Strategies, factors and mechanisms for achieving personal goals

Background. The article analyzes existing theories and models related to goal setting and goal achievement, and examines various aspects of goal achievement reflected in such theories as Weiner's theory of attribution (Weiner, 1985); time-based motivation theory (Steel, Konig, 2006), self-management confidence concept (Ford, 1992); goal-related action crisis concept (Brandstatter, Herrmann, 2016); self-control theory (Carver, Scheier, 1982) and goal progress theory (Amabile, Kramer. 2011). Various strategies (multiple goal pursuit (Pervin, 1991), the strategy of “goal shielding” (Shah, et al., 2002), the strategy of searching for satisfying alternatives (Simon, 1967), the strategy of applying “if-then” plans (Gollwitzer, 2008), the strategy of shifting attention between short-term and long-term goals (Ferguson, Sheldon, 2010), the strategy of mentally contrasting desired future outcomes (states) with actual reality (Oettingen et al., 2009), the strategy of reducing the duration of the “middle” of the goal attainment process (Touré-Tillery, Fishbach, 2011)) have proven to be effective in solving the problem of goal attainment. Some approaches and mechanisms are shown that help a person effectively achieve his goals, stages or phases of the process of achieving a goal, planning features, as well as factors that contribute to the successful achievement of an individual’s goals. Purpose. To systematize and summarize existing theoretical approaches and practical strategies aimed at improving the effectiveness of achieving goals. Results.There are many aspects and phenomena in the field of achieving goals, strategies, factors and mechanisms for achieving goals are diverse. Goal-achieving activity can be represented as (1) habitual goal-oriented behavior, (2) impulsive goal-oriented behavior, and (3) volitional goal-oriented behavior. The key factors in achieving a goal are commitment and determination (perseverance), reflecting how strongly people contribute to specific goals. A person is most strongly committed to goals that are desirable (subjectively important) and achievable for him. In order to maintain commitment to the goal, the business entity must make a connection between the level of effort he makes to achieve the goal and the desired result. Self-perception, future orientation, and environmental beliefs also play an important role in increasing commitment to a goal. Having a large number of different goals requires resource-intensive management systems that constantly determine which goal is currently a priority over others. The central context for achieving goals is provided by other goals of the personality's goal system, while the relationship between them determines the allocation of mental resources to achieve them. Summarizing the stages of the goal achievement process, we distinguish: goal setting, decision-making, planning, implementation (conventionally three phases: beginning, middle and final phase) and correction, the stage of analyzing the results achieved. Planning links a goal to various behavioral scenarios, tactics, and alternatives, facilitates prioritization decisions among various subgoals, and supports the revision and transformation of unachieved goals in accordance with higher-level goals or incoming new information. The more effectively a plan is drawn up that reflects the path to the goal, the higher the chances of achieving the goals. The use of sub-goals, which are intermediate steps towards higher goals, is a necessary condition for achieving such goals. Detailed planning can have its limitations, the key of which are the rigidity of executing detailed plans and disproportionate cognitive costs in the case of a typical or simple goal. In the process of achieving a goal, one adjusts and evaluates one's actions through feedback, and the degree of reality (adequacy) of the initially set goal is adjusted. Short-term (short-range) goals provide immediate incentives (feedback) to maintain perseverance, while long-range goals are too far away to have the same effect.