Using goals
We have teamed up with J1 Coaching to talk about some of the things we can all do to make small changes and improve our well-being. Jim Constable is a friend of FiveWays and we are delighted he has agreed to share his knowledge and expertise with our clients:
Using Goals, Not Just Setting Them
Over many years, I seem to have trained myself to think about using goals rather than simply setting or having them.
That distinction matters because using goals implies two things:
1.Goals are active — not something set and forgotten about, nor something you possess in the same way you might own a piece of furniture
2.Goals are tools — like a paintbrush or a garden trowel — that can be used skilfully or clumsily
Benefit and Value
Goals give us motivation, direction and persistence. They provide something to measure against and encourage us to adapt when needed.
If you ever want to understand their value, talk to someone who has used one effectively, like when training for a marathon. Better still, look at a graph of marathon finish times and notice the peaks around the hour and half-hour marks.
A great many people want to finish a marathon in under four hours!
Goals really do make a difference.
Two Tips
Two useful ways of using goals — applicable to almost anything — are:
1. Use Gold, Silver and Bronze Goals
Rather than having a binary goal where you either succeed or fail, create different levels of success.
Your bronze goal is the minimum outcome you would genuinely be happy with. Achieving it should still bring satisfaction. A bronze medal is still a medal — and certainly better than no medal at all.
If, later on, you decide your bronze goal is not stretching enough, make it harder.
Your silver goal sits beyond bronze. Something you would feel proud to achieve.
Your gold goal is something special. Gold medals do not come around often, which means you can afford to dream a little bigger. What would you be truly delighted with?
As an example (just an example!) if you currently weigh 90kg and your goal is to get to, and maintain, a healthy, desired weight, bronze might be 88kg, silver under 85kg, and gold under 80kg.
2. Combine Outcome and Process Goals
This works even better when outcome and process goals are combined with the gold, silver and bronze approach.
Outcome goals focus on results — what you achieve. But outcomes are not always fully within your control because external factors, including luck, can play a role.
Process goals are different. They focus on what you actually do and are therefore far more within your control.
Combining both approaches for a marathon might look something like this:
• Bronze: follow the training plan, arrive at the start line feeling confident (even if nervous), and raise some money through sponsorship
• Silver: achieve all the bronze goals, finish in under four hours, and genuinely enjoy the experience
• Gold: achieve all the silver goals, finish in under 3:45, and exceed the fundraising target
Application
You can apply gold, silver and bronze thinking — alongside outcome and process goals — to almost any area of life.
They are especially useful whenever you want to challenge yourself, try something new, or step temporarily outside your comfort zone.
Used well, goals can help us learn, stretch and grow.
