A Goal is Not a Wish or a Dream

Anyone can set and obtain goals, but not everyone knows how.  Let me quickly break this down into two small sections. The first section is to communicate the high-level steps for creating a well-defined goal. The second section is to share a simple approach for learning how to make goal-setting a productive and exciting part of your life.

I have researched many methods, philosophies and strategies that define what goals are and how to establish them. Four steps that are foremost and common in almost all sources for goals setting are:

1.     Write it down!

2.     Be specific about what your goal is (when, how much, with you, where, what title, education level, etc.)

3.     Make your goal believable; stretch yourself, but ensure that it is a goal that you believe you can obtain

4.     Provide the details of how you will obtain your goal. What’s the plan?

You can set goals for any area of your life.

I find that very few people will put in the effort upfront to create a well-defined goal – if it was easy everyone would do it, right? Often people have not experienced the power of goal setting so they don’t really believe in the tremendous impact it can have on our lives. More often than not, I believe that people just do not know how to start implementing it into their life.

The following simple plan will help you to begin incorporating the four steps above into your life and start experiencing some goal setting wins:

1.     Challenge yourself today. Pick a small sized goal that is meaningful to you; something you can accomplish in the next week or two, maximum two weeks!

2.     Complete the four goal setting steps above, without taking any shortcuts

(1.  Write it down    2.  Be specific      3. Make it believable   4. Make a plan)      

3.     Read your written goal statement daily  - place it somewhere you will see it

4.     Track your progress against the written plan (step 4 above) on a regular basis and adjust the plan as required

5.     When you accomplish that goal – set another one

6.     Progressively increase or stretch your goal setting as you accomplish each goal; use all four goal setting steps properly and begin experiencing the “skill” of realizing some of those wins that have been eluding you!

 If you choose to, you can affect change and continue to develop all parts of your life. We all can! Have fun and see you next month.

 Next Month: Example of a Well-Defined Goal & Tips for Writing a Plan (step 4)

In April: Removing Self-doubt by Eating an Elephant!

The Importance of Goals and Planning

Sometimes good luck, or just plain dumb luck, can land you where you want to be, but these are rare situations and not great strategies for something as important as your personal desires and happiness or for your company’s objectives.

There are a 100 different starting points of desire, and the key to obtaining the object of that desire is to set some goals and make a plan. A plan is often a work in progress and sometimes even the goal needs to be somewhat organic until we have a clear picture of where we want to go. Many of us know we want “more ….”, “something different”, “not this” or some other driving urge that is not entirely clear. Perhaps, we know exactly what we want and have no idea how to make a plan to get there – or, worse, we don’t know we need a plan at all!

Even short term goals that move you forward are a great starting point. Continue to set higher goals as specific desires come into focus and then add the required details to your plan to guide you to success.

Remember a goal that is not specific is not a goal, it is a dream or, at best, a hope and in the words of Benjamin Franklin: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

Start with small goals and small successes! How do you eat an elephant? .... One bite at a time!! ;)

Ian