How to Set Personal Goals and Achieve Them: 3 Tools and Techniques

Setting personal goals is essential for achieving success and fulfillment in life. In our personal strategic planning course, we delve deeply into this topic. One of its lessons specifically focuses on providing and practicing tools and techniques for identifying and setting your goals effectively. 

If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind

– Seneca

In this article, we will explore different methods to set meaningful individual goals. One approach we will discuss is the concept of Ikigai, a Japanese term that translates to “a reason for being.” It encompasses finding a purpose or direction in life that brings satisfaction and a sense of meaning. We will examine the different dimensions of Ikigai and how it can guide our goal-setting process.

Additionally, we will explore the Wheel of Purpose, an alternative approach to finding your vocation. This model assesses four axes: obsession, talents, fortune, and values, to help you evaluate your desired activities and determine a worthy candidate for your life’s purpose. It’s important to note that these methods are subjective, and self-evaluation can be challenging. 

I hope you will gain insights into different approaches to identifying and setting personal goals.  

Express Strategic Intelligence Quotient Assessment

To get the most out of this reading, we recommend taking a quick self-assessment. This will help you apply the new knowledge more effectively and achieve better results.

Unlock your potential with 5 essential metrics:

1. Strategium Personal Score - track 20 key areas of life.
2. External Trend Impact - assess your environment.
3. Personal Enhancement Mode - level of effort required.
4. Strategic Planning Horizon - advised planning period.
5. Strategium Intelligence Quotient - your new benchmark.

Unlock Your Personal Goals with Powerful Tools for Success

In developing a personal strategy, it is crucial to dedicate ample time to analyze our surroundings and internal priorities. This approach not only helps us gain clarity in defining our goals but also allows us to envision a future filled with purpose. Let’s explore a couple of methods that can be employed to analyze and set personal goals.

To begin, let’s delve into the different categories of goal-setting based on the sources of goals (by A.Prigogine):

1. Passive Goal Setting: My goals arising from vital or psychological needs, existing problems, or threats.
2. Adversarial Goal Setting: My goals emerging from mutual comparison, competition, or clashes of interests.
3. Values-Based Goal Setting: My goals stemming from a vision of the future, ideals, and mission.

This straightforward graphical representation illustrates that our goals should not solely rely on our present circumstances.

It is essential to consider our future selves and the environment we envision. Planning for the future requires looking beyond our current perceptions and acknowledging how life’s attributes may evolve. The longer the planning horizon we set for ourselves, the more critical this factor becomes.

In our journey, we will embrace all these goal-setting categories. Each category is vital in our work toward personal growth and achievement.

Unveiling Ikigai: Discovering Your Meaningful Life Purpose

Ikigai, a profound and well-established approach rooted in Japanese philosophy, offers valuable insights into setting and pursuing your aspirations and personal goals. Let’s explore its significance and implications, drawing upon insights from Wikipedia.

Ikigai (生き甲斐) (pronounced [ikiɡai]) is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” The word refers to having a meaningful direction or purpose in life, constituting the sense of one’s life being made worthwhile, with actions (spontaneous and willing) taken toward achieving one’s Ikigai resulting in satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life. Concept of this idea comes from a larger and more inclusive philosophy used within the Japanese traditional health system called the Wuxing that was introduced into Japan in the early 6th century from China and embraced by local folk religion and culture.

Ikigai can describe having a sense of purpose in life, as well as being motivated.[citation needed] Psychologist Michiko Kumano describes Ikigai as eudaimonic well-being, as it “entails actions of devoting oneself to pursuits one enjoys and is associated with feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment.” The word Ikigai is also used to describe the inner self of an individual, and a mental state in which the individual feels at ease. Activities that allow one to feel Ikigai are not forced on an individual; they are perceived as being spontaneous and undertaken willingly.

This revelation looks empowering and comforting. One might think we can swiftly identify personal goals and aspirations with such an exceptional approach.

However, I have a suspicion that discovering Ikigai is not a quick or methodical process. Rather, it may signify a state of happiness and the successful implementation of a life strategy—an integrated indicator encompassing various aspects of life. Let us explore and discern these elements.

The diagram below provides a framework for unraveling the concept:

Examine the diagram above and contemplate the following questions, tailoring your responses to your unique circumstances:

1. I like to do:
   Identify your priorities, values, principles, and activities you currently aspire to engage in (superficial personal goals).
2. Can do:
   Reflect upon your abilities and competencies that enable you to carry out specific tasks or endeavors.
3. Needed by People:
   Consider the needs of individuals or organizations you can fulfill through your skills and capabilities.
4. Paid:
   Deliberate what people are willing to pay for, which contributes to your resources, growth, and prosperity. This pertains to the value you bring and the remuneration it attracts.

