Saint Patrick’s Day Pot of Gold
Management Monday: Managing Goals
On Saint Patrick’s Day, the drinks come out and green wardrobe choices overtake society. Leprechauns and pots of gold pop up on advertisements and clothing. A general aura of luck, happiness, fun and fulfillment permeate the air. And while the “luck of the Irish” concept is fun, everyone knows that attaining their “pot of gold” in real life takes vision and hard work. Finding the pot of gold involves patience to wait for the rainbow, spotting the rainbow and be willing to walk a hundred miles, if necessary, to reach the end of the rainbow. In real life, the leprechaun’s pot of gold is the everyday person’s big goal. But usually identifying the “pot of gold” or the goal is the easy part. The tough part is working toward goals and having grit to get there. Below are some tips to keep in mind during the goal setting process.
Goal Setting Tips
- Make short lists of long-term and short-term goals
- Be specific and precise in shaping goals in order to maintain clarity
- Prioritize goals by filtering out those of less importance
- Communicate goals to friends for accountability purposes
- State each goal in a “going to do it way,” not “going to try to do it” way
- Set performance goals that are in your control rather than results goals
- Be realistic in goal-setting
- Stay confident because positive thinking ensures you will succeed
- Keep track of progress
- Create rewards for reaching benchmarks
Each “pot of gold” is unique and valuable. Everyone’s life can improve in some way, be it improving communication skills, forming healthier eating habits, establishing better work life balance practices or taking up a new career path. When one learns how to go beyond dreaming of change and works toward goals, dreams come true.
