When setting goals, do you apply timeframes in an arbitrary way?
This is when your chosen timeframe doesn’t relate to the goal itself.
An example of this is attaching yourself to a general milestone. “By next year I will…”
Or it’s choosing a time period that sounds good but doesn’t account for all that needs to happen. “In 3 months I’ll be…”
An effective timeframe is one that considers the potential timing of the steps involved. When you understand the process that’s required to achieve a goal, you can then consider the intensity that’s required to make it happen sooner or later, and nominate a timeframe that you want to keep to.
And it’s always important to acknowledge how much of your goal is in your control. For example, you can apply yourself consistently with a job search, but there’ll always be a degree of luck involved. So if you set yourself a rigid timeframe for getting a new job, try not to grow despondent if you go past this arbitrary milestone with no outcome, particularly if you’re applying yourself really well.
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