Goal setting doesn’t have to be an arduous task. In fact, setting goals can, and should, be fun. You can experience feelings of fulfillment, and success, but I requires commitment on your part – acknowledging your fears ( the worst case scenario), taking risks, allowing for challenges and detours, and most of all, giving yourself time.
In the words of Gladys Tabor; “We need time to dream, time to remember, and time to reach the infinite. Time to be.”
Your goals should be “SMART”
“S” – Specific
“M”– Measurable
“A” – Attainable
“R” – Realistic
“T” – Timely
Goal setting is most effective if you lay out a pathway for achieving your goals. This allows you to determine the steps you need to take to be successful, and see your progress.
Goal Setting Process
Start your goal setting process by creating a list of your dreams (things you would like to do). These dreams will become your goals. How do you do this?
From your list of dreams pick the ten most exciting things (these are now your goals) and add dates that you would like to do them by. For each dream (goal) go back and set intermediate or half-way goals. List short-term goals that will contribute to your accomplishment of the intermediate goals.
There is no limit to the number of goals that you set, just make sure they are realistic and attainable, and that you are committed to them.
Things to Consider: What are the ten places you must visit before you die?
What ten events would you really love to experience firsthand? (events that would be so awesome that you would talk about them for the rest of your life)
What ten skills would you most like to acquire (personal and/or professional)?
What five things would give you the greatest sense of accomplishments in your business life?
What ten things would give you the greatest sense of accomplishment in your personal life?
What would you like your family to experience over the next five years? (private school, trips, etc.)
What type of physical shape would you like to be in?
How much money would you like to earn per year? (what amount would provide your family with everything you need, plus enough left over for savings).
What does your dream home look like? (location, no. of bedrooms, bathrooms, decor, etc.)
After putting dates to your ten most exciting goals and setting intermediate goals, your short term goals are now the goals you want to achieve this year.
Short term Goals
List 10 of the Biggest Opportunities/Goals for 2003 that you can commit to.
This includes all areas of your life, family, financial, career, business, social, your body, learning, personal development, environments, recreation, adventures.
A Successful Environment
In order to achieve your goals, you must set yourself up for success. To do this, you want to make your life as friction free as possible. This means taking an honest look at the things or elements in your life that you may need to let go of, or restructure, that will simplify your life and allow for the success and fulfillment you so deserve.
Consider the following questions and see if/where you need to make some changes in order to achieve your goals.
Social/Emotional
Who are you going to spend time with who will encourage you, provide strength when you need it and who will help you evolve?
Physical Environment/ Activities
What will you use (physical and virtual) to keep you focused and on track? Look at your Daily Habits; Where do you need to make adjustments (additions, deletions), and what is working for you?
Something to remember:
A goal is a landmark to use as you move forward in life. It is a way of measuring progress and evaluating the effectiveness of your actions. Not reaching your goal by a target date is an opportunity to re-evaluate your strategies, commitments and the goals themselves. If you discover that you are not committed to a goal (which is OK), it may be that it is not something you really want. If this is the case, recognizing it allows you to put your energy into something you do want, and that you can be committed to.
