Motivation and Goal Setting Go Together Like...

Motivation and goal setting go together like cookies and milk, chicken and rice, or foxes and hounds. What a minute, I think that last one isn't quite right.

Seriously, staying motivated is tough enough, but without setting goals, your success is far less likely to be realized.

When I talk about goals, I'm talking about more than just wishing you were wealthy, or dreaming about pursuing your dream of being a writer. I'm talking about solid, achievable milestones that you can set for yourself. I'm talking about making a plan to achieve measurable results.

What Goals are Not

That's not what goals are about. It's also not about just making a New Year's resolution, or even wanting to be thin, or better off financially.

Goals aren't dreams, and they're not even objectives. The thing about motivation and goal setting, or should I say the lack of motivation, is that most people don't have any idea what a goal is. You can think to yourself that you're going to have everything you wished for by next year, but it won't happen unless you plan and take action. Goals are a key part of that planning.

Tony Robbins says that people tend to have goals that don't inspire them. I take that one step further and say that people don't even understand how to set goals.

This misunderstanding leads to disappointment and frustration. This is why we say that motivation and goal setting go together. The better you define your goals, the better you can track your success, and the more likely you are to have positive results.

Positive results will lead to more motivation, and round and round it goes. This is the upward spiral you want to create.

What Goals Are

And, the definition is pretty easy if you simply follow the rule that goals are SMART. That is to say they're Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound.

A SMART goal is:

• Specific -- General goals don't give you focus. They're also more difficult to measure, and have less impact on your performance.

• Measurable -- A measurable goal is a good goal, I always say. Ok, maybe I've never said that, but I could. You have to be able to measure success. So, pick a number and that's that. The bottom line here is that if you can't measure it, then how do you know how well you're doing, and what to do to change the results? You don't.

• Attainable -- If your goal is not attainable, it doesn't make any sense to expend effort on it. You'll only end up disappointing yourself.

• Realistic -- Just because you can achieve something doesn't mean that you should. Just look at all the Steven Seagal movies. You have to do a reality check.

  It's like Jeff Goldblum's line (as Dr. Ian Malcolm) in the movie Jurrasic Park...

  "Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

• Time bound -- Time bound, or timely, as it's referred to, is pretty straight forward. You need to set a deadline by which you'll achieve your outcome.

Read more about SMART goals.

So, now you know why we say that motivation and goal setting go together like turkey and stuffing, or butter and toast. What? You don't say that? Neither do I, but you get the picture.

Here's some goal setting advice for students from Cuesta College.

Many studies tout the benefits of goal setting as a motivation technique, especially as it applies to its use in the workplace. But, could goal setting be dangerous to your motivation? See the potential downside to goal setting here.

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