Goal setting as a process. Goal setting - technology and process
Goal-setting is the process of choosing an idea, means, resources and setting the boundaries of permissible deviations in the implementation of this idea. This is one of the management functions that provides for the setting of a general goal and a set of goals (a tree of goals) in accordance with the mission and strategy of the organization, as well as the available organizational resources.
Target as mental phenomenon- this is a reflection of the expected result, taking into account the objective conditions for the implementation of activities. A well-defined goal is a goal with clearly defined time frames and resources (material, intellectual, emotional, etc.) selected for its implementation. It must meet certain criteria:
- the actual interest of the subject of the goal in its achievement;
- the possibility of dividing it into subgoals and particular tasks;
- availability of resources;
- setting time limits for achieving intermediate actions;
- clearly articulated, structured and specific idea of the end result.
Researcher O. K. Tikhomirov proposed a system within the framework of the goal-setting problem, which focuses on the study of the essence of goal-setting processes, defined as “the formation of an image of the future result of actions (in the process of communication or independently) and the adoption of this image as the basis for practical or mental actions” . O.K. Tikhomirov's goal-setting system serves to formulate strategic goals and plan the achievement of a preliminary result. The researcher divided the goals into internal (generated by the subject himself) and external (set from the outside) and put forward a hypothesis about the presence of an auto-generated "intellectual" activity in a person, which manifests itself when solving mental problems.
In turn, V. E. Klochko explores goal formation in solving creative problems. He formulated the specifics of goals that require a creative approach. Creative tasks are those in which the ultimate goal is realized, but the final result is not visible (for example, playing bridge). Based on the results of the study, V. E. Klochko found that the success of solving creative problems depends on a properly built system of subgoals with developed and clearly formulated rules.
Exploring goal setting learning activities, A.F. Kogan draws the following conclusions:
- the degree of freedom of the subject largely determines his individual style of goal-setting. The limited choice of goals and methods for achieving them by external and internal reasons is defined as the principle of pseudo-freedom in choosing a goal;
- goal-setting in conditions of pseudo-freedom of choice is a symbiosis of the rational and the sensual, which allows you to carry out activities in conditions of uncertainty. The greater the uncertainty, the more important the sensory component is.
For the effectiveness of goal management, it is important to realize the goal as an image of the desired result. The result, consciously or unconsciously, is programmed by our psyche and is initially ideal, therefore, neurolinguists recommend building a positive image of the result, since such an orientation of the subject contributes to success. The psyche programmed for the result leads a person to achieve the goal. The formation of the image of a positive result in achieving the goal is facilitated by adequate personal self-esteem and the level of claims corresponding to it. Such a person acts proactively and energetically, is prone to moderate risk. Low self-esteem and insecurity give actions excessive caution, low search activity.
Here are some practical psychological techniques for understanding and achieving the goal.
- 1. Goals can be represented as a Christmas tree. The barrel is a vector of movement towards the target. Branches are the key segments of the target field. Branches are tasks that represent steps for the implementation of key segments. Each task requires a specific result. Needles - specific activities that contribute to solving problems.
- 2. "Elephant tasks". Large problems should be dealt with in the same way as with the problem of swallowing an elephant. The elephant cannot be eaten whole at once, as it is too big. It must be eaten every day in a small piece.
- 3. To activate consciousness, a person first enters a state of relaxation - maximum emotional and mental relaxation - and after 3-5 minutes useful ideas will come to mind.
- 4. To develop the best solution or several solutions in problem situation resort to socio-psychological methods of collective decision-making: the method of " brainstorming”, the Delphi method, etc.
The formulation of goals depends on the mission of the organization. It is designed to determine the general directions of the organization's activities, to clarify its social status, declare significant tasks and detail the features of its management. The mission is the foundation for the subsequent goal setting. Goal setting is the initial stage of management in determining the general direction of the organization and precedes all other management functions. Purpose determines organizational structure, staffing, mediates the relationship between the components of the organizational system. In addition, it determines the priorities of the functioning of the organization, is the basis for the adoption strategic decisions, determines the content of planning.
In the subsequent activity of the organization, the existing goals are transformed depending on the objective conditions and available resources, as well as the formulation of new ones. In this case, goal-setting is not a preliminary stage, but a consequence of other managerial functions.
In the activities of the head, setting goals for the performers is an integral part of the entire process of organizational functioning. Proper work with goals involves knowledge basic laws of goal setting.