Unlike the lesson in our course, where we analyzed our current competencies, this exercise emphasizes what we desire to do.

According to our article’s premise, we have yet to discover our Ikigai and aspire to achieve it. Given our current stage of development, we contemplate what our unique Ikigai might be.

I encourage you to embark on this exercise for self-discovery, and I will do the same.

Discovering Ikigai: My Journey in Pursuit of Personal Goals

To understand Ikigai, let’s delve into its four areas and carefully analyze how my interests align with them.

Unveiling My Passions

In one of the lessons, I briefly mention multidisciplinary concepts in economic management. As I reflect on this, it becomes evident that developing and implementing such ideas represents the pinnacle of my chosen path. It entails envisioning a global economy governed by my research, harmonizing it to enhance life on Earth, eradicate poverty, and optimize overall efficiency within the Noosphereum eOS project. 

At this moment, nothing appears more ambitious or captivating than this magnific endeavor (more details in the personal strategy course).

Unleashing My Skills to Clarify Personal Goals

Continuing our exploration clockwise, I contemplate my ability to craft these concepts. Currently, I possess a rudimentary framework for such a system, drawing on existing and emerging technologies. Further refinement is necessary before unveiling it to the public.

However, a dilemma arises. I was engrossed in this course, leaving me to ponder whether I should divert my focus to pursue my profound interest. Nevertheless, abandoning this course would impede its completion, just as halting the development of my strategy would stifle my progress. What if unforeseen circumstances arise or the realization of Noosphereum surpasses my physical capabilities? Such scenarios are plausible and should be taken into account when setting personal goals.

Therefore, I choose to persist with the course, as its development provides almost immediate benefits. Firstly, my project holds a global scope, necessitating a mastery of English across various domains such as economics, management, information technology, and politics. Mastery must extend to expert levels, yet my current command of English falls short. Thus, a disparity arises between my aspirations and my present capabilities.

Secondly, effective promotion of this project requires exceptional public speaking skills, delivered eloquently. I must strive for speeches that rival those witnessed at TED conferences. While I possess experience in corporate events, I acknowledge the need to develop this aspect further.

Thirdly, staying abreast of pivotal technological advancements relevant to my project appears crucial. This task appears manageable, given my existing knowledge and ability to navigate such developments.

Urgent Needs of Humanity and the World

I must acknowledge my inherent bias, but the outcomes of this project are not merely essential for individuals but for the entire world and all living beings that call Earth their home. The magnitude of human civilization’s detrimental impact on the environment has reached alarming proportions, endangering countless species, including our own. We have inadvertently placed ourselves at risk. That is why a shift towards a new developmental paradigm is imperative to alter our current trajectory. It is a paradigm where personal goals are directly related to the goals of civilization.

This new paradigm, one that fosters balanced progress, necessitates the creation of appropriate tools for economic management. With the assistance of an international team, I aim to develop these tools.

The project’s ambition is undeniable, and it brings forth several additional advantages for individuals.

Firstly, it offers a pathway for long-term career planning. Imagine if prospective employers or partners were aware of an individual’s specific personal strategy. In a decade, that person would likely become a specialist in a particular field, precisely the kind of expertise our project would require. With a few clicks on a computer, a mutually binding contract could be established. The company would gain a specialist, eliminating the need for a lengthy search, and simultaneously, the individual would secure employment. This hypothetical scenario showcases one of the services that our system could potentially provide.

Secondly, have you ever pondered over what your pension will amount to? Will it be measured in loaves of bread, nuts, or even clothing? I, too, lack certainty in this regard. However, the economic relations system we are developing will grant you instant knowledge of your pension status at any given moment. Regardless of your salary, you will have full visibility into your bank account and how your pension has evolved, knowing that it is not solely reliant on your income.

Financial Viability

Now, let’s address a crucial aspect: the financial feasibility of this work. Will people be willing to invest in such a visionary project? While some individuals may dedicate their lives to creating a brighter future, uncertainties remain regarding the involvement of professional investors. Should I consider organizing a crowdfunding campaign or exploring the concept of an Initial Coin Offering (ICO)? (If unfamiliar with these terms, a quick search will provide clarification.)

At present, we can only speculate on the potential value of a project of this magnitude. An end-to-end integrated planning company for the global economy, managing transactions from personal handheld devices to global production balances, could conceivably rival the combined worth of industry giants such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook.

