Leadership Magazines Leadership Magazine Issue 10 | Page 83

2 Make SMART and challenging goals. Many people have heard of the acronym SMART goals. For a goal to be SMART it must be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-targeted. While these standards are important, studies have shown that it’s also important for goals to be challenging. When people are told to “do their best” in achieving their goals, they do not perform as well as when they are expected to meet a challenging standard. Your goals need to be outside of your comfort zone, something that will motivate you to push yourself beyond your current limits. 3 Find a mentor and accountability partner. Studies have also shown that people are most likely to achieve their goals when they are provided positive, constructive feedback on their progress. Feedback is more effective when it is focused on behaviors and strategies rather than outcomes. It’s also important that feedback be tailored to the individual’s needs and be a two-way communication process. A goal shouldn’t be something that was thrust on you by your mentor, but something you are committed to achieve for yourself. Your mentor is there to motivate you, hold you accountable, and help you evaluate how well you’re doing and what you need to improve to reach your goal. 4 D efining your why will bring your goal to life. Believe in yourself. It’s been found that selfefficacy is important for keeping someone committed to their goals. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief that one has the capability or the power to produce an effect or, in this case, the belief you have that you can achieve your goals. Self-efficacy is not the same thing as self-esteem. People can be confident in their own self-worth and therefore have selfesteem, without believing that they have v