- 1. Objective and subjective certainty of the goal. Objective certainty - a clear and unambiguous formulation of the goal, setting the parameters of the future result, availability of resources, predicted possible limitations in achieving the goal. Subjective certainty is a complete and accurate perception of the goal by the performers, and this, first of all, implies the ability of the leader to formulate goals, taking into account the characteristics of those who will implement this goal.
- 2. realism (reachability) goals, t.s. high probability of achievement in specific conditions. It is necessary to first diagnose and then take into account the real conditions, the available resources and the subjective limitations of the performers in achieving the goals.
- 3.Consistency of different goals. The effectiveness of achieving the diverse and heterogeneous goals of the organization implies their relationship. Different goals must be harmonized not only in general view but also specifically in terms of content. They can also be independent of each other, as long as they are not antagonistic and mutually exclusive.
- 4. Verifiability (verifiability) goals- a clear definition of setting tasks, their quantitative and qualitative expression, assigning responsibility to specific performers, the ability to control the process of achieving results.
- 5. common goal organizations must contain detailed description of the end result, and the implementation of tasks is more high level involves the preliminary implementation of lower-level tasks.
There are psychological patterns of goal-setting, taking into account which can significantly increase the effectiveness of management activities.
In realizing the goal, the performer should have the freedom to choose ways to achieve it, since psychologically it is a powerful motivator of performing activity.
Another psychological pattern of goal setting is the need for a consensus between organizational and individual interests, since a significant preponderance of organizational interests can block individual performance motivation and, as a result, the effectiveness of the goal.
The degree of complexity of the goals should be slightly higher than the available capabilities of the performers. In this case, the implementation of the goals will be maximum, and the performer will dynamize from a professional and personal point of view in the course of achieving them.
Goal-setting involves taking into account time criteria that set the optimal time for achieving goals. Excessively remote in time, the expected results have little motivational potential, as they are perceived by the performer in an abstract and insignificant way. BUT short term goals may not be feasible due to lack of resources. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the time perspective for achieving goals, taking into account the economic, psychological and resource components.
Important to remember
The greatest force for activating the motivational potential of performers is not the goal for which it is necessary to connect the entire system of stimulating organizational influences, but the goal that is itself a source of motivation.
The goal-setting function was the basis of the "management by goals" method (management by objectives- MBO), where management is seen as an integral system focused on achieving all the goals and objectives of the organization. The essence of this method is the decentralization of all managerial functions according to the main levels of the organization's hierarchy, which ensures high motivation and minimizes the negative consequences of strict control. The application of this method makes it possible to arouse the personal interest of managers of middle and lower levels, as well as performers in the results of their work, to reduce the role uncertainty in the organization. The process of implementing the "management by objectives" method can be presented in two versions (Table 4.1).
Table 4.1
Options for implementing the "management by objectives" method
The "management by objectives" method has both undeniable advantages and limitations, which include:
- high labor intensity;
- a mandatory requirement for lower-level managers to have the ability to competently set goals independently;
- the need to increase the volume of coordination mechanisms to ensure the interconnection of different levels of management.
So, goal-setting plays a decisive role in the overall functioning of the organization. The presence of reasonable, long-term goals of the organization is the main condition for its functioning. Goal-setting is a managerial function that permeates all the activities of a leader, and the ability of a leader to set goals correctly is one of the most important managerial qualities.
- Tikhomirov O. K., Telegina E. D., Volkova T. K. / to others]. Psychological problems goal setting. M.: Nauka, 1977. S. 17.
- Klochko V. E. Goal formation and dynamics of assessments in the course of solving mental problems // Psychological research of intellectual activity. M.: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 1979. S. 94.
- Kogan A.F. Psychological modeling of goal-setting and the principle of pseudo-free choice of goals in educational activities // Psychology: Sat. iauch. works. Kyiv, 1999. Issue. 3.C. 212-222.
Setting the right goal is not an easy task. Goal setting is a whole section in science that should be carefully studied before embarking on the process itself. Incorrectly approaching the setting of tasks, in any kind of activity, you can doom yourself to failure in advance.
In the article, we will focus on such a section as pedagogical goal setting. After all, it is the teacher who is most often faced with setting goals in the classroom, and success depends on how he does it. educational process generally.
General concept of goal setting
Goal-setting is the basis not only of pedagogy, but also of any activity. This is a process when a certain task is selected, and a path and a method of following to its implementation are thought out. Be sure to take into account all the necessary factors that accompany a person while he is moving in the right direction.
