Goals

Goals from a Viking perspective means being a good merchant

In the ancient Viking rules, we find §3 Be a Good Merchant with the sub-items

 * Find out what the market needs 
 * Don’t promise what you can’t keep 
 * Don’t demand overpayment 
 * Arrange things so that you can return

Goals and Objectives

Defining goals and objectives is crucial. Without them you are not likely to be successful, you will be disappointed, run out of time, energy and/or money before you reach your success. A good goal definition keeps you focused. The goals define WHAT you want to reach and the objectives describe the steps HOW you will work towards the goal. Goals and objectives must have a purpose and must be measurable. You and other people must be able to assess whether the goal/objective was reached at a certain point in time and to what extent.

If you listen to successful people they have a clear vision of their goal and they have focus. A clear vision is best achieved with an active mental image of the goal. Visualization is an important tool that can help you motivate yourself and focus better to achieve your goals. The quality of goals can be measured with the SMART criteria.

SMART goals

The quality of goals can be measured with the SMART criteria. SMART is an abbreviation, and the letters are used in several ways depending on the authors. We have selected one of the most common interpretations and give some hints to alternatives as well. Sometimes, even more than the five SMART criteria are used, leading to the word SMARTER.

Goals must be Specific

Alternatives: **R**ecorded, **T**angible\\ A //specific// goal is clear and unambiguous. It states //what// is expected, //why// is it important, //where// does it happen, //who// is involved, and //which// properties are important. A good way to be specific is using an image of the goal. Make your goals **concrete**. When you set up goals, you can, for example, decide which grade level you want to achieve, how much time you will spend on a daily basis to study and what to prioritise.

Goals must be Measurable

Alternatives: **R**esult-based, **T**raceable\\ A //measurable// goal has concrete criteria for measuring progress. These can be quantitative or qualitative criteria. The measuring helps tracking status and evaluating the distance to the goal. Quantitative criteria help tracking status. Qualitative criteria help to trace process and direction.

Goals must be Attainable

Alternatives: **A**chievable, **R**ealistic, **S**ustainable, **M**anageable, **R**easonable\\ An //attainable// goal is achievable for the involved person(s). This depends on the involved people and their previous achievements, as well as on the time-frame of the goal. This way, the goal is not extreme. This criterion leads directly into the planning phase.

Goals must be Relevant

Alternatives: **A**greed, **A**ligned, **E**thic, **S**ignificant, **M**otivational, **M**eaningful, **A**mbitious\\ A //relevant// goal matters for the involved person(s) and avoids taking goals that are too easy. A relevant goal is worthwhile, requires effort, comes at the right time, and fits you/the team. This way, you feel ownership, you experience positive feelings, and you feel responsibility for reaching it. Finally, a relevant goal is also ethic, that is it meets your moral standards.

Goals must be Time-bound

Alternatives: **T**ime-based, **T**imed\\ A //time-bound// goal is put within a time-frame, establishing a sense of urgency and giving a target date. That helps to focus the efforts. This way the goal survives the day-to-day crises that invariably arise. Again, this criterion leads directly into the planning phase.

Good goals or Should goals

SMART goals have a personal touch. The criteria A (achievable) and R (relevant) are personal. They distinguish between //good goals// and //should goals//.

If you look at others for the goals, then you often end up with should goals. You feel obliged to take this goal because others have set similar goals, others expect this from you, or it fits the trend, your career, your status. A good goal is something you desire and burn for, something compelling, exciting, thrilling and scary. Such a goal will create change take you out of your comfort zone.

External links

 * [A key to achieving your goals]
 * [Visualization - The only thing your are not doing to achieve your dreams]
 * [Criteria] A description of the SMART criteria on Wikipedia.
 * [The Smart Project] Resources on SMART Goals and Objectives.
 * [How to write SMART goals from a business perspective?]
 * [How to write SMART goals from a health care perspective?]
 * [to write SMART goals from an informal (exercise) perspective?]

Types of Goals

In psychology there is a whole theory on goal setting, realization, motivation and positive feelings. Goals serve as regulators of human actions and specific goals give better results than vague, general goals. Difficult goals give better results than easy goals.

Process goals and Performance goals

Different overlapping terms are used to identify different goals (Mastery performance goals pintrich.pdf; Productivity creative goals shalley.pdf). In general the division that is agreed on is between:

 * 1. **Process goals**, also named **Creative goals** or **Mastery goals**
 * 2. **Performance goals**, also named **Productive goals**.

Process -, Creative -, Mastery goals focus on improvement of performance or behaviour in terms of novel, appropriate. These goals focus on effort, stamina, change, strategy, actions in order to reach the goal. The person wishes to improve him/herself and assesses against previous mastery.

Performance -, Productive goals focus on single outcome, standards coming from elsewhere. The goals have a clearly defined outcome, level, or time limit. The person wishes to do better than someone else, to win from someone else etc.

In general //process goals// give people more satisfaction than performance goals. If you do not reach your performance goal, the fact that you fail is obvious and gives you negative feelings. This is closely related to the effects of having a Fixed Mindset. Goals setting causes attention and action so that aspects of a job for which no goals are set will be ignored or neglected. With a productive goal the productivity will rise but negative effects on process/creativity may arise. A person may be more productive at work, for example sales figures are rising, more reports are being written. However, this person may neglect colleagues and team-work, resulting in poorer performance in other areas, or more pressure and work for others.

Performance goals are less likely to result in negative feelings because of failure. You can try alternative routes and feel reward in the effort you have put in. A mistake is a step that helps you to get to your goal. This is closely related to having a Growth Mindset. Process goals are likely to be pursued holistically, meaning that there is less tendency to ignore or neglect other people or other tasks.

Dream goals and Implementation goals

Dream goals are goals that you wish would be realized. They can be vague as well as clear, but they are not planned. There is no intention to implement them, thus there are no actions or steps taken to realize the dream goals. Implementation goals are intended to be realizes. The are planned: steps and actions are taken in order to reach the goal. The goals can be process goals or performance goals.

Cultural differences: Independent goals and Interdependent goals

Goal setting and the feeling related to them is different for people from different cultures. In cultures where independence is highly valued, people prefer to choose their own goals, they select goals that make them stand out and pride is a positive attribute. Consequently, they are more successful when they have freedom of choice and are able to choose independent goals. In cultures where interdependence is highly valued, people appreciate the family's and/or the group's well-being. They will choose more harmonious goals that benefit the in-group members and their feelings. They are more successful and happy when selecting interdependent goals. They are likely to choose a goal that is not their own but their parents' or the group's goal (Goals cultureoishi.pdf).

Mindset from a Viking perspective means being brave and aggressive

In the ancient Viking rules, we find §1 Be Brave and Aggressive with the sub-items

 * Be direct 
 * Grab all opportunities 
 * Use varying methods of attack 
 * Attack one target at a time 
 * Use top quality weapons

Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset

Based on current psychological insights and research, mindset is defined as how you perceive intelligence and talents. There are two basic mindsets that you can have, a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset considers intelligence as something that is fixed and cannot be changed, but only be used or not used. A fixed mindset has a passive relation to reality and understands the real world as a limitation. Such a mindset provides stability and safety, as long as the environment is mostly stable.

A growth mindset considers talents as starting point that develop according to the use of them. A growth mindset has an active and creative relation to reality and understands the real world as an invitation for change. Such a mindset provides change and development in changing environments.

Mindset is not something you can change from day to day, it is a state of mind that is very much you and goes back to the way you were raised and educated. However, you can change your mindset over time.

The book 'Mindset' by Carol S. Dweck, Stanford University, describes and has proven how important the mindset is. She elaborated on the crucial differences that occur in education, learning and beyond, in your mindset. Success and how much you learn and grow throughout your life depends largely on the type of mindset you have. Dweck addresses educators and teachers and it is particularly important for those who work in these professions and/or have children to take notice of her ideas and research. Yet, also managers and team leaders and adult learners can learn from 'Mindset', because the way you view yourself and others and the way you judge and give feedback greatly influences whether learning and growth take place or not.

  * The Nature of Change
  * Take the test "Test your mindset"
  * Mindsets and math/science achievement

Video resources:

  * The Power of Yet, Prof. Carol, S. Dweck, TEDX
  * A Mindset for Success : Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
  * The Power of Belief:  Mindset and Success, Eduardo Briceno, TEDX