A successful approach to reaching attainable goals begins with diligent planning. Whether you're developing a career or company strategy, or planning a major life event, it's critical to be able to measure your progress with particular metrics.
The Key Metrics to Measuring Attainable Goals
In my work, I've met a lot of people who had wonderful ideas and stories to share. However, these stories are scattered and stranded. It's as if they exist to please rather than to inform.
You, too, must have exceptional experiences floating about in the depths of consciousness, waiting for a reason to propel them into the real world. If you wish to advance your aims, using these principles can enhance your approach and increase its viability in an innovative and competitive world.
Failing to relate your story to your objectives and long-term goals can deprive your motivation of the personal touch that is intended to give you a sense of urgency as you work toward achieving your goals.
1. Your “What” and “How”
In this Ted Talk, John Doerr, author of Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rocked the World with OKRs, discusses the significance of setting the correct goals on one's journey to success. More importantly, he highlights the importance of answering the questions "what," "how," and "why" when pursuing one's business objectives.
Doerr speaks highly about his former manager, professor Andy Grove, and describes Grove's notion of OKRs, which is used by large corporations around the world. He breaks down the goal-setting system into objectives and critical results. Objectives are what he refers to as the "direction" given to your business approach, and key results are simple yes or no questions that indicate whether you have successfully executed or completed something.
OBJECTIVE: THE “WHAT”
Your goal is whatever you wish to attain. It is intended to be realistic, action-oriented, and encouraging. It helps you streamline your attainable goals and tactics while prioritizing what is critical and urgent.
KEY RESULTS: THE “HOW”
Your goal is to achieve everything you want. It is intended to be realistic, action-oriented, and motivational. It allows you to streamline your achievable goals and tactics while prioritizing what is critical and urgent.
The Important Part: How to Set Attainable Goals
When defining goals, it is necessary to establish a personal standard of measurement. Some people are just starting out in their undertakings, therefore the standard of measurement for them will differ from those with years of expertise aiming to advance something they have established all along.
Take this sentence as an example:
I shall ________ as determined by ____________.
Measurement is what gives a goal its genuine meaning. Without it, you don't have an aim—only a desire. Filling in the spaces with unique objectives and critical results will help you stay on target.
For example, I plan to establish a profitable firm based on the quantity of income made each month.
OKR EXAMPLE
An OKR for a content production process looks like this:
The goal is to create content that sparks conversations (brand lift) and leads to conversions (business lift).
Key results:
Create hero content for the smallest viable content audience.
Implement five channels and create a monthly editorial calendar.
Create a hub content series with clear calls to action by January 2022.
Get two guest posting opportunities every month.
This concise and actionable example encompasses everything we've discussed so far. With constant work, even simple OKRs can help you achieve your goals.
2. Why Are You Doing What You’re Doing?
Attainable objectives in life are more than just milestones to achieve; they are people's desires, passions, drives, and, in some cases, identities. Enriching your tale with these components connects you emotionally with your target audience by eliminating disparities and bringing them all together through shared memories or experience.
In a Forbes article spotlighting purpose-driven corporations in 2019, names such as Timberland, eBay, Hershey, IBM, Tesla, and Microsoft, among others, stood by a social purpose to produce an influence in the environment, youth, and medical science. Their stories tackled societal concerns that affected the broader populace, which boosted their image. The zeitgeist of 2020, however, has its own set of idiosyncrasies due to a variety of factors.
3. Assess Your Plan According to Today’s Reality
Making a firm a reality is a difficult task, especially considering the limited resources available at first. And with the present Covid epidemic, the issues have increased.
An essay from McKinsey & Company on the consequences for business in the 2020 pandemic discusses how vital it will be for organizations to present relevant goals in their communications in the post-crisis period. Businesspeople will need to put in more effort in their marketing tactics now that the epidemic has badly affected the economy.
The most prevalent issues that firms and individuals confront today are volatility, complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity of ideas and trends. With the emergence of the new normal, many pre-pandemic tactics are no longer appropriate in the face of global medical emergencies.
The most significant change of all is the digital revolution of practically everything. Depending on your level of preparation, this can be both a challenge and an opportunity.
That being said, whether you're pursuing a business or a career ambition, being up to date on recent social and economic changes will help you make informed judgments and, eventually, build feasible goals.
A Few Simple Guidelines to Keep in Mind
LESS IS MORE
You may feel compelled to include more and more points in your list, but it is best to keep your OKRs between 3 and 5 per cycle. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.
STAY FLEXIBLE
Pushing yourself to your boundaries is beneficial, but it should not leave you feeling incapable. Remove any objectives or key results that appear to be irrelevant.
DARE TO FAIL
People achieve more when their goals force them to stretch beyond their current capabilities, thus it's okay to fail to meet your goals sometimes. You will be able to identify your vulnerabilities this way.
BE PATIENT
This is a procedure, and trial and error are your friends. You'll do it poorly before you do it well, so believe in yourself and persevere!
Final Thoughts
The three questions "what," "how," and "why" serve as the foundation for a strategy and the development of an attainable objective, so ensure yours is precise and executable. If you begin and end with these questions, your arrows will always point in the direction of success. Once you understand how to measure your goals, you will be well on your way to attaining them.
More Tips on Setting Attainable Goals
Set Realistic Short-Term Goals for a Successful Life.
How to Plan and Achieve Your Life Goals
How to Set and Achieve Goals Successfully