AT pedagogical activity goal-setting is the same process, only, unlike business, for example, the task is educational. Speaking of goals, you need to understand that they can be of a different nature, that is, they can be based on a scale. Depending on this, we know the following goals:
- state scale;
- a separate structure or a separate stage in education;
- education for different age categories;
- when studying different disciplines;
- arising in the course of training and placed immediately before the study of the topic, etc.
As we can see, tasks can be different not only in wording, but also in approach.
Goal setting functions
We have already understood that setting goals is an important step in achieving success in any field. So, the named approach in management is no less important than goal-setting in pedagogy.
Finding an exact definition of the functions of this process is difficult, as there are many different formulations. But everyone agrees in one opinion - the basis of the work of any company is goal setting. But by itself, it cannot work independently without clarifying smaller managerial tasks.
Therefore, the next one can be called a planning function. And according to the role the goal plays in management, we can distinguish managerial. The latter accompanies the leader throughout the activity and leads to success.
There are different views on the definition of whether goal-setting has a founding or organizational function. Here we can say that both are partly true. After all, tasks are defined both at the beginning of the activity and throughout it up to their implementation as a whole. So it is impossible to divide this process into different functional areas. They intertwine and follow us at all stages of work or study.
Purpose and goal setting
But let's get back to pedagogy. It is this area that interests us the most today. It is important for a teacher to know that when setting a task, he must take into account the following stages of goal setting:
- The teacher carefully analyzes the results of the activities that were performed earlier.
- Diagnostics of the whole process of education and training is carried out.
- The tasks that the teacher considers appropriate for this activity are modeled.
- A comprehensive goal-setting is carried out, taking into account all the requirements of the team and the institution.
- Depending on all factors, corrections are made to the original version, more precise formulations are derived.
- A program of concrete actions is drawn up.
Having endured all these stages, the teacher can safely proceed to activities, expecting positive results.
Global Goals
Setting the task, the teacher must take into account not only personal, but also global circumstances. Planning and goal setting are inseparable processes, and when we determine our intentions, we simultaneously plan the path to achieve them.
Global Goal in educational process- to create a personality with all-round development. Even in ancient times, scientists deduced this ideal formulation. Such a person must be able to develop all his virtues and positive qualities in order to survive in a world that is rapidly changing and requiring more and more skills and abilities from a person. As the world changed, so did the formulation of the global goal. On the this stage emphasis is on Creative skills personality and the benefits it can bring to society.
Historical goals
This goal scale is narrower and refers to a specific stage in the development of society. Features are taken into account here historical events at the moment, the importance of certain qualities at a particular stage of development of the state. It is here that such factors of education are taken into account:
- spiritual aspect;
- development of a sense of responsibility to the state;
- legal aspect;
- cultural development,
- tolerant attitude towards others;
- the ability to adapt both within any society and in the labor field.
All these aspects are expressed in goal-setting, but this is already done taking into account the specific situation and activities.
Individual Goals
Goal-setting in the classroom is already a narrower consideration of the process. An individual approach expresses those needs that are characteristic individual people and different disciplines and topics. Taking into account all factors (including family circumstances of children), as well as analyzing the capabilities of all participants in the activity, the teacher already sets specific goals. The approach here can also be different:
- free style - goals are set jointly, after discussion and approval by everyone;
- hard style - the goal is set specifically by the teacher in front of the students, predetermined and planned;
- integrated style - the goal is determined by the teacher independently, and the ways of implementation and methods of solution are discussed together with the students.
Which style to choose depends on the situation, the age category of students and their capabilities, as well as on the specifics of the discipline.
Important Factors
The goal-setting process is influenced by many factors that are important to consider. If one of them is left unattended, then there is a chance that you will not get the desired results. So, when setting tasks, the teacher must:
- take into account the individual requirements of the child, teacher, school or other educational institution, the surrounding society and the society in which the participants in the process live;
- explore features economic development at the moment, as well as all circumstances existing within the institution;
- analyze the age factor of students, their capabilities, as well as the atmosphere within the team.
You always need to remember the main thing: you need to proceed from the smallest to the largest. That is, the main thing in the process is the individual, the personality.
Goal setting components
Having made an analysis of everything related to setting goals, one can draw a certain conclusion about the components of this process. The main and main components of goal setting are the following:
- The initial justification, and then the subsequent direct statement of the problem.
- Determination of the methods by which it will be achieved and carried out.
- Premature prediction of the results that the teacher expects to receive.
Whatever one may say, but these three components must be fulfilled, since a person must clearly see not only the goal, but also how he achieves the result, and what he will get when he reaches it. This is very important and is considered fundamental in this field of activity. This is a kind of motivation for both the teacher and the students.
