How to set goals and how to achieve them. Classic methods of goal setting and simple recommendations. How not to postpone everything for "next Monday" and turn dreams into reality through concrete actions.
Each of us has goals that we want to achieve. Or should have. Chances are, if you're choosing the freelancing path, going with the flow isn't your story. So let's take purposefulness as the default setting.
Goals may be different, but they all have the same mechanics - there are certain steps you need to take to achieve them. And now let's discuss goal setting, methods, subtleties and challenges on a freelancer's journey towards his dreams.
Setting goals
It is important to initially decide what goals you are going for. In matters of work, relationships, health, finances, housing and other aspects of life. Why it's important.
- Specifics. With a little thought, you can figure out what you want out of life and how to get there. Drifting aimlessly is sometimes fun, but it doesn't lead to results.
- Improved performance. If you know what you're going for, you do it better. Simply because you're already cutting off impractical steps and giving enough time to the right things.
- Faster results. Proper goal setting means you'll reach your goals faster if you have planning in place.
- Moral satisfaction. There's nothing sweeter than achieving success. If you set a goal accurately and arrive at it, it's a win.
So, let's set goals first. You probably already have them, you just need to structure and prioritize them. Here's how you can do that:
- Think things through well. Sit down in a coffee shop or by the river, be alone with your thoughts, and decide for sure what you want in this world. Try to look at your life from the outside and analyze it.
- Determine what you have now and what you lack. Honestly identify weaknesses that need improvement.
- Think about the future. The near future. And not so much - how you see old age and what you need to do to make it perfect.
- Think about how you see your perfect day now. What needs to change to make your dream a reality.
- Write down all your thoughts on paper.
- Organize your goals into a few of the most important areas.
- Get specific. Not just "become a cool designer", but "work 3 hours a day, take projects of the right subject, have such and such an income". Or instead of "travel" - "go to India for wintering this year".
- Distribute your goals into periods - for example, you want to increase your rate for work to a specific level in 3 months, and buy an apartment in Barcelona in 3 years.
Once the goals are set and structured, it's time to turn them into a plan. Take each goal separately, spell out the detailed steps you need to take to achieve it. For example, if your goal now is to find stable, high-paying projects to work on, then you need to do the following:
- Get training in your specialty by choosing an appropriate online course.
- Make a list of possible ways to get a job: exchanges, social networks, acquaintances, etc.
- And what it takes to do this - registration, portfolio, meetings.
- Prepare work tools: PC, programs, workplace.
Divide these steps into periods and put specific dates. The more fragmentation and specificity, the better. Today you'll take the first lesson, and tomorrow you'll read reviews of certain platforms for freelancers.
Systematicity is the key to success
If you just dream globally, everything can remain a dream. A small step every day will get you results. And looking at goals just once a year will leave you at the same level. Let's just say that 15 minutes of sport every day is always better than 2 hours once a week. And that applies to any area, any habit or skill. Just keep moving little by little. You may not feel progress right away. But when you look at the starting point six months from now, it will appear that a long way has been accomplished.
Write everything down. Get yourself a paper diary or download an app. It's really important - both for goal setting and problem solving.
Analyze your progress on a weekly basis to stay on track and make timely adjustments if necessary. Analyze whether you are getting closer to your goals and if not, what has become an obstacle.
Goal setting methods
It's going to be a bit stuffy now - we need to talk about the most popular goal setting methods after all. These are classics that can be found in any literature on time management, motivation and productivity. You can easily google all these terms and find more details if you get curious. So without the details, in brief:
SMART
One of the most common goal setting techniques used in both work team projects and personal life. The name is an acronym that means goals should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound.
OKR
If you have experience working in digital companies, you're probably already familiar with this term. It's a goal-setting method that means we set goals once a quarter based on necessary end goals. The key outcome has a specific numerical expression.
WOOP
Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan - you divide your goal into these 4 components. The idea is simple. You have a wish. You envision the outcome in great detail. You decide what the obstacles to that beautiful picture might be. And, with all the nuances in mind, you make a plan of action.
BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)
This is about global desires. You have to dream. And it's worth assuming that your dreams are achievable. Even going to space. Just think about what exactly it would take.
Some tips
Make sure that this is exactly your goal. Goals should reflect who you are and make you happy. Make sure that your desire is not imposed by society, environment, parents, partner and childhood traumas. Being a lawyer is prestigious in your grandmother's eyes, but you want to be a web designer, right? Don't give up on your dream, even if no one believes in you.
Create the conditions. It's hard to achieve something if everyone around you is against you. So make sure you have a comfortable place to study and work. And make acquaintances with like-minded people with whom you can discuss your concerns and get support. You'll generally find decent company on WAYUP courses - students chat and often keep in touch long after graduation.
Set healthy goals. Throwing yourself into a headlong rush is not an option. Think things through so you don't hurt yourself. You don't need to spend the last of your money on a powerful laptop if you can't afford to pay the rent. Or give up a stable job for the sake of an ephemeral dream that is far from being realized. Take small steps. Avoid burnout.
Enjoy the process. Forcing yourself to do something against your desire is a path to quick surrender. You'll just give up one day. Yes, there are moments that need to be endured for the future good. But if your entire journey consists of negativity, then maybe you should reconsider your goals altogether.
Don't berate yourself for falling behind. If you wanted to become a senior UX/UI designer in 2 years, but you became a strong middle, it's not a failure! It's a very cool progress. And even if you didn't accomplish the goal 100%, you still made enough progress.
And if the goal is completely distant, chances are it's not a priority for you. Think about it. Maybe you need to stop wasting time and energy on things you don't need and reconsider your life vectors.
Notice the contradictions between goals. If you suddenly decided to become a superman in 1 year, it is unlikely to work out. It is impossible to simultaneously get career development, train at the Olympic level, get a Grammy and sell author's sculptures. Even those people who are famous for their versatility came to this not immediately. And most often due to the presence of considerable capital, which initially had to be earned by hard work.
Accept the fact that it is impossible to be the best in everything at once. Prioritize. And think about the order of priority. If you want to build a house with your own hands, then it will be logical to first master a profession, achieve a good income and low employment, so that there was time for the rest.
Conclusion
Set yourself real achievable goals, back up your future success with time management skills. Don't take on too much and don't forget to enjoy life - we are not robots, you can't completely sacrifice your best years for a distant future.
Start small. Get training that will help you work remotely on a freelance schedule and get paid handsomely for it. This will give you the flexibility to pursue other life goals.
Graphic design, UX/UI, web development - pick a direction and go for it!