The role of goal-setting

Goal setting “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

People once said “Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is” (Lombardi). Nothing in life can come by just wishing everyone has to work for it. Thus, how could a person work for something haphazardly? “You have to know what you want to get it.” (Stein) No one can live his life no matter what happens and let his life lead him not having a life plan. Everyone should have a plan for everything; a plan for the whole upcoming future. Goal planning is all what life is about; it is the core of any achieved success. Goal setting is a powerful tool, whether applied to one’s urban life, personal objectives or health aspirations. In fact, goal setting can make the significant difference between success and failure. Goal setting seems to be very useful on individual and community level.

Before discussing the role of goal setting and its relation to success; what is goal setting or planning? Goal setting is basically a well thought-out arrangement or course of action. It is an authentic manner for identifying what one needs to achieve – whether in short the – or long-term, and whether in personal life or professional career. In another words, a goal is something that is aimed at. It may be a wish or a dream that one work in advance to achieve. Goal planning is a powerful tool, whether appertained to one’s personal aims, health targets or professional life. In fact, goal setting can make the significant discrepancy between success and failure. If we have a goal in life this gives our lives an aim and a purpose that takes a lot of energy, needs a lot of work, incurs a great deal of significance and act as a challenge to us. In addition, goal setting can be applied on the organizational level as there is not a successful organization with a declared strategy.

From the major advantages of setting a goal is that it makes the controlling subconscious mind starts working and begins organizing the ideas and developing strategies of an assortment of ways to result in the booming accomplishment of the goal revise language and expression. In other words; “goals canalize behavior” Cummings & Worley, 368). Moreover, setting a goal leads to attracting attention and focusing efforts to goal-related activities, and away from alleged undesirable and goal-extraneous actions. An example for this, is an international company like ‘Sony’, founded more than twenty five years ago, has declared its mission which was that the Japanese merchandises will be the ideal widely chosen merchandise in the United States market. They noted down their target and hung it everywhere. When the boards of directors assemble, and any member of the staff offers a plan to do something or other, the leader of the board looks at the duty hanging on the wall, and probably asks that employee, how the offered proposal is relevant to the mission. (Khaled) Now, the Japanese products are widely used among the Americans.

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Furthermore, having a goal helps in utilizing sources by making the best use of them. Knowing ones sources helps in evaluating them how, where and when to use them. In addition to that, defining goals allows self evaluation as it helps in determining ones drawbacks, how to solve them the good characters in ones personality and making the best use of them. Moreover, planning goals helps in bridging the gap between where the person is and where he or she wants to be. In ‘Alice in the Wonder Land.’ a story often told to young children, through the events, while Alice was wandering; she run in to her friend, the rabbit. At a cross road she asks the rabbit “What way should I track?” The rabbit asks her what is her destination. She replies that she does not know. The rabbit then says, “If you do not know what your destination is then follow any road, it will be the same. You must know your destination, Alice.”

In addition, having a goal in life pushes anyone to be a perfectionist in his or her job, and gives a sense of responsibility, seriousness, bearing responsibility, being proactive and valuing time. By setting goals in each area of life a target is given to each one, something to aim for, something that if someone achieved would have a dramatic positive impact in his or her life. Goals give something to measure progress done against, to see if what someone is doing is moving him or her closer or further from his or her ultimate target. If the actions taken are moving someone closer to his or her target to keep doing what he or she is doing. If their actions are moving them further from their target, then they must change what they are doing so that they can move closer to their target. Goals influence persistence. When working to a plan and the positive results start to appear, a push is given to the setter so he becomes high-spirited so he or she carries on going for his or her goal.

