Value-Based Goal Setting For Your Freelance Career

Values are the essence of who we are and what we are as a person. They are not something that we can simply modify depending on the situation, or else they could not be called conviction. Although refining one’s values is an ongoing and ever-changing process, the one thing that you should always remember in doing so is that any adjustment of your values should be a result of careful and meticulous assessment of your internal and external ethos. This is because recognizing our own values helps us keep in touch with ourselves.

In essence, our values are what makes up the moral code that we go by day to day. Simply put, these are the very things that we consider important and should never be a reflection of what other people have told us because it is an individual’s own representation.

Incorporating Values with Goal Setting

Goals are the results or achievements of which our efforts are directed into. They are the end point of what we strive for. Directing our values into the realization of our goals will help you create a path with your identity stamped onto it. Without this, we are most likely to end up trudging along on the wrong path with no clear target to aspire for.

Statistics have shown that almost 30% of the world’s population don’t have any goals set for themselves while only a measly 3% of people are able to achieve their goals. As a result, the former group does not have much while the latter group accomplishes a lot.

Although the remaining 70% of people have drawn up their own goals, only 10% aim for targets that are specific and well-defined. Having indefinite or no goals at all can result in various misses on one’s life. For one, the less specific your goal is, the more you’ll tend to wander aimlessly through life. A vast majority of people usually set goal baseds on what is in demand at the moment, as opposed to following their own interests and self-principles.

In freelance, this unclear goal setting can result in you falling well under your quota or failing to perform to your maximum potential.

In essence, putting emphasis on our values will enable us to set meaningful goals and in the process, it will also help us succeed in attaining them. Primarily, our values reflect the kind of person we are and show what our strengths are, thus incorporating our values towards achieving our goals will enable us to work using our true potential.

SMART Goal Setting

Goal setting is a key element to success in achieving any objectives we may have. There is a saying that states that the “failure to plan is planning to fail.” This is true in most cases since preparation is the foundation of all too many successful endeavors.

In setting goals, there are certain techniques which can be used to maximize your potential to succeed. Among these techniques, one of the most commonly and popularly used is the SMART goal setting.

SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.

Specific

It is important for your goals to be specific. This is done so that we are able to maintain our focus and we are clear on what path to take in reaching for our target.

Measurable

Measuring our goals will help us see where we stand at all times. Goals that we can’t measure are near impossible to manage. It is also important to create short-term measurements for goals i.e. if your goal is to set a specific income goal for every month of the year then it is best to set to have a couple of active projects every week.

Attainable

Whenever we identify what our goals are, one of the most important things to do is to check whether what we’ve set is attainable. Realizing that a goal is not within reach during the course of action will only lead to loss of commitment and ultimately will lead us to give up on the task. Setting goals that cannot be accomplished will only lead to frustration in the end.

Realistic

Having a realistic goal means that the goal must be doable. Being realistic toward one’s goals means that certain skill sets and resources must be available to complete the task. Too much difficult and we are only setting ourselves up to failure. On the other hand, a goal that’s too easy will not provide enough challenge for us and may be too small to warrant any effort from us. It is important that during the planning for our goals, we see to it that we set a bar that is realistic but is high enough for it to be satisfying in the end.

Time-Bound

Attaining one’s goals should always come with a timeframe. Since most often than not, people are only spurred to action whenever there are deadlines set since this creates urgency. Failure to create viable timeframes may lead people to become idle, believing that they can start at any time and thus making the process of realizing their goals a vague commitment.

A perfect example of having a SMART goal in one’s freelance career would be:

Instead of making a goal to earn as high as you could, create a target of reaching a specific income, say P25,000 a month. Having this kind of clear-cut, specific aim will certainly pave the way for more concrete actions on your part.

How about you, what are your SMART goals in your freelance career? Share you insights in the comment box below.

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