GOAL Setting. A Practical Guide

Jan 2, 2025

It pays to plan ahead; it was not raining when Noah built the ark.

As the next phase of your life begins, you definitely have dreams and ambitions that you would like to accomplish. Gladly, you can do what Biblical Noah did—PLAN.

Planning is bringing the future to the present so that we can start to do something about it now.

Dreaming is wonderful, goal setting is crucial, but ACTION is supreme. All of us have dreams we would like to achieve, such as getting a better-paying job of one million shillings plus a month, losing fifteen kilograms of weight, purchasing a plot of land worth three million shillings, saving one hundred thousand shillings per month, traveling to a new place, learning a musical instrument, among others. This dreaming and aspiration is a valid natural given. Today, we look at goal setting, which puts us on an ACTION path so we achieve those dreams that have eluded us in previous years.

Creating a Road Map for the year ahead and beyond is not an event; it’s a process of disciplined effort that takes deliberate incremental action steps towards our dreams, executed over a consistent period of time.

Goal Setting is making a Plan of action based on what matters to you.

Ironically, the most important benefit of goal setting isn’t achieving your goals but what you do (effort) and the person you become in pursuing them. Either way, you set yourself up on a lifelong journey of continuous improvement, opening you up to a whole new understanding of self and, by consequence, self-mastery—an empowering disciplined control of self that takes responsibility without looking outside to apportion needless blame (kwekwasa).

Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term, but our everyday life is short-term; we dream for the future and live in the present. The present can produce many difficult challenges, and we need powerful long-range goals to help us get past those short-term challenges. Fortunately, the more powerful our goals are, the more we will be able to act on and guarantee that they will actually come to pass.

Goal setting is important because it provides clarity and focus. It shapes our dreams, giving us the ability to get to the exact actions we need to perform to achieve anything and everything that we desire in life.

Goals are great because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals, we must become better.

There is a phrase in Latin: Verba Volant-Scripta Manent. The English translation is: spoken words fly away—written words remain. If you do not want your goals to fly away, put them in writing, period.

In writing our goals to be practical, there are three cyclic stages: Starting Out, Deciding on your goals, and Support & Reward. These ensure effective and efficient attainment of goals. Let’s get started now:

Starting Out

The only way we can decide what we want in the future and how we’ll get there is to know where we are right now and what our current level of satisfaction is.

To begin with, ask yourself two questions and come up with five to twenty answers to each:

High Moments: What went well in the previous year?

Low Moments: What did not go well in the previous year?

These two questions have to be answered earnestly, and your answers should only be for those events that you have control over. If something did not go well that you couldn’t prevent or control, it doesn’t need to go on the list.

The list of what went well could entail: lost seven kilograms of weight, saved one hundred thousand per month, traveled to Moroto, and learned the basics of playing a guitar.

The list of what did not go well could entail: failed to secure a plot of land and did not get a better-paying job.

It is important to complete this list before doing any planning. We tend to overestimate what we can do in an average day but underestimate what can be done over the course of the year.

Looking at the previous year in review, you might be surprised at everything you’ve accomplished. This year, if you take this goal-setting process seriously, you will be even more surprised with how much you’ve done over the year.

As the months progress in the New Year, continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection. You will see just how much ground you’re gaining—and that will be exciting. Go ahead, scale up on your dreams and ambitions, riding on the wave of this excitement. Let it be a journey of continuous improvement.

Besides, this ‘What went well’ and ‘What did not go well’ gives you priceless feedback on what the coming year’s actions will be based on: continue, improve, or abandon. It is the baseline or foundation on which to move forward on your new year goals, by giving you a proper evaluation of your actions or inactions.

The benefit of this starting out as above is twofold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments in relation to the vision you have for life. Secondly, it shows you where you are so you can determine where you need to go.

Clarity of Purpose

Deciding on your Goals

Every year gives you another chance to approach life in a different way. Let’s not waste this year.

By now, you have a clear and intimate understanding of ‘What went well’ and ‘What did not go well’ for the previous year. It’s from this very minefield of feedback that you are going to decide on your goals for the current year. Remember only the stuff that is important to us, turning monuments of procrastination into actionable steps; abandoning unachievable and energy-sucking endeavors and building on the successes of the past year.

Through my six years of writing goals, I have realized that balance in life is of utmost importance. You don’t want to make loads of money and spend it all on repairing your health, which was on the line as you piled up the money!

I have come up with a set of ten (10) goal-setting areas which comprehensively cover a balanced life. These are: Goal Setting, Health & Fitness, Spiritual & Ethical, Knowledge & Enlightenment, Hobbies & Culture, Social, Education & Career, Finances, Investments, and Contingency.