Most theories of self-regulation put emphasis on its natural link with goals. A goal reflects one’s target and refers to quantity, quality, or speed of action (Locke & Latham, 1990). Goal setting engages creating a regular or purpose to supply as the aspiration of one’s actions. Goals are concerned through the dissimilar periods of self-regulation: consideration (setting a goal and coming to a decision on goal plans); performance managing (making use of goal-aimed at actions and scrutinizing performance); and self-suggestion (estimating one’s goal development and regulating strategies to guarantee success (Zimmerman, 1998). Goals improve self-regulation through their consequences on inspiration, learning, and self-efficacy. Goals inspire people to exert effort required to meet task requirements and carry on over time. Goals can affect how people use information. Goals assist people in focusing on the mission, choose and apply suitable strategies, and keep an eye on goal development.

On the community level, goal setting seems to be of great importance. For example, the problem of informal settlements actually appeared in many countries like Egypt due to lack of planning. These settlements were built haphazardly by normal people. This led to many fatal problems. There inhibiters are buried alive. They are suffering from pollution and fatal diseases as there is no sanitation. They are suffering from lack of health care and in many of these settlements there is no a pure source of pure water or electricity. Applying goal setting will really help as it will help in evaluating the problem, knowing the reasons so as to eliminate them and changing the problem in to an advantage by making the best use of sources.

As people work on a plan they put side by side their present performance with the goal. Self-evaluations of development build up self-efficacy and maintain motivation. A supposed inconsistency between the current achievement and the goal possibly will generate displeasure, which can improve exerted effort. Although discontent is capable of leading to giving up, this will not occur if people believe they have the chance to succeed such as by modifying their plan or looking for assistance. Goal achievement builds self-efficacy and guides people in going for new, challenging goals. While working with learners and customers it may be essential in the beginning to dole out goals while at the same time training them on goal-setting strategies. As people become skilled at setting down-to-earth goals we may expect that self-set goals would create higher self-efficacy and improved self-regulated performance than consigned goals because they will be dedicated to reaching their goals and feel successful about doing so.

Possibly one of the most instant effects of goal setting is the satisfaction one feel when he or she sets a goal, sticks to a plan, and achieve it. One only is required to do this just the once to know that the achievement and satisfaction he or she gain from attaining his or her goals is a strong method for persistent to, and relying on, strong goal-setting techniques and methods over and over And, once one starts planning for his or her goals and accomplishing them, he or she will promptly become aware of an improvement in his or her confidence level, which will possibly have a positive impact on every area of his or her life. In working to accomplish ones goals, one will also soon have better understanding of his or her strength, while at the same time developing a stronger sense of achievement, one that develop with every single goal attained. One should believe in his goal so strongly and constantly with all his senses and abilities. His belief in his goal must be similar to Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWS) when he assured to his uncle, “I swear, uncle, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand for me to leave the message of Islam, I will not until Allah upholds it or I die for its sake.”(Khaled, 3)

Goals are also an important tool for administrators since goals have the ability to be used as a self-regulatory mechanism that attain an employee a certain amount of assistance. Thus, there is not a successful organization with a declared strategy.

Some people believe that one possible negative aspect of goal planning is that understood learning may be stopped. This is because goal setting may encourage simple focus on a result without directness to exploration, understanding or development. However, when goals are achieved at an organizational level and from then on solely given up, employee enthusiasm with regard to accomplishing these goals is to a certain extent suppressed. In addition, the goals of an individual employee may perhaps come into direct clash with the employing organization. In an organization, a goal of a chief may not adjust to the goals of the organization as a whole.

Without allying goals involving the organization and the individual, performance may undergo some troubles. Furthermore, for compound tasks, goal-setting may really weaken performance. In these situations, an individual might become preoccupied with achieving the goals, more willingly than performing tasks. Fear of failure is one of the biggest obstacles that you must overcome to have a truly fulfilling life. Most people never set goals because of the fear of failure, and the fear of the unknown.