Goal setting requirements
As you already understood, the action of goal setting includes many different factors. The whole learning process consists of constant setting of tasks. One task is achieved, another is set, and this happens all the time while the learning process lasts. And all this happens in a close relationship between the student team, teachers and the school. And for it to be successful, you need to know that goal setting should be carried out taking into account certain requirements:
- Diagnostics of opportunities, this means that the teacher should set goals only after a thorough study of all the components and necessary factors.
- Real goals, that is, the setting of such tasks that can be realistically achieved in specific activities with specific people. AT recent times much attention is paid to this, an individual approach to training plays exactly this role - to take into account the capabilities of each participant. You can set a task for one group of students that is real for them, but at the same time it will be too difficult for other children, that is, you need to approach this differently.
- The goals must be successive, which means the constant interconnection of different paths and tasks in the process of training and education. You can not put conflicting options at the same stage, this will not lead to success. Also, if set big goal, then you need to divide it into subgoals and each time motivate students to overcome the next stage.
- Tasks should be clear and articulated to each participant in the process, they need to be identified every time they change.
- It is obligatory to analyze the result (positive or negative), but this must be done in order to properly plan activities in the future.
All of these requirements are not something special or new and are well known to every teacher. It is important that they are not only remembered, but also taken into account when staging.
Goal setting schematically
In order to correctly understand and remember that goal setting is a multifactorial process, we will present you with a diagram in which we have tried to summarize all the needs, as well as the factors and conditions that influence them in education and training.
Conclusion
In the end, we will summarize everything that we have discussed in the article. So, goal setting is an integral part of the educational process. In order for it to become successful, the teacher needs not only to blindly set tasks and fulfill them, no matter what. It is necessary to take into account all the components, conditions, factors, as well as individual characteristics students.
Depending on historical events, the stage of development of society, economic conditions, a chain of large, small and intermediate goals is built. In order to always correctly set goals, the teacher needs to regularly engage in introspection, improve his pedagogical skills and skills, as well as working closely with both the student body and educational structure generally.
And finally, for success in this whole process, an exceptionally integrated approach is needed, and in the diagnosis it is necessary to take into account not only the actions of students, but also their own capabilities.
What makes a person actively perform certain actions and make efforts? What motivates him? The goal is that guiding star that fills us life force. Seeing the goal and going where you want is a wonderful state.
Target is a dream come true. Each person is free to choose his goals. And to realize the goal means to put it into practice, to make it a reality. If a dream is a kind of chaos in our head, then the goal is the result of the reflections of the logical mind. The mind understands only goals - clear, harmonious, justified. What to choose? Live, following only the mind, or connect intuition. It's better if they work as a team.
Our dreams are usually global, and specific steps to achieve them are not always clear. If the dream is decomposed into goals, then we will see its direction. The goal is achievable, it only needs to be specifically described. Whatever we do, we always move towards a certain goal, which is part of the dream.
How to distinguish a dream from a goal? First, there must be a conviction that it is possible to achieve it. If there is even the slightest doubt, you need to decompose the dream into even smaller steps until you feel that each step towards the goal is real for you. Any big business is unbearable until you start decomposing it into components.
goal setting- this is a practical understanding of one's activities, this is the setting of goals and their achievement. Goal setting is not magic. Change for the better in the life of each person depends on his own actions. Goal setting helps to determine the main life goals, prioritize and enhances a person's personal success.
In goal-setting, it is important to prescribe and specify goals. As the saying goes - "what is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an ax". A goal written down in detail is more likely to be realized. We may or may not believe in the goal, but the method of writing desires works independently of us. Our subconscious is included in active work, and we need to believe in success.
Very often a person cannot describe in words what he wants. Therefore, it is imperative to formulate a goal, because we spend our time, effort, and money on achieving it. And the formulated goal makes each subsequent step meaningful and gives confidence. In goal-setting, a positive attitude and a time limit for achieving the goal are also important. Drafting calendar plan, this is the first step. And you need to constantly keep the goal in focus. And being distracted by something, return to your goal.
An integral part of goal setting is visualization with sensations, moods, actions, painted with color.
You have a choice - to go with the flow of your life, which does not bring satisfaction, or to take the path of a successful person who knows what he wants and chooses the direction of his movement. By achieving your goals and fulfilling your dreams, you can say that I had a happy life that brings pleasure and joy.
There is nothing more contrary to reason and nature than chance.
Mark Tullius Cicero
And God stepped into the void. And He looked around and said - I'm lonely. I will create a world for myself.
