Build Hope by Setting Goals

Did you know that setting goals is one way of increasing positivity?  Hope is a positive emotion about the future.  People who are hopeful have goals that they want to achieve and they develop plans in order to meet their goals.  So setting goals both for yourself and for your organization can increase positivity by increasing hope.

Here are some guidelines that can be followed to maximize the impact that goal setting can have on hope:

1. Set stretch goals that are specific and challenging but not impossible.
2. Break goals down into subgoals that allow you to see progress and to celebrate small wins along the way.
3. Develop at least one alternative pathway for achieving your goal.  Knowing that you have a contingency plan in case problems arise is key for instilling hope.
4. Recognize when your original plan is not working so that you know when to move on to your alternative pathway.
5. Know when to regoal or change your goal.  There will be times when achieving a goal is not feasible or when the original goal is no longer desirable.  Rather than giving up on a goal, replace the goal with another one that is more worthy of your effort.  Hope will remain as you redirect your energy toward the new goal.

A final way to increase positivity through goal setting is to visualize your goals coming to fruition.  Visualization activates the same brain areas as actually carrying out those visualized actions.  Hope and positivity will rise as you experience the feeling of achieving your goals.

Are you hopeful about the future?  You can increase your positivity ratio by setting stretch goals with realistic subgoals, by making sure you have a contingency plan if obstacles are faced, and by recognizing when to replace your original goal with a more appropriate goal.  As a leader you can increase organizational positivity in the same way.  And don’t forget to visualize achieving your goals and to share your vision with others.