How can you set and measure goals without being too harsh on yourself?

Already lots of comments on SMART goals etc, so here's a thought on celebrating wins and creating a positive environment. In a couple of roles I introduced "Happy hour", 4 until 5 every Friday. Team members could only send good news during that hour, and the end of the hour signifies signing off for the weekend. This gave me a great source of good stuff for my weekly board meeting, and made the entire team feel good about themselves before the end of the week. I gave a prize each month (from my own pocket) for the best "Happy hour", contribution of the month. Also have a booby prize (two gold painted ping pong balls for the worse business loss of the Month. It takes the sting out of bad news, and cements team spirit. People want to win!

SMART goals are your recipe for success! They provide clarity (specific & measurable), ensure achievability, and keep you motivated (relevant & time-bound). Ditch the vague wishes and set yourself up for accomplishment.

The SMART framework is great, and there is always a broader context it exists in. You can have a SMART goal defined, but is it ecological? Meaning: does the goal align with other goals and objectives you have? Will achieving one goal, potentially impede your possibility of achieving another? Just like eating cake and trying to lose weight. Another great technique is to frame the goal so that it is within your control. For example, if I set a goal of increasing my revenue by 20% by the end of the year, that may be SMART, but not fully under my control. It’s not my decision, whether or not somebody buys my product or service, and therefore increasing revenue by a certain percentage is not under my control. Designing a sales campaign is.

Setting and measuring goals without being too harsh on yourself involves striking a balance between ambition and self-compassion. Start by defining clear, achievable goals and breaking them into smaller, manageable tasks. Regularly track your progress and celebrate small wins to stay motivated. When setbacks occur, view them as learning opportunities rather than failures. It's important to adjust your goals as needed and recognize that progress isn't always linear. By maintaining a positive attitude and being kind to yourself throughout the process, you can achieve your objectives without undue stress or self-criticism.

Use the ''Goal puzzle'' strategy. When you are working on a goal completion, you need to focus on the moment (on that specific task that you action on) which is part of the big ''Goal puzzle'', and on the outcome of completing that goal (the ''finish line''). Thus, when I had to engage people to work together on completing a common goal, I had to divide the ''Goal puzzle'' in pieces and delegate tasks, to enable to each to contribute by using their best skills and personal competencies. So each peer focused on the piece they did master, and all of us focused on achieving the same goal working as a team, communicating our steps and helping. Applying this strategy, definitely will make your team the ''Goal puzzle'' Winner. Good luck!

A win can be defined in 4 different ways: - You exceeded your target - You exceeded your past performance - You exceeded others' performance - You exceeded possibilities, given situational constraints

A key component of goal setting is clarity by way of setting expectation. I discussed with my supervisor on the Top 3 expectations of my role, so that I can prioritise which activities or responsibilities contributed to the growth of the organisation.

Its not everytime you have something to celebrate. So I recommend don't just celebrate your wins but celebrate other people's wins, it really helps proving that it can be done and that you're also close. When see someone else achieving something, it gives you the momentum to also strive for your goal.

At times, we are the ones who must pat our backs. Celebrating wins doesn’t have to be big. Even small achievements is a milestone achievement that leads us to bigger goals. Don’t ever hesitate to brag about small wins because the point here is to enjoy the whole process of working on your goal and not just about the final victory.

Setting and measuring goals effectively involves acknowledging and celebrating your successes, no matter how small. Celebrating achievements helps maintain motivation and reinforces positive behavior. For example, if you complete a project ahead of schedule, reward yourself with a small treat or a day off. Research shows that recognizing progress boosts self-esteem and encourages continued effort. It’s like giving yourself a pat on the back without needing a medal—just don’t go overboard or you’ll be patting yourself on the back every day!

I guide people to refrain from terming their progress in the traditional format of goal setting. Instead, we always discuss inspiring challenges, whether it's an individual or an organisation.

A clear plan path is necessary to set any goal and we plan well then it will not harmful to anyone. Hence need always a short goal as well as longer good and needs efforts,strategy and push accordingly.

Nelson Mandela's words offer a valuable perspective on setting goals and measuring progress: "I am not a saint unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying." When striving for your objectives, comparing yourself to your past self embodies Mandela's resilience and commitment to continuous improvement. This approach allows you to acknowledge your progress and learn from your setbacks without being overly critical, ultimately leading to more meaningful and sustainable achievements.

To avoid being too harsh, focus on comparing your progress to your past self rather than others. Track your improvements and growth over time to see how far you've come. For instance, if you’ve improved your productivity by 20% compared to last year, recognize that as a significant achievement. This self-comparison emphasizes personal development rather than external benchmarks. It’s like looking at your own progress photos—you’re not trying to outdo everyone else, just aiming to be a better version of yourself.

A practical tip that's worked wonders for me is breaking down big goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. It not only makes the journey less overwhelming but also allows for more frequent moments of accomplishment.

Looking back on moments where you felt like you are about to reach your goal and a new challenge arrive. The transition time that we take to accept the set back opposite to our expectation help us to hold us forever in any tough situation of life.

Goals got to be SMARTER. E stands for Évaluation: Evaluate your goals to ascertain progress, are you going in the right direction, right steps ? Evaluating also informs and helps in celebrating small milestones that may have been achieved. R stands for reward, reward every progress however small this keeps you motivated and focused to achieve even more.

While Setting up a Goal, It finds its Next. So what we should be focused upon is the immediate Next and Timeline to Achieve it. Goal has to be precise and Needs to be Prioritised. Missing or Skipping any of these, keeps you juggling at Work.