You have an idea of what you want to achieve and you are full of energy to reach your goals, but you find it difficult to make your goals concrete. Because how do you actually create a good goal that you can start working on immediately? Locke and Latham (2 psychologists and experts in "Goal setting theory") have established a number of conditions that a good goal should meet. These conditions will certainly help you:
1. Clarity
For the first factor, Locke & Latham assume that you cannot measure what you have not defined. A clear goal defines what the desired outcome is and how it can be measured. By describing in concrete terms what you want to achieve and the actions that go with it, it is understandable to everyone and you can constantly measure whether you are on track.
2. Challenge
A goal must contain a certain amount of challenge to keep you motivated. If a goal is too easy or too difficult, it will have a negative impact on your motivation and the challenge to achieve the goal quickly disappears. The trick is to find a balance between easy goals (realistic and achievable) and difficult goals (challenging).
3. Deployment
The commitment to achieving your goal depends largely on the comprehensibility of your goals and your own skills and abilities. Set goals that align with what you think is important and are within your knowledge & ability. Goals that are imposed on you are less motivating than goals that you set yourself. Choose achievable and positively defined goals that match your ambition.
4. Complexity
Also consider the difficulty of your goal. This is because the complexity of a goal greatly affects your motivation and productivity. A goal may be challenging but don't be too hard on yourself and be realistic. A well-formulated goal fits your role in terms of complexity, the influence you have from your position and the available time and resources.
5. Feedback
Look back at your goal regularly and track your progress. A good goal has a deadline but you should not check to see if you are on track only as that deadline approaches. After all, by then it will be too late. Ask for interim feedback so you can make timely adjustments. And the feedback does not always have to come from outside; take a critical look at your learning process yourself. Are you on the right track?