may sound simple, but the effect on your love life could be tremendous!

Learn about other ways to boost self confidence

Posted by Stephen Williamson

Related articles by Zemanta

• Free Goal Setting Reminder Tool (emotionalwellbeingblog.com)