Johnson JW
As we have already found out, any movement of any living, and even more so of a rational being, is behavior that has a goal. There is no aimless behavior. A person does not make a single movement without pursuing this or that goal.
The reason for this is obvious, since The source of any goal is a need. Every person has needs, and the goal is an image of their satisfaction.
Thus, the goal is the beginning, content and completion of any movement. A simple and understandable idea follows from this: from a practical point of view, for any person, there is nothing more important than the Goal.
Actually, this fact is directly reflected in the work of our brain. The latter is always occupied with the same process - the ideal creation of the future, i.e. goal setting. There is no need for us to force our brain to set goals and objectives, it is already busy with just that.
Everything is simple and obvious. We always move according to certain goals. We simply don't get anything else. We can be aware of this fact or not - the essence of things will not change from this.
You can even talk about the existence of an immutable law of cause and effect, which says that every effect in our life has a cause. Goals are causes; health, happiness, freedom and prosperity are the consequences. We sow goals and reap results. Goals begin as thoughts or causes and manifest themselves as conditions or effects.
It automatically follows that we are where we are and are who we are, precisely because we wanted to be. It turns out that only our thoughts, plans, goals, deeds and behavior have led us to current state. It couldn't be otherwise. Such is the structure of the World and ourselves.
This raises a simple but legitimate question. If we are always moving in no other way than according to the goal set by our own brain, then why are so many of us not satisfied with where we are and who we are?
Why is it customary to believe that someone "reaches the goal (success)", and someone does not? Where do "losers" come from? Where do non-health, non-happiness, non-freedom and vegetative life come from? Disappointment in yourself, people, life? Resentment, guilt, shame? Fear, anger, anger, hatred? Where, in the end, did this obscenely worn out phrase “we wanted the best, but it turned out - as always” come from?
Apparently, we are never truly happy unless we are moving towards achieving something very important to us.
There are nuances here.
“After twenty-five years of research and experience, I have come to the conclusion that success equals the goal, everything else is speculation. Learning to set a goal and make a plan to achieve it will serve to ensure your success more than any other activity. (Arthur B. Van Gundy)
Maximum focus on the goal, the same author continues, is the most important quality of people who achieve outstanding results in any business, in any field. Even a small fraction of our potential cannot be realized without learning to set a goal and achieve it as simply and naturally as brushing your teeth and combing your hair in the morning.
So, the first important nuance is concentration. Our brain contains a goal-seeking mechanism that continuously maintains feedback with the target and automatically corrects the course. Thanks to this mechanism, located in our brain, we achieve any goal set for ourselves, if only it is clear, and we are persistent enough. The process of achieving the goal is almost automatic. But it is the definition of goals that is the main problem for most people.
The second fundamental nuance is the definition of the goal.
The curious fact is that very few people have their own, conscious, real purpose. It is believed that less than three percent of people write down their goals on paper. And less than one percent of them reread and rethink those goals with due regularity. It simply doesn't occur to many how important the physical existence of one's own goal is.
Meanwhile, people without a goal are doomed to work forever for those who have these goals. We work to achieve either our own or someone else's goals. We live either our own life, or "someone else's" life, life in the name of fulfilling other people's goals and interests. The most best job- to achieve their own goals and for the sake of helping others achieve their goals. This is not a "work" at all, but a real pleasure.
Why don't people set their own goals?
The first reason people don't set goals is because they just don't know. Unaware of the basic causality of our world. In our opinion, “vulgar materialism”, the dominant mass worldview of the last 150 years, which causes changes by chance, genetics, hereditary predisposition, “natural selection”, “struggle for existence”, etc., plays a significant role in this. circumstances.
Here is a classic statement of materialistic science: “The goal is secondary, and the material conditions for its formation and implementation are primary, because they not only precede the process of goal formation, not only in in a certain sense give rise to it, but also determine it.
As a result, people prefer words to deeds, they want to achieve success, improve their lives, but at the same time they do not quite understand how to do it specifically and where to put efforts.
As already noted in the "Needs" section, the absence of a question about the meaning of life practically leads to the rejection of one's own goal-setting in general.
The second reason people don't set goals is because they don't take responsibility for their own lives. Until the moment a person takes full responsibility for everything that happens to him, it cannot be said that he has even taken a step towards setting a goal. A person without responsibility is one who constantly waits for "the real life". In this expectation, all the energy and time is spent on coming up with explanations and excuses for the lack of the desired happyness.
The only way to determine what a person really believes is to judge by their deeds, not by their words. What we do matters, not what we say. Our true values and beliefs are always expressed by our behavior, and only by them. One person getting down to business is worth ten brilliant speakers doing nothing. Serious man is a person who does.
