The 7 Best Ways to Set Goals Using Solution-Focused Strategies

We all set goals through various means, but how many of us actually stick to our goals and achieve them? Are our goals specific enough or are they loosely created based on our future plans? Many of us really want to succeed in our endeavors; however, we fail to set the “right” goals which prevents us from moving forward.

Goal setting involves many different factors, but for the sake of this article I will focus on goal setting using solution-focused strategies. These strategies are derived from a type of counseling called Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, a popular approach used by many counselors (particularly school counselors).

According to Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg (developers of solution-focused therapy), the foundation of this approach is to focus on people’s strengths, resources, and solutions to help bring about change. Getting away from problems and looking for solutions through goal setting is what promotes healthy change. Goal setting based on a solution-focused approach is oriented toward the present and the future.

The number one most important thing about setting goals is that they should be yours. Setting your own goals or co-creating goals with a coach will help you take ownership, resulting in more tangible results.

There are many creative ways to set goals, however the following list of goal setting features will help you create specific, achievable, action-oriented goals based on a solution-focused approach.

Positive

Positive goals in contrast to negative goals are creating goals with the presence of a behavior or beginning of something. Having positive goals allows you to observe and measure your actions. Specific positive goals help provide details about when you’re moving in the right direction, ultimately allowing you to create solutions. Setting positive goals will help you get more positive results!

Concrete

Creating concrete and specific goals will give you the opportunity to assess your progress and monitor whether you are on track to achieve your goals. Make sure your goals are not vaguely defined, but rather measurable with specific results. For example: “Request five job offers a day.” Write down your goals and post them so you can see them every day.

behavioral

When setting behavior goals, it is important to think about the type of behavior/tasks you would like to incorporate into your goals. For example, if you have a goal of spending more quality time with your children, you might ask yourself questions like:

*What kinds of things would I be doing that would indicate that I am spending quality time with my children?

*What would my children say that I am doing that would show them that I am spending quality time with them?

Asking yourself these questions will help you paint a visual picture of your goals and what they look like to you and your loved ones.

Reduced to small steps

Create goals that can be reduced to small steps. According to solution-focused theory, only small changes are needed because even a small change creates the context for a larger change. Creating smaller goals allows you to better manage your goals and make them achievable. It also allows you to recognize the smaller changes you’re making, giving you more power to make bigger changes and achieve your goals!

Set short and long term goals

Setting long-term goals is significant and probably the most important thing for us when setting goals. The problem with only setting long-term goals, though, is that they’re set so far into the future that many of us would find it hard to focus or achieve them without a short-term plan. Therefore, it is necessary to set both long-term and short-term goals. For example, a long-term goal might be: “complete my MBA in four years.” An example of a short-term goal might be: “submit 5 MBA applications by the May 15 deadline.” Your short-term goals can be set for a few days, weeks, or even a few months. Make sure your goals are time bound and achievable in the near future.

Hypothetical Goal Statements

If you have a hard time setting goals, it may help to think about what you want for your future. You may need to envision yourself six months from now or five years from now. Establishing desired behaviors will help you see what is possible. For example, “I would like to learn how to create a search engine friendly website to generate more traffic for my business.”

miracle question

I can’t talk about solution-focused strategies without mentioning the famous miracle question. Discovered by deShazer (1990), the miracle question is used to help you develop well-defined, achievable, and realistic goals. Below is the miracle question. You will want to write down your answers to the miracle question to help generate ideas for setting your goals.

“Suppose you go to sleep tonight, a miracle occurs, and because you were sleeping, you don’t know what is happening. The miracle solves the problem that brought you here. When you wake up in the morning, what clues will you see leading you?” to discover that this miracle has taken place?

Using the miracle question helps provide information about solutions that may not have been present before. Keep in mind that you must be specific in your answer and that your goals must include the presence of something or the beginning of something (positive goals). As a result, well-defined goals can be created.

Remember to think about your successes and focus on what is going well because you are your own resource for setting and achieving successful goals. Remember that setting positive, specific, and achievable goals requires thought and committed action!