Advantages & Diadvantages of Goal Setting

Setting goals offers advantages and disadvantages

Setting goals is an important part of accomplishing any major task. Goals can clearly define a task and provide motivation to complete it. They also can help prevent individuals and organizations from drifting along without a purpose.However, unrealistic goals or goals that do not include a plan to achieve them can cause frustration and stress

Clarity of Purpose

Setting a goal can clarify what you want and the reason for wanting it. For example, one person might say, "I want to save some money for retirement." A second person might say, "I want to have $500,000 by the time I reach 60 so that I can afford to retire and move to Florida to be with my grandchildren." The second individual has established a concrete goal and a reason for wanting to achieve it, which can increase the chance of success.

Motivation

Goals can create motivation, which can increase as the target gets nearer. A person may have the desire to fit into a favorite pair of jeans that haven't been worn in years. As the person embarks on a weight-loss program and sheds a few pounds, the jeans become a little easier to button along the way, which can provide the impetus to stick to the plan.

Problem Solving

Goals can help provide a solution to a serious problem. Taking the issue of weight loss a step further, a morbidly obese individual can set weight-loss goals to improve health. By setting incremental weight loss goals over an extended period of time, the individual can reverse medical conditions like high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol.

Added Pressure

A disadvantage of setting goals is that it can put extra pressure on an individual, especially if the goals are set by someone else. A sales person may be told that he needs to increase sales volume by 20 percent over the previous over, even though his top account has gone out of business. The salesperson may have to work unusually long hours to achieve the goal.

Frustration

Frustration can result if goals are unrealistic or progress is perceived as slow. One way to avoid the frustration is to break a large goal into smaller goals that are fairly easy to attain. A sense of satisfaction can result from meeting each small goal and take the immediate focus off of needing to reach the long-term goal.

References

• Maryland.edu: Setting Goals for Success
• Hypno-plus.com: Goals