A third reason why people don't set goals is deep-seated guilt and low self-esteem. Modern mass education is arranged in such a way that a child, a teenager, and then an adult, as it were, constantly owes something to someone - parents, school, elders, the state, etc. All sorts of "standards" in the form of so-called stars, idols and other "celebrities" are constantly being imposed on people. In an involuntary but inevitable comparison a common person feels his own "smallness", earthiness. People who are artificially pressed to such a low evaluative-emotional level that they have to “look up to see the bottom” cannot, of course, confidently and optimistically set goals for months and years ahead. A person who has grown up in a negative environment that has instilled in him a feeling that he does not deserve anything or a “what good is it!” and “I’m not good enough” approach is unlikely to set serious goals.
The fourth reason people don't set goals is because they don't realize the importance of goal setting. It's just not taught. If we grew up in a family where both parents don't set goals, and setting and achieving goals isn't a recurring topic in family conversations, then we can grow up without ever learning that goals aren't just about sports. If we belong to a social circle where people do not have clearly defined goals to achieve which their activities are directed, we are unlikely to think about the phenomenon of goal setting at all. Eighty percent of the people around us go nowhere, and if we mix with the crowd, we will go there too.
The fifth reason people don't set goals is because they don't know how to do it. In our society it is possible to get a university degree - the result of fifteen or sixteen years of education - and not even get an hour-long lesson in goal setting. Meanwhile, the study of the principles and methods of goal-setting is almost more important than any other subject that we have ever studied.
The sixth reason people don't set goals is fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being criticized. Since childhood, our dreams and hopes have been hit by the criticism and laughter of others. It is possible that our parents did not want us to have high dreams and then be disappointed, so they were quick to point out to us the reasons why we would not be able to achieve our goals. Our enemies and friends laughed and made fun of us when we imagined ourselves as someone or did something that exceeded their ideas of ourselves. Their influence can leave an imprint on your attitude towards yourself and setting goals for many years.
Children are not stupid at all. They very soon learn that "if you want to get along with everyone, do like everyone else." Over time, a child who is not approved and constantly criticized stops developing new ideas, cherishing new dreams, setting new goals. He starts out on a lifelong journey, playing safe, selling himself cheaply, accepting his own low achievements as a life inevitability that cannot be changed.
The fear of failure is the greatest obstacle to success in adult life. It is what keeps people in their comfort zones. It is she who makes them keep their heads down and stay safe as the years pass by.
The fear of failure is expressed in the suggestion "I can't, I can't, I can't." Fear is absorbed into early childhood as a result of destructive criticism and punishment for those actions that did not meet with the approval of our parents. Once rooted in the subconscious, this fear spreads further, paralyzing dreams and killing ambitions, doing more harm than any other negative emotion that visits the human soul.
The seventh reason is a misunderstanding and rejection of the meaning and role of "failure" in achieving success. The rule is this: you can't succeed without being defeated. Failure is a precondition for success.
Greatest successes are almost always preceded by many failures. It is the lessons learned from failure that make success possible.
Look at every temporary defeat as road sign, saying: "Stop, go better this way." One of the qualities of a leader is to refuse to think in terms of "failure" or "defeat." They are replaced by the concepts of "valuable lesson" or "temporary failure."
One can learn to overcome the fear of failure by being clear about one's goals and accepting temporary difficulties and obstacles as the inevitable price to be paid for achieving any significant success in life.
Goal setting and the law of control
In practical and general psychology the issues of goal-setting are considered very differently, depending on the school or on the predilections of this or that author. Everyone is different and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Usually, goal-setting systems consist of rather banal questions about what I want or don’t want, some generally go away from goal-setting and create something similar to goal-setting and determining the meaning of life, the most correct, from my point of view, is to consider several ways of setting goals and work with them, in order to choose one for yourself or just connect them the way you want.
When setting goals, regardless of the method, it is important to follow a few simple rules.
name yours positively
- share desires and goals. A goal is something external to a person, a state that he consciously strives to achieve. The goal subjugates and shapes desires.
- focus on the big goal, do not spray on the small ones. Ideally, in each period of life a person should have one goal.
- try to move from the goal "for yourself" to the goals "for others". Great things are done for other people.
Think about the benefits of reaching your goal. If you decide that there are more pluses than minuses, then stop paying attention to the negative. This is the necessary price for success.
- the time spent on goal-setting is more than paid off due to minimal losses from senseless throwing in different directions.
