Setting Smart Goals: the Road to Professional and Self-Improvement

Every year, you look for ways to improve yourself in your personal life and career. Here’s how you can set smarter self-improvement goals.

This new year, you might have made some resolutions on self-improvement — get a job promotion, get fit, and the possibilities go on. If you are like most people, your new year’s resolutions usually become history after a few weeks.

The focus on self-improvement tends to stem from the desire to be in control of our own lives, sitting in the driver’s seat, and achieving success in all our endeavours. We want to continuously improve our experiences and create better versions of ourselves.^[1]

Here are some things you should keep in mind when it comes to setting smart goals for your personal and professional development:

Pinpoint Your Limitations

In the pursuit of your goals, be aware of the possible limitations which you may face.

Know what some of the possible obstacles are that may stand in your way, and make plans on how you can address them as part of your success strategy.

Be 1% better than yesterday. As small as it may seem, if you work on your goals and improve by just 1% every day for a year, you’ll be 37 times better than when you started.^[2]

Your efforts count — focus on being consistent and you’ll reach your personal and career goals a lot quicker.

Overcome Setbacks^[3]

Your goals are targets and you don’t need to have a 100% success rate with them. If you slip up, get overwhelmed, or simply fall off-track in accomplishing your goals, here are a few tips to get back on track:

1. Remember why you started

2. Jump back into it and don’t give up

3. Have a plan for future pitfalls

4. Say ‘no’ to distractions

5. Focus on progress, not perfection.

References:

1. 36 Examples of Personal Development Goals for Your Career & Life [Internet]. Develop Good Habits. 2020 [accessed 16 Feb 2022]. Available from: https://www.developgoodhabits.com/examples-personal-development-goals/

2. Continuous Improvement: How It Works and How To Master It [Internet]. James Clear. 2020 [accessed 16 Feb 2022]. Available from: https://jamesclear.com/continuous-improvement

3. Wilding M. 6 Strategies to Blast Past Setbacks and Achieve Your Goals [Internet]. Forbes. 2019 [accessed 16 Feb 2022]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melodywilding/2019/09/12/6-strategies-to-blast-past-setbacks-and-achieve-your-goals/

4. Houston E. What is Goal Setting and How To Do It Well [Internet]. Positive Psychology. 2020 [accessed 16 Feb 2022]. Available from: https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting/