Y’all. A LOT has been written about goal setting. Do you get overwhelmed thinking about all the steps and different processes out there, and give up? I’ve got some simple tips you can follow to keep you on track. This applies to both personal goals and professional goals for your position. For now though let’s just think about getting some goals on paper for the coming year.
The two most important characteristics of goals:
- Measurable
- Time-based
SMART Goals
You’ve all heard goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based), but there are two characteristics that are the MOST important.
Measurable: Which goal will motivate you to take action to complete:
First, think about writing something concrete for your goal.
“I want to work out more”
Or
“I want to work out three times each week”
If you start out thinking “more” instead of how much (or thinking “improve” or “reduce” without measurable numbers), you won’t be motivated to take action to follow through.
If you’ve made it out for a run twice in one week, what will motivate you to do the third workout? The notion that one more work out will fulfill your goal, or will you be stuck wondering if two work outs per week is enough? Is four? Six?
This applies to work as well. Do you want to
“Learn a new lab technique”
Or
“Learn qPCR and apply it by running three tests”
What will motivate you to pick up a new technique? If you can write a goal you can measure the success of easily, it will be so much easier to say “Yes! It’s done! I can move on to something else.” A good goal is not an open-ended wish, but rather something that should be able to be marked as completed.
Time-based: Which will help you feel a sense of completion when done:
Second, consider an open-ended goal or a goal with a defined due date.
“Work out three times per week”
Or
“Work out three times per week for three months. At the end of three months, I will participate in a 5K”
Without a finite end date, goals feel more like suggestions. There is less urgency to complete, and you end up putting off starting. Again, for learning a new lab technique, what will urge you to pick up the new technique –
“Learn a new lab technique”
Or
“Learn qPCR and apply it by running three tests. The first test will be performed within one month from the start date, and I will complete the tests within two months.”
The second gives you a sense of urgency, instead of a feeling that you can keep putting off the goal. If something is important to you, give yourself a deadline to do it.
Setting measurable and time-based goals
Creating goals that are both measurable and time-based will help you stay on track with your priorities, both personal and professional.
Depending on the type of company you work for, you might have a formal goal setting process or not. If you work in a research lab with no formal goal-setting process, use this information to take charge of your career and set your own goals. If you work for a large company in industry, there is a good chance you have a formal goal-setting process at the beginning of the year, but you can always re-evaluate your goals and add to them through the year.
Don’t put off setting goals! Write down a few and make them concrete.
I always carry around a http://amzn.to/2tXkctc in my computer bag, and at the beginning of each month I either set new goals for the month, or update the status of previous goals. There are fancier planners http://amzn.to/2tXkctc out there, but honestly a plain old notebook will do the trick.
Other people have success with using productivity apps that track (and measure!) the performance their goals. Find what works with you, and stick with it for a few months (make that your first goal!).
So that’s the simple version of goal setting! There is always a good time to start thinking about new goals. You don’t have to wait until the beginning of the calendar year to set a new goal for yourself. Leave me a comment and let me know about your most recent goal!