We will walk through and analyze three goal setting methods from different areas of psychology step by step, and you can try them separately one by one or create your own.
Method 1
This method is offered modern psychology developed at the junction of several currents. For this method, you will need a pen and paper.
1. Write a list of what you dream of, who and what you want to become, where to live, what to do, what to have. Focus. And do not limit your imagination, shorten the words. Draw it if you want.
2. Take a look at this list and decide which future in question: about the near or distant. In the first case - think of a perspective, in the second - write down the near future.
3. From the list of everything you wrote, choose the four most important goals for this year, answer the question why they are the most important.
4. Test the list of four main goals against the rules for planning goals. Please correct if something is wrong.
5. Now determine the necessary resources to achieve these goals: those that are, and those that need to be attracted (resources - anything that is needed).
6. Now think of a few times when you felt you were successful and what resources you used most effectively at that time.
7. Write at least one page answering the question:
“What kind of person do I need to be in order to achieve these goals?”
8. Now write about what is preventing you from achieving these goals now.
9. Draft a detailed plan to achieve these goals. Start at the end (result) and finish at the beginning (first step).
10. Write down the names of several people who have already achieved what you want to achieve. What helped them? Imagine that each of them gives some advice - write down these tips.
11. Describe or draw one of your ideal days.
12. Describe your ideal environment (place, setting, people, etc.).
13. Review these records periodically, make changes if you feel the need to.
Method 2
This method was presented to us by management psychology, which identifies 5 main areas of life in a person.
— personal
– professional
- social (environment, friends, social status)
- spiritual (internal state, faith, culture)
- health area
1. Therefore, when setting goals in each of the spheres, one must set a goal for oneself. At the same time, the goal is not what I do (for example, in order to improve something or deepen it), but WHAT (or what exactly) I want. And this "WHAT (or what)" should have a vivid image - the brighter, the better.
2. After that, draw an arrow as in fig. below and working through the steps: “what can I do for what I want?” and enter these steps into this drawing. The more such steps you get, the better - because the bright bright future before your very eyes turns into a concrete, detailed, already more real and tangible.
The thing is that a new day comes and you understand that you now have one more opportunity - and you need to write it down.
4. And now the most interesting thing - we need to make all five drawings for each area, compare them and be surprised. I have not yet seen another reaction in people.
One psychologist friend said that whoever manages to combine everything into one is that Buddha. can help with this.
You just need to take into account the fact that this is not work for one day, but for many days. After which there is also a periodic adjustment.
Method 3
The goal-setting model in NLP is based on the idea of a motivating outcome (a well-defined goal). Unlike many psychological directions analyzing the causes of failure, NLP asks, "What do you want?"
Conditions for a Well-Formed Goal
1. The goal is formulated positively.
2. The target is under your control.
3. The goal is verifiable in sensory experience.
4. The goal is environmentally friendly, it retains the original positive side effects.
5. The target is in the right context.
6. Purpose depends on access to resources.
7. Possible obstacles.
8. You know the first steps to achieve the goal.
Now let's break down this method step by step. Sometimes it is useful to work in this technique with a partner. In my trainings, I always suggest that people do this in the form of an exercise with a partner who will strictly follow the structure. So, let's begin.
1. The goal is formulated in the affirmative, positively.
What you want, not what you don't want.
If you want to “not” do something, then ask yourself the question: “What will happen when I stop doing this? What do I want in return for this?
And without the negative particle "not"
For example, one participant says: I want it not to be hard. Then the other participant seeks an answer in a positive affirmative form, asking him: “What would it be like then? What happens when it's not hard anymore? What will it be called?"
Remember, if the ship does not know where to sail, not a single wind will be fair.
Watch out for words that mean negation (not, stop, not to, etc.) Negation exists in language, but not in experience.
"Try not to think about the yellow monkey." What's happening? When we explore what can go "wrong" it is very useful to be a "dissenter". But if we set ourselves a goal, there should be only a positive statement. For our subconscious there is no “not” particle. We can achieve the goal only if we move towards the visual image. Questions: “What do you want?” instead of "What don't you want?".
2. The goal refers to itself, to be under its own control.
What are you going to do? What can you personally do? What will you receive for yourself within yourself? Concentrate on what you can do so that you are responsible for starting and maintaining it. Even if there are other people in the goal statement, you can choose how to behave.
The goal must be in the area of control. The result must be achievable in principle. If the problem or goal is outside of us, we will not get the result. Where is the area in which you can achieve results? Rephrase the problem so that it is possible to achieve a result. Checking procedure: “How could you achieve this goal?”, “How would you know that you are achieving it?”, “What are you going to do to achieve it?”. Relevance and Significance Test: “Does this fit with what you want?”.
