Goal setting. There are many ways to set goals. When dealing with project or task-related goals, making you accountable to others is a huge motivating factor in reaching the goal. Many times we set goals for ourselves, but rarely share them with others. There is a temptation not to meet the goal since no one is watching except you. DART goal setting is designed to help you maintain motivation in reaching the goal. It requires you to define or determine the goal, announce the goal, adjust it, and time lock it. Defining the goal is probably the easiest step. Write down what you want to accomplish and review it. Ask yourself if it is too vague. If it is, then you may need to write it again to be more specific. Next, announcing or making a public statement about the goal you want to achieve puts natural pressure to achieve the goal. If you tell your manager you will have the report done by the afternoon, you will do all you can to meet that goal. If you tell your project team that you will have the task completed by a certain day, you will feel a responsibility to the team, like the runner from the marathon team I mentioned earlier. In addition, when you publicly state your goals, you are inviting feedback that may help you revise your goals to be better. For instance, you may state that you will complete a task by a certain date. However, a colleague may inform you that an issue exists that may hinder your progress. This is information that should help you revise your goal with a better time frame. Setting goals does not have to be a daunting task. It should be quick and easy with plenty of opportunity for obtaining feedback from your peers and manager. DART is designed to help you hit your target.
