Labor After Labor Day: Goal Setting

Whether you’ve arrived home from your last summer vacay or have put your children back in school, there’s no arguing that the after Labor Day vibe is different. Whether it’s the routine of work and school, or the pressure of accomplishing your goals before the end of year, the overall vibe in September can feel more serious than the relaxed days of Summer. The change of seasons marks time, the one commodity we can’t get back. Regardless of where you are located, September brings the bittersweet ending of summer with a renewed sense of striving towards the future. What will your end of year goals look like? How will you achieve them? Are they realistic?

As a clinician, the term “SMART goals” are often discussed with clients seeking to better themselves. The term was actually coined in 1981 by businessman George Doran, who wrote a paper entitled “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management Goals and Objectives” because he believed that abstract, non-specific goals did not achieve the desired results in the corporate world. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Oriented. Psychologists use the term with folks for a variety of reasons. For example, “I want to earn more money this quarter” is a great goal; “I want to see a 3% sales increase from Team Y in the next 12 weeks as measured by the number of new contracts signed”, is a better one. Personally speaking, “I’d like to lose 10 pounds by Christmas” is a good goal too; “I’m going to exercise 3-5 times a week, cut alcohol intake, and not change my diet and see what the scale says in 4 weeks, and re-evaluate” is a better goal.

Setting goals that are not realistic or achievable set you up for failure. Better to set a goal that is achievable and succeed, rather than to set a goal that is not realistic, and/or unattainable. Setting goals for both the short term and future assist with direction, focus and aligning with others in your organization. It helps you measure your own progress, and prioritize your efforts towards activities that assist in achieving those goals. Having both short and long term goals also assists with adaptability because it gives you the flexibility to change your long term goals as you experience the need to adjust your short term goals in response to immediate and/or unforeseen challenges that may arise. Think of goal setting as a strategy for change that can inform decision making, problem solving, and help you and your org adapt to changing conditions.

Until next time,

Amy

“All real, All the time.”