Estimation of Goals Efficacy

January 5, 2010 · Filed Under General, Thoughts  - 0 Comment(s)

I heard a commercial or something on TV recently. It said 75+ percent of New Year’s resolutions are broken almost immediately. This ad suggested the way to keep New Year’s resolutions (goals) was to make goals that were fun, like “eat more chocolate.”   I believe this estimate that 75+ percent are broken in the first two weeks is conservative.  Yet goals can change the quality of our lives.  For example, a Wall Journal article discusses the health value of exercising:

As millions of Americans flock to the gym armed with New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, medical experts are offering an additional reason to exercise: Regular workouts may help fight off colds and flu, reduce the risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases and slow the process of aging.

    Physical activity has long been known to bestow such benefits as helping to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress, not to mention tightening those abs. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise—as simple as a brisk 30- to 45-minute walk five times a week—can boost the body’s immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria.

    “No pill or nutritional supplement has the power of near-daily moderate activity in lowering the number of sick days people take,” says David Nieman, director of Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis, N.C. Dr. Nieman has conducted several randomized controlled studies showing that people who walked briskly for 45 minutes, five days a week over 12 to 15 weeks had fewer and less severe upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds and flu. These subjects reduced their number of sick days 25% to 50% compared with sedentary control subjects, he says.

    The process I use for goal setting is something like the following:

  1. Ponder what goals would assist you (consider physical, mental, social goals)
  2. Determine if each goal is short, medium, or long-term
  3. Write down each goal, along with a plan, constraints and success criteria
  4. Review goals often to ensure you are on track or to make adjustments
  5. Celebrate accomplishment of each goal

    6. In April 2009 there was a story of a man who met a physical goal under the hardest of circumstances:

A delighted Major Phil Packer told Sky News: “It’s been amazing. I’ve had fantastic support.” The 36-year-old lost the use of his legs during a rocket attack in Iraq last February and was told he would never walk again. But he defied predictions to make the start of the 26-mile race in Greenwich on April 26, 2009. Having achieved his target of two miles a day he crossed the finish line in The Mall early Saturday afternoon. There to greet him and present him with his medal was Olympic rowing legend Sir Steven Redgrave.

I find it interesting that the goal setting / tracking process is so similar to the estimation, planning and control process.  Figure out what you are going to do with its constraints (risks), commit to a plan, measure progress and adjust if needed.  And of course, celebrate success.


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