When practiced inadequately, however, goal setting also has a severe disadvantage which can weaken ones success. Inaccurate goal setting makes people pessimistic, wastes their time and promotes misunderstanding about where to focus actions and energy. Goal setting, carried out poorly, inconsiderately, or for the mistaken reasons, can have a considerable negative impact on both people and organization business strategy. Organizations are often unsuccessful to achieve goals and intentional planning goals that are set top down, by decision-makers who lack fundamental information and are out of touch with organization disputes. The goals are improbable and they fail to regard as association resources and abilities. Workforce members do not think that the bonus they will be rewarded for goal achievement will be the same as the energy they spend to attain them. Commonly, administrators are anxious when they alarm job loss for breakdown. Moreover, too many goals make nothing a priority. People with too many goals experience these problems. They by no means feel as if they achieve an entire task. It is easier said than done to link their goal achievement to a reward and credit system that recognizes their achievements. They do not identify what is most essential to carry out next. They fall victim to the “check it off the list” condition where they check tasks of their list before the procedures have been incorporated by the association. Goal setting is an encouraging powerful, business performance when it tells the staff where he is going. Successful goal setting also demonstrates what accomplishment will appear like for the period of the journey and upon influx. When practiced badly, however, goal setting can unconstructively impact any organization in all the ways discussed, and more.

There are some essential conditions for any goal: The goal must be comprehensible, definite and assessable, not unclear or uncertain. An example: if one’s goal is to serve Muslims, this is not a specific or a measurable goal. This theory is derived from scientific books. The goal should include two elements: being determined and sensible at the same time.

For instance: if a scholar says, “My target is to pass my high school tests,” it is not a goal; since it is typical that everybody should want to pass. His or her goal should be, “I would like to accomplish so and so, my wish is to be a valedictorian, to win the Noble Prize, to get a PHD.” A goal should be motivated and sensible at the same time. It is not supposed to be a fancy. The goal should not be a self-interested selfish one, but it should be heading for towards helping the society. A selfish goal is a short term goal. A person might want to have a great company for him and so the company was built, but what is next? One day he will retire. That is why ones goal should be directed to the benefit of society. In that case, one’s life will end but his or her goals will not so this is a great aspiration and the vital goal. The more ones goals are directed towards pleasing Allah (SWT) and his or her country’s success, the greater the goals will be.

There are some aspects that anyone would need in order to achieve the planned goal, in particular the psychological qualities anyone would basically be in need of to reach the desired goal: First of all hope and optimism are very important . One should always be hopeful and optimistic. Being pessimistic will destroy any progress as a pessimistic person will always think that there is no hope so why should she or he work and exert effort it will be the same. On the other hand, an optimistic person will never lose hope. Moreover, patience, patience, patience. One has to be patient, and never give up hope or hurry. The problem is that youth try once or twice and when he or she fails they despair and say, “There is no use, I tried many times and I failed. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) tried with Arab tribes for twelve years, before he succeeded and went to live in Madinah. He tried twenty six times.

On the community level, goal setting seems to be of great importance. For example, the problem of informal settlements actually appeared in many countries like Egypt due to lack of planning. These settlements were built haphazardly by normal people. This led to many fatal problems. There inhibiters are buried alive. They are suffering from pollution and fatal diseases as there is no sanitation. They are suffering from lack of health care and in many of these settlements there is no a pure source of pure water or electricity. Applying goal setting will really help as it will help in evaluating the problem, knowing the reasons so as to eliminate them and changing the problem in to an advantage by making the best use of sources.

It is note worthy to mention the role of goal setting in solving the education problem in Egypt. The problem of education originates from the fact that there is no proper goal setting as the curriculum does not meet the market demands. Proper goal planning will help in assessing the current syllabus, changing the drawbacks and making the best use of its advantages; it will help in education reform.

To sum up, Setting goals, getting a plan, and staying focused equals success. Without goal setting, a person won’t be able to make a difference in his or her life. He or she won’t be able of enjoying success or feeling sorry for a failure. He or she will be a person with no goal to achieve; and no life to live. Goal setting can change a zero value resource turn into a 100 % value resource!