Goal Setting
Theory And Practice

Welcome to the Goal Setting Theory page. This web site is about setting and achieving personal goals. To see more goals articles please go to our achieve your personal goals or setting goals pages.

You might think that goal setting theory is a waste of time. After all, who cares about the theory? It's practical tips that most poeple want.

However, there's a good reason to try to understand why goals can be difficult to achieve and what you can do about it. If you come to know the goal setting theory that lies behind the practical tips, it may well increase your confidence that the tips will work. If you have more confidence then you're more likely to take action.

In 1960 Dr Maxwell Maltz wrote a ground-breaking book on goal setting theory called PsychoCybernetics. In it he explained that our self-image is the key to achieving our goals.

The goal setting and achieving mechanism is as follows:

Step 1 With your conscious mind you set a goal

Step 2 This goal is then 'reviewed' by your self-image

Step 3 Your self-image then passes on action instructions

Step 4 These instructions are received by your servo-mechanism

Step 5 Your servo-mechanism carries out the orders

Now, if you imagine this to be a chain of command, there are various links in the chain where the wrong message can get passed on.

In particular, your self-image may refuse to believe in the goal and will not pass on appropriate action instructions. If you look at achieving your goal as 'getting' what you want, then there needs to be a three stage process:

BE - DO - GET

In other words, goal setting theory says that you can't get your goal until you take appropriate action (the DO bit), and you can't take that action until become the type of person who takes this action (the BE bit).

Fortunately, your self-image cannot distinguish between 'reality' and the pictures you visualize in your mind. So a key step in achieving your goals is to work on a mental self-image that will match the practical goal you are seeking to achieve.

If you'd like to read more about this topic, please go to my Pscycho-Cybernetics page. Also, you can see many readers' comments on the book at amazon.

Would you like to receive our free monthly ezine GOALS Alert? For details please click Goal Setting Theory

MAKE YOUR GOALS HAPPEN
Ranelagh.
Precelly Crescent.
Goodwick, UK SA64 0HF
0044 1348 872491

©Copyright 2004 by Stuart Warner. All rights reserved.

Contact Stuart | Site Map 1 | Site Map 2

For more information on achieving your personal goals please click on Personal Goals to return to the Make Your Goals Happen home page.