However, it is undeniable that the implementation of such a project would require substantial financial resources, amounting to millions of dollars. Therefore, the question of financial support remains unanswered. I will analyze this issue in more depth in the lessons about strategic initiatives.

As we conclude this exploration of Ikigai, it becomes evident that unraveling our true purpose and aligning it with meaningful endeavors requires introspection, skill development, and consideration of broader societal needs. While the path may be challenging, the potential rewards—both personal and global—are immeasurable.

Now, it is time for you to undertake the exercise and explore your aspirations within the framework of Ikigai.

Exploring an Alternative Personal Goals Setting Approach: 20 Areas fo Life

Some time ago, I had the opportunity to delve into Larissa Parfentieva’s book, “100 Ways to Change Your Life.” Within its pages, an intriguing perspective on Ikigai and an alternative method of discovering one’s purpose caught my attention: the Wheel of Vocation.

Let me share a brief excerpt that challenges the conventional Ikigai framework:

“When attempting to find my vocation through this approach, it left me feeling disheartened. At the onset of the journey, answering questions such as ‘Will people want or pay for it?’ is often challenging. While opening a bakery guarantees a demand for bread and monetary compensation, what do you do when your soul’s passion does not align with such tangible products?”

The author further asserts that the criterion of monetary compensation eliminates many activities that society or individuals genuinely need.

In this regard, I would like to emphasize that any occupation should yield at least some income. Otherwise, it loses its practicality, hindering your ability to maintain the desired standard of living. This could be wrong personal goal. Your task, therefore, is to transform your beloved pursuit into a profitable venture.

To address this, the author proposes assessing your purpose using a wheel metaphor, encompassing four key dimensions: obsession, talents, fortune, and values.

But is that enough in today’s world?

The 20 areas of life can serve as a more comprehensive system. Such a radar or spider diagram is an assessment tool I use to evaluate strategic management systems in companies. It is an adapted version for personal planning. As you can see, this assessment system includes 20 criteria, unlike the four-criteria approach considered.  

For each desired activity, assign a score to represent its alignment with each axis. Consequently, each activity will create a distinct curve on the diagram. The option that maximizes the fulfillment of all axes becomes a worthy contender for what you seek: valid personal goals.

If you like, you can do this work as an addition. However, it will come in handy when you have several equally weighted options and need a quantitative analysis. This is a rare situation. For now, let’s limit our study to Ikigai.

The Unexpected Threat: Subjectivity of Self-Evaluation

I believe that anyone can undertake a standard Ikigai analysis. However, it is essential to note that all such self-evaluations are inherently subjective. We evaluate ourselves, which can lead to significant misconceptions.

External perspectives alone cannot eradicate subjectivity. Friends, relatives, and colleagues lack objectivity, and even strangers are unlikely to comprehend the full extent of your background. Therefore, in one of our course lessons, we will strive to assess ourselves objectively, employing specialized tests that surpass the breadth of those we explored in the human intelligence lesson.

You should know that the journey to finding your true calling is not a linear path but a continuous exploration and refinement of your passions, aspirations and personal goals. By embracing the power of purpose, navigating the Wheel of Vocation, seeking objectivity, and charting your path forward, you can cultivate a life of meaning and fulfillment. May your pursuit of your vocation lead you to a deeply gratifying and purpose-driven existence.

Conclusion on Personal Goals: Analysis and Reflection

This article is based on one of the lessons of our personal strategy workshop and serves as a foundation on setting and achieving personal goals. Throughout this article, we’ve explored transformative concepts like Ikigai and the Wheel of Purpose, providing you with tools to better understand and pursue your life’s calling.

In conclusion, the journey to discovering your true vocation and personal goals is an ongoing exploration of your passions and aspirations. By leveraging the power of purpose and systematically analyzing your talents and values, you can create a life filled with meaning and satisfaction. We hope that your pursuit of these goals will lead you to a deeply fulfilling and purpose-driven existence.

We encourage you to engage in an Analysis and Reflection on Ikigai’s Quest. Consider the intersection of what you love, what you excel at, what the world needs, and what you can be compensated for. Reflect on how Ikigai’s principles can inform your pursuit of purpose and fulfillment.

This exercise is an introductory reflection on the Ikigai concept. In Module 3 of our course, we will further explore finding your purpose by developing a personalized mission statement. We invite you to stay engaged with us for deeper insights and guidance on defining your personal goals and your life’s mission.