2022 has started with a bang. If you are like me, you have created a vision board and begun writing your goals and objectives for this new year. Goals and objectives are essential in your personal and professional life for various reasons and help you stay focused on the ultimate dream.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOALS & OBJECTIVES?
First, you have to understand the difference between a goal and an objective so, let’s define them.
GOALS: General guidelines that explain what you want to achieve.
OBJECTIVES: Define strategies or implementation steps to attain the identified goals.
In other words, goals tell us what we want to achieve, and objectives tell us how we will achieve them.
WHY DO I NEED TO IDENTIFY GOALS & OBJECTIVES?
Many people can go their entire lives without creating goals and objectives, which is fine for them. But in my opinion, a person will never become successful if they never set a goal for themselves. When creating goals and objectives, a person takes actionable steps to meet a need in their life. Plans and actions based on clear goals and objectives are more likely to succeed in meeting a person’s needs.
Step 1. Create the Goal
Step 2. Create the Objectives
Step 3. Meet the Objectives
Meeting the objectives means checking each objective off your To-Do list as you complete them. See the example Goal and Objective List Below:
Goal:
Lose 5 pounds in 1 month
Objectives:
Join a gym this week
Workout 3 times a week
Eat no more than 1500 calories per day
Drink 40 oz of water each day
Notice that the goal is broad; however, the objectives that state how to accomplish the goal are more specific. As you complete each objective that works towards meeting the goal, you should √ off that particular objective to indicate its completion.
PRIORITIZE YOUR GOALS & OBJECTIVES
You will likely have more than one goal that you will identify as a need to help you move forward in life. When this happens, you will need to prioritize your goals and objectives because it will be challenging to focus your energies on all your goals at once. Only you know what is most important and how to best divide your time. My best advice is to start small, make sure the timing is suitable for the particular goal you select to focus on; when one goal is completed, try to replace it with one or two, and always narrow your focus when possible.
Creating yearly goals and objectives is meant to help us maintain our focus throughout the year. They help guide us and keep us from going down a path to nowhere. Think of them as a roadmap to your success. Without them, you would be lost heading down a dirt road to nowhere instead of on the highway to prosperity. We should look at our goals & objective at the beginning of each month to make sure we are on track, and when we aren’t, we should do what we need to do to get back on track.