3. Sensory experience.
How will you know that you have reached your goal?
What will you see, hear, feel as a result of achieving your goal? Define sensory-based descriptions or behavioral display.
4. Ecology - the goal retains the original positive spin-offs.
How will the desired result affect you? What will you lose? What will you get extra? What will be the consequences of achieving the goal not only for me, but also for my family, colleagues; Will there be problems at home, in the family, at work? Check carefully that none of the benefits of the current state disappear and are accounted for.
5. The target is in the right context.
Where, when, with whom and by what date do you want it? Be sure to identify situations for which the desired behavior is appropriate and for which it is not. Identify relevant contextual clues (situation markers).
6. Purpose depends on access to resources.
Are there all resources to achieve the goal? What resources do you need to achieve your goal? What skills, abilities; money, time, etc.? Can you have access to them? Where and how can you find these resources? If not, then "B" helps to find them and asks:
"What could be the solution?"
"If you knew, what could it be?"
“If there was a person who had access to resources, who would know, who would represent, then what would he be and how would he do it?”
7. Explore possible obstacles to achieving the goal.
What is stopping you from reaching your goal? Ask yourself the question: “Why haven’t I reached my goal yet? What could be the solution? Who and what can help? If you knew the solution, what would it be? If you knew what could help, what could it be.”
8. You know the first steps to achieve the goal (adjustment to the future).
What will be the first steps to achieve the goal? Where will you start? What are the first steps to achieve the goal? 2-3 points. Check all the consequences of achieving the goal. It is necessary that they do not violate general plan(short and long term goals) of an individual or group.
If you knew, what could be the first steps?
Try to imagine that you have already reached the goal, that is, when you have already reached the goal and look back (for those who have “the past is behind”), at the moment of beginning, then what steps will (may be) the first?
By using these techniques as the foundation for achieving goals, you can set your future well, and when combined with additional techniques for working with goals, then you can discover something more than just setting and achieving goals.
Additional techniques for working with goals.
Not always superficial "tinsel" gives us the opportunity to change something or look into the depths of ourselves in order to really strive for our goals and dreams, which is why for thousands of years people have been inventing and creating methods to discover their deeper goals and aspirations. The next three additional methods are also complementary and overlapping.
exception method.
Man is a special being, extremely different in its manifestations. A creature that is very often lazy, especially when running in the wrong direction. And more than half of the people do not know why they live, or rather they do not know what they are striving for, they swim where their life takes them. This is a wonderful way to help you understand yourself and your goals even better.
For this technique, we again need a piece of paper and a pen. The technique is performed for several days for 15-30 minutes every day.
On a piece of paper, write down everything you would like to achieve in your life. A minimum of 50 things or concepts and a maximum of at least 1000. Re-read and mind your own business.
Exactly one day later, return to the sheet and cross out half. I'm less busy.
Dewy in a day to return to the sheet and evening another half, which will seem less significant.
This is the last day you leave 5-10 concepts or things on the list.
These will be the most important and valuable goals in your life.
Rainwater Two Question Method
1. Prepare a pencil, notepad or voice recorder.
2. Start with a short relaxation.
3. Ask yourself the question: “What is happening to me at the moment (what am I thinking, what am I doing, what do I feel, how I breathe)?”
4. Do not force yourself, do not be persistent.
5. Fix incoming thoughts, if it does not interfere.
6. Ask yourself the following question: “What do I want right now?”
7. Repeat this several times in a row, relaxing more and more.
Sankalpa method
Sankalpa is a yoga technique practiced in a state of relaxation or just before going to bed.
1. Clearly, concisely and, most importantly, positively formulate the question to which you would like to receive an answer.
2. Repeat this wording phrase many times and return to it at every opportunity during relaxation.
3. Don't include specific timeframes in your question wording.
4. You should not do a rigorous intellectual analysis of the solutions that have been revealed or that have come.
Many people plan their trip to football better than their career. This is due to the fact that it is easier for someone to leave, for someone it is much more interesting to be in excellent internal states at football than at the workplace. Exactly goal setting techniques and allow you to create excellent motivation in life and excellent internal states from moving in the right direction, at work or at home, on vacation or with your family. After all, these techniques are universal, and there is no need to use them only for work or career purposes. Try to bring this into relationships with other people, recreation, sports, communication and other areas of life and the result will please you.
Article for the journal "Psychology Today",