Under each of these goal-setting areas, we have to break down action steps. As we go about that, we have to ensure they are realistic—don’t aim to save 400,000/= per month on a 500,000/= monthly salary; set a date for achievement or measure—so you know when to accomplish the action; be flexible—don’t make a rigid plan you will hate to live with as you progress in the year, you can always change your plan later for any reason. It’s yours, love it; take baby steps—break them down into small manageable units as you go along slowly but surely. Incomplete goals actions produce incomplete futures.

Now take time to be quiet, switch off all your mobile phones, don’t rush. Let’s move together through the 10 goal-setting areas, the rationale and benefit, as you come up with what is important for you as the action steps to follow through in the year. It could be just one or ten under each, but have a minimum of one on all to achieve the balance.

Goal Setting

This is the very first goal to set, as it sets the pace and gives you the how of managing all the other goals. The objective is to write, print, and sign your goals for the year, in this case, 2016. The result, therefore, would be a complete and detailed work plan for the year.

Action breakdown could range from: reviewing the previous year’s performance as in Part I of this article, actually writing down your goals, selecting goals reviewer or reviewers to enrich and critique your goals, putting in a provision for review—it could be monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly.

What is in it for you or your benefit or the ‘nfuniramu wa’?

You will have clarity of purpose throughout the year, provide you with a dreaming platform, futuristic contemplation, and it will sustain the foundation of continuous improvement for you.

Health & Fitness

The objective of setting this goal is to simply care for and nurture your physical and mental well-being. The result, therefore, would be a healthy and fit body that is immune to disease.

Actions breakdown could range from: a specific exercise regime like swimming every so often, jogging, blacklisting some food items or drinks, dental visits, medical tests and checkups lined up in the year, vaccination (Hepatitis B), deworming, to even donating blood. One of the most revealing medical goals I set was to floss every night after brushing. The benefit has been immense; I practically kicked out the irritating tonsillitis.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

Being in great health shape, pre-empt any health risks, and you could have that ‘killer’ body you have always dreamed of.

Spiritual & Ethical

The objective of setting this goal is to attain a balance in body and soul while being mindful of the afterlife. The result, therefore, would be peace of mind.

Actions breakdown could range from: defining your ethical standard, which could be treating others as you would like to be treated, attending religious houses, reading religious books, to writing a last will and testament (ekiramo).

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

Peace of mind, contentment, and the clarity of your life purpose.

Knowledge & Enlightenment

The objective of setting this goal is to seek, comprehend, and apply new and historical information for self-betterment. The result, therefore, would be knowledgeable in this competitive and dynamic information age.

Actions breakdown could range from: the number of books you will read, public seminars you attend, consistency in reading newspapers, seeking out wisdom-laden persons and listening to them, to yourself writing.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

You would have insight on issues, improve your reading culture, be up-to-date, and share what you know.

Hobbies & Culture

The objective of setting this goal is to pursue memorable enjoyable activities and be conscious of your origins. The result, therefore, would be a happy, memory-filled fun life, in touch with her origins.

Actions breakdown could range from: hiking that mountain, visiting your ancestors, taking that spontaneous road trip, to composing some music during your leave time, of course.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

You would refresh and reenergize, and it keeps alive the child in you.

As we proceed to the final sub-part of Part II, b, write out your action steps for the above five goal-setting areas. Reference to your ‘What went well’ and ‘What didn’t go well’ will come in handy. Plus, remember to dream on what is important to you, that which thrills you and makes life worthwhile.

Confused! You are getting there.

By now, you have ably written on the first five areas of goal setting. Next is the final five. Probably you have struggled to come up with action plans in each of the five. That’s a good thing as it’s proof of your thinking effort and you’re sieving through piles of thought.

As you move on to the next five goal-setting areas that complete the balance of life, you need to recap with the goal test check. These help you to focus on the main goal-achieving process. This question format checklist hones your action steps and further sieves out only that which is important to you:

• Why are you making this goal commitment? (Benefit)

• How are you making this goal commitment? (Action plan)

• How are you setting and prioritizing this goal commitment? (Implementation)

• How are you going to shake off paradigms that keep battling this goal commitment? (Keeping on course)

Life after University

Social

The purpose of setting this goal is to give and take the very best inspiration from your social surroundings. The result, therefore, would be a conscious, responsible social being.

Actions breakdown could range from: interactions with friends and family, finding and giving love, mentoring others (Personal Social Responsibility-PSR), to your own tailored social living setup.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

You will have a blueprint for dealing with social opportunities and pressures.

Education & Career

The purpose of setting this goal is to have a clear career and education plan that is in line with your aspirations. The result, therefore, would be a clear way forward on career and education annual actions.

Actions breakdown could range from: consistently delivering on your job, acquiring new knowledge through study, attending professional seminars, to providing leadership in whichever role you hold.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

Lay the foundation and build onto steps for your career aspirations.

