Is setting goals still valid in the 21st century?
There is a lot of talk in the success industry about setting goals. The question is being posed around the validity of goal setting. Some people feel that goal setting is a waste of time and others feel that it is still valid as a tool for success. You can form your own opinion as to whether you think setting a goal is the way to achieve your dreams, but in my opinion there are pros and cons to every technique.
Just because we have cars does not mean that there is no longer a place for a bicycle in our lives. Just because we have a microwave does not render the oven obsolete. I believe there will always be a time and a place for goal setting, but it must be used along with other techniques to create a complete package.
Setting goals is great way for people to take small steps toward a bigger dream. There are also many ways for you to set goals. You can do smart goals which have a timeline associated with them or have a dream board which has some longer term goals that may or may not have a timeframe.
There is also variety available in setting goals that can appeal to people even in the 21st century. There are I-Phone applications and software that can be used for setting goals that will remind you of the tasks you need to complete an the time you need to complete them by. If our latest technology is keeping the goal concept alive by incorporating it into the newest electronic product, I think I should do my best to keep it alive also. I personally currently use the Microsoft Office Suite (Excel and Outlook) to keep track of my goals and the tasks required to achieve them.
Although there have been many different developments besides goal setting such as mind mapping, I believe that fundamentally no matter what method you choose you setting for yourself some kind of objective. An objective can be synonymous to a goal.
I believe that much of the reasoning behind why people think goals do not work, is the fact that lots of people set goals and do not achieve them. I think this gives goals a bad wrap, because it was not the goal setting process that did not work, it was something else. Typically goals are not achieved due a lack of commitment or some other reason not the goal itself. If you need food, and tell your spouse you will get food for the family today, but you never go to the grocery store or order it on-line for delivery, you can not blame the objective for the lack of food in the house. It may have been an emergency you experienced at work or a forgetful nature, but both of these were the cause, not the objective itself.
I think goals are still great, because even if they are not achieved they put in front of you want you want in life and where you want to go. You can always course correct if you are not getting goals accomplished and really reevaluate if you want what you say you want if year after year you are not achieving the objectives you set for yourself. It is a great tool to keep your mind thinking about what you need and want to do in your life.
So is goal setting in the 21st century still valid? All I can say is that I will continue to set goals for years and years to come.
Heather Schooler, Managing Partner of Success Partners, has made it her mission to become a better person for herself and for the benefit of others.
Heather is a Wharton MBA, with more than a decade of experience studying self improvement and success principles in the areas of: health and wellness, personal development, wealth, and real estate. Heather helps people through assessment tools, education, and coaching discover their personal road blocks to success and how to overcome them.
For several years Heather instructed a course she developed on financial literacy and basic financial skills, she has recently expanded her practice to include all areas of success. Heather is a mentor, trainer, coach, facilitator, and author.
Follow her Blog on http://www.whatstopssuccess.com/