What is Personal Goal Setting?

Personal goal setting is the process of creating and setting personal goals for development and growth in a variety of different aspects of a person’s life. This is often done by someone who is looking to improve himself or herself in a number of different ways, and may be done alone or under the guidance of a therapist or life coach. These goals can be expressed in many ways and for many purposes, though they are typically created in a format that is positive and realistic. Personal goal setting can be important for professionals looking to advance in a particular field as well as for people who wish to attain certain goals in their private lives.

There are a number of different approaches that can be taken for personal goal setting, though certain guidelines are often suggested to make the process more fulfilling and meaningful. Creating realistic and useful goals is something anyone can do, and the types of goals a person sets will greatly depend on what someone wishes to achieve. One of the first things a person should do is write down a list of major lifetime goals he or she wishes to achieve. These should be categorized by the nature of such goals, such as professional, romantic, and family goals.

Personal goal setting can begin with these major lifetime goals, which can then be broken down into smaller goals. The next step is to typically create five-year goals that will help a person work toward the larger goals. Someone may, for example, have a lifetime goal of sailing around the world. That person then might create a five-year goal of owning a boat, having a sailing license, and sailing from one country to another. This type of personal goal setting helps to create more reachable goals that can be attained on the way to the larger goals.

The five-year goal is then broken down into smaller pieces so that each year a person can be working toward a goal through personal goal setting. Continuing the previous example, the person may set a one-year goal of saving one-fourth of the money needed to purchase a boat. Over four years of these goals, he or she could save the money needed for his or her boat, perhaps also setting a goal of earning a sailing license for the fourth year as well, then set a final one-year goal of making small trips and one longer trip between two countries. Personal goal setting in smaller pieces makes the process easier, and each goal is created as a positive accomplishment, which is attainable and constantly progressing toward the larger life goal.