Finances

The purpose of setting this goal is to take full responsibility for your finances: earnings, savings, and expenditures. The result, therefore, would be intimate and effective controls over your earnings, savings, and expenditures with their respective habits.

Actions breakdown could range from: Earnings: where you could commit to recording them, expanding them; Savings: forming your habit like agreeing on a portion of your earnings to save, where to keep them safely (investments or emergency fund on a bank account); Expenditure: you could commit to recording them. You will be pleasantly surprised at where your hard-earned money goes. Agree to live within your means so you don’t pile up unnecessary and drowning debt. You could put a cap on certain expenses like wedding meeting contributions.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

Ability to meet the basic needs and wants for a comfortable and desirable life devoid of ostentation.

Investments

“If you want a shade in old age, you have to plant the tree early in life,” so goes a saying that speaks to investment timing.

The purpose of setting this goal is to achieve financial freedom. The result, therefore, would be an independent-minded you, who spends your time in more meaningful ways.

Actions breakdown could range from: investments to acquire, dispose of, or maintain. These might be in real estate/land, shares at the stock market, a small business you run, provident fund at the office, the village SACCO, or investments club holdings.

What is in it for you or your benefit or ‘nfuniramu wa’?

Spot-on and quick investment decision-making, a step towards financial independence.

Contingency

The purpose of setting this goal is to complete the balance by capturing any goal action that doesn’t fall in the above nine.

In the pursuit of a balanced life, it’s prudent that we pilot our own dreams; we cannot entrust them to anyone else. People who aren’t following their own dreams resent us pursuing ours. Such persons feel inadequate when we succeed, so they try to drag us down; don’t be that, it isn’t progressive.

In the next article below, we conclude this series on goal setting. As you write out your action steps for each of your goal-setting areas, remember that for years we lined up in the banking halls within a specified time to withdraw or make payments. But thanks to the dreams of Safaricom mobile money, we can do that instantly on our mobile phones. Before that, someone dreamt of the mobile phone. The imaginative personalities overcame ridicule and doubt to pioneer this revolutionary money transfer service, and East Africa has never been the same. As they dream some more, your next loan will be disbursed to your mobile phone.

Many of us play small because we do not allow ourselves to dream. We trap ourselves in reality and never dare to go beyond what we can see with our eyes. We are enslaved by procrastination. Your predominant question should be why not, as opposed to self-doubt. Imagination lifts us beyond average by giving us a vision of life that surpasses what we are experiencing currently.

Dreams are fragile. Supply that extra dose of self-confidence in your pursuit. Dreams infuse our spirit with energy and spur us on to greatness. As you decide on your goals, never stop dreaming!

Satisfaction of Completion

Building a Support Group and Rewards

The image of the individualist achiever is irresistibly romantic, deeply entrenched, and completely misleading.

We all need help; lots of it, and it shouldn’t come from the same person. Save monogamy for your marriage life, and seek multiple professional/knowledgeable partners.

Identify and build a support group of people you can share your goals and aspirations with, and refer to for guidance and mentorship. If you want to achieve things, you can’t go at it alone. To achieve those lofty financial goals, seek the guidance of a rich friend or acquaintance who has done just that. To achieve those health goals, seek the guidance of your doctor or medical friend to give perspective on the risks of not! Let your religious friend/cell community/pastor/priest/vicar help with the spiritual goals.

Just as people change jobs, you should be changing your mentors. You need mentors at every stage of your goal-achieving process who are at varying stages of their own goal-achieving life, who will give insightful and diverse approaches—a circle of advisors giving a mixture of tough love, specialized advice, fresh insights, and clear direction for when you need it the most.

When someone knows what your goals are, they will hold you accountable by asking you to ‘give an account’ of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Most times, NO.

In life, you can’t play your cards right if you keep them close to your chest. Go ahead and have mentors for each of your goal-setting areas.

Rewarding oneself is a salient component in the goal-achieving process. Recognizing and celebrating your accomplishments, however small they are, by doing something you really enjoy—it doesn’t have to be expensive—you just have to derive satisfaction from it. This gives you a sense of completion, confidence, and most importantly, the motivation for the next task.

These rewards could range from buying that dress, an outing with the boys, buying that book, even a phone, watch, or even heading for that body massage.

To have the mentors and rewards in place, you need to take this goal-setting process seriously; otherwise, you will not attract the support you seek and therefore could have nothing to show.

New trends of ‘go with the flow’ and ‘YOLO’—you only live once—have become popular life philosophies lately. This seems to mean we cannot actually schedule things ahead of time. But this does not take into account the fact that our brains like patterns, routine, and organization.

Andrew Muhimbise

LIFE Philosophy: Simple Living, High Thinking.