Goal setting is the process of deciding what you would like to accomplish and then make a plan to achieve the desired result. Now while everyone has goals and aspirations, not everyone knows how to achieve those goals.   

Vision is great. In fact, it is the starting point for all big things to come. But vision means very little unless executed.

If you do not invest at least a certain amount of effort, you won’t get results. Based on the nature of the goal, the effort required may vary but the rule remains that you need to be engaged in following thorough.

A vision for personal goals could be for anything ranging from improving your health, mastering a culinary skill, becoming a better person or even becoming more sociable when in company. In fact, it could be anything that empowers you as a person or makes you feel like an achiever.

If vision defines your goals then execution gets you to those goals. The success of any individual or business organization relies on its potential to convert a plan into reality. People who follow through putting their plan into action with a solid strategy often achieve those goals.

Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that ideas are worthless without execution. Anyone who has ever attained their goals will also tell you the same. That is why the two need to be brought together so that results get produced. However, there is an entire process from vision to execution which we will look at very briefly here and in greater detail elsewhere. Step by step is the way to go.

Executing an idea can be very difficult which is why ultimately not every good idea becomes an instant hit. Sometimes, people decide not to do anything about their ideas and ideas get forgotten. Other times it can be external factors like lack of knowledge or mismanagement that kills off an idea before anything can happen. 

We already touched upon the importance of effective communication earlier, so let’s elaborate that thought a little here. The problem remains that most leaders tend to under communicate by a huge factor.

Even if you are saying it enough times, are you sure that everyone can hear your message? This brings us to another reason why good strategies often fail.

Company success and failure are dictated by decision making. The same also applies when you think about achieving personal and not business goals. Among these, poor decision making can kill a good strategy if people in the organization do not see it as a source of strategy failure.

Another good reason why a perfectly workable strategy doesn’t work is because you hand it to the wrong person to execute. Often times, implementing a new strategy involves hiring or promoting an employee specifically tasked with executing that particular strategy. 

Both these factors make up for poor communication. If a plan is based on wrong assumptions due to insufficient data or even misunderstood data then the drive towards execution will be a disaster from the start. A relatable example would be miscalculating financial estimates or even the number of people required for executing the plan.

When you implement a strategy you need to give it time to produce results. If the results do not come quickly enough, don’t start to tinker with the strategy.

Strategy execution is much like going on a trip towards a planned destination. Time for another example.

The journey of any successful execution begins with strategy planning. This component is important as it comes before taking any action.

This stems directly from strategic planning where not having clear cut goals will make execution run amok. Whether you are an individual working for achieving personal goals or a business striving for successful expansion, your goals need to be defined clearly.

The manner in which businesses communicate and involve employees in latest strategies is crucial for promoting implementation. Statistics reveal that an approximate 65% of employees do not get their roles when different initiatives are introduced. 

Communication, as mentioned before kind of falls in both the planning as well as the action phase of the process. So let’s stick to calling it a parallel between the two.

Integral to making sure that execution stays on track, it is important to keep a close eye on results.  This means that having a goal isn’t enough by itself. You also need to have some system of tracking your movement towards that target.

Looking at bottom line results in areas such as spending, sales or profits does not help understand how or why you reached those figures or how to improve performance.

To understand the importance of accountability, here is an example:

Setting S.M.A.R.T goals is a way to make sure that your goals are all the things that will help you get to where you want to go. Here is what each letter of the word SMART signifies:

The GROW model offers the coach a simple yet effective framework for goal setting and problem solving. The grow model works with a collaboration between a coach and a student to work towards achieving goals.

Define and agree on the goals to be achieved. Coaching begins with determining a relevant goal. This could be anything from, a developmental goal, a performance goal, a problem to tackle, or even a decision to make. Such individual goal setting is very important for execution as we have previously seen in earlier chapters.

Options is when the individual explores and identifies ideas and solutions.

This is the final component of the GROW model where the will or the way forward for execution is established. In other words, the action plan for the next step is determined.

The GROW model coach only acts in the capacity of a facilitator assisting the client to choose the best alternatives without offering any advice or a direction.

Excuses are easier to come up with than reasons for not doing something. They can vary from not having enough time to the economy being bad or the competition too high. In any case, excuses paralyze you and stop you from executing anything at all. Most excuses come up when you feel fearful, anxious, uncertain or just plain lazy. 

It is very important that your goal means something to you. Now, this may start to sound redundant as the same has been mentioned elsewhere in the book as well. But because it is so important in the process of achieving a goal, it needs to be emphasized once again.

Setting your priorities straight and focusing on one goal at a time. When you divide your attention, energy and focus into too many parts, you fail to hone your expertise and skills where they could flourish the most.

When you fail to plan, you also plan to fail. A good plan is integral to achieving goals and bridging the execution gap as it gives you direction and helps you stay on track. Not having a plan will have you running amok.

Working within a time frame establishes a sense of urgency and focus. This alone should be enough to get anyone going towards their goal. But if you do not give yourself a deadline and keep things open ended, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

If you give up when the going gets tough, you won’t be reaching that goal. We all live in a world that seeks out instant gratification and when perseverance doesn’t deliver, quitting is viewed as an acceptable option.

It is a feeling of reluctance that stops a person from trying new things or getting involved in challenging projects.

Know that things may not always go as planned. But you cannot let this uncertainty stop you from taking a chance. Instead, set yourself up for success by having a great vision and then a solid plan to back it up. Some ways that you can reduce the fear of failing can include the following.

Many people experience a fear of failure because they fear the unknown. This can stop you or make you uncomfortable from setting goals.

Action gives you the power to change the circumstances or the situation. If one strategy fails to produce results, do things differently. Instead, most people stop doing anything at all.

Sometimes it is just better to take a break. This does not mean that you give up on your goals but simply that you redirect your focus elsewhere- temporarily.

You have come full circle by learning all there is to know about goal setting, achieving your goals and handling any hurdles that come along the way, we hope that you can put this information to the test.