As a professor, entrepreneur, and founder of OneMeanDream, I would be lost without my yearly goal list. However after years of being a “goal evangelist” I have discovered that some personality types would rather rest easy and conform to the status quo. Rather than making an effort to change. Then there are those who regularly and consistently set goals, regardless of what goes on around them. So with this in mind, here we go…

6 principles for: Setting goals based on your personality type

1. Try to pick goals that are in line with the main purpose of your desires.

To accomplish any task, we must first make a decision to take some form of action.  Setting appropriate goals is the first place to start. The problem is many people seem to focus on the things they really don’t desire in the first place.  It may be because of family expectations, pressure from friends, or because of past failures.  However, when we set goals, we must focus on the things we really desire. We must not let the goals we set become influenced by others, or even our own inabilities to reach a past goal.

Type A Personality Example: If you are a type A personality you probably already set goals naturally.  Even when you fail, it doesn’t stop you.  This is because aggressive personalities aren’t eaisly dissuaded. At some point, type A people will decide that quitting is a waste of time already spent. So they focus instead on why they failed, and then make the appropriate changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Regardless of our personalities, we too can learn to set appropriate goals that line up with our true desires. This is why its important to decide on just what we want, and then set goals to achieve these ends. Like they say, if you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time.

2. Write goals that tap into the creative side of your mind and help encourage spontaneous acts.

Responding to life creatively allow us to see solutions, and unique ways of solving problems that the analytical side may not be able to reach.

Type C personalities often suppress their desires, and instead get so caught up in details that they never see the big picture. Setting more creative goals can help break out of these tendencies. By being creative in our goals, it may help initiate spontaneous acts on a regular basis.  Instead of being caught up in the minutia of details.

Remember setting a goal is not just about reaching a destination; it’s about helping us enjoy life along the way.  So be creative, and start setting goals where you don’t have to be in control of all the details.  This can easily be done by making the effort to get involved in group activities, sports or larger recreational events.  Remember, just make sure you ARE NOT the one in charge!  This way you can enjoy without worrying about the details.

3. Make your goals emotionally attractive.

It helps to set goals that touch us on an emotional level, because sometimes it’s really all about motivation. We are all emotional creatures and setting a goal that initiates an emotional response helps encourage more goal setting.

Some may see emotionally attractive goals as just an ego boost for Type A personalities, or too narcissistic for a Type D personality. However setting a goal that triggers an emotional response upon its fulfillment, can be powerful motivator for anyone, regardless of personality type.

Having an emotional reward that results from the positive feelings after completing a goal like – winning a race, or taking a trip with a loved one – is the best motivator to continue on setting more goals.

4. Set goals that includes others, but are not dependent on others for the goals success.

There are many things we can plan that include others. However it’s important not to give up entirely if that person does not come along.

Sometimes people with Type C and D personalities find themselves isolated due to their pessimistic and perfectionist leanings. Most people shy away from these types of attitudes.  But even the most negative person can learn to change if they are forced to work alongside others in reaching a common objective. Having someone to share a success is a great motivational tool for anyone.

The problem with shared goals is Type C and D people are more prone to depression. So reaching the goal should not be totally dependent on the others involvement. For example, the goal of increasing ones mental capacity by attending a seminar is enhanced if you can bring a friend, but you can still reach the goal if they do not show up.

5. Find accountability partners.

One of the strongest urges of mankind is to find fellowship with others. We do not like to be alone, and love to celebrate victories with others. This is why finding a person who knows and supports your goals can be vital in setting goals you can reach.

When it comes to setting goals it helps to have feedback. Involving a friend or loved one is a great sounding tool for your goal list. For example, Type B personalities are often so laid back, and can procrastinate for so long, that most goals will never be fulfilled.

Having a friend work with can help you set more realistic goals. Then they can help push you out of your comfort zone,  and into success.

6. Stack the odds in your favor (at least on paper)

Lets face it, new years resolutions are a great way to set us up for failure i.e. One Resolution, One Chance of Success!

However if you set 10 resolutions you now have 10 chances for success. Sometimes setting goals is a numbers game, a simple game of math.

Let’s face it; we mere mortals need constant motivation. That’s why we have supervisors, and motivational speakers.

Here are 3 ways to stack the odds in our favor.

1. The great thing about writing multiple goals is we can pick and choose different ones to work towards throughout the year. If loosing weight is getting you down, you can work on the smoking, drinking, swearing or always being lazy, late, lonely or lost.
2. When endeavoring to set multiple goals, its helps to make both easy and hard goals. Start with the easy ones first and get a few done right from the get go.  It’s amazing how great it feels to start checking off the list early in the year.
3. Make them visual, because it’s hard to do what we can’t remember. To increase your odds for setting goals you can actually reach, its important to print them out and make them visible. Post them on your wall, organizer, screen saver or wherever you can review them regularly. This will help you see the goals you have set, already reached, and those you are currently working on.

Setting goals based on your personality type

These are just a few ways one can increase the odds of finding success in goal setting. We can all learn to find success, regardless of our genetic dispositions or attitudinal leanings.  Remember you will never get anywhere in life, if you don’t start doing something about it.  Dream It, Live It, Mean It…..