Every person that has ever accomplished anything significant has used some form of goal setting. I am going to show you a system I have used and shared for years. It is a very simple system.
7 Steps for Setting Goals
Step 1:Take the 6 F’s, Faith, Family, Fitness, Finances, Friends and Fun and list them on a sheet of paper or in a document on your computer or pad device. I like to use Workflowy and Evernote because I always have access to these 2 programs on all my devices.
Step 2: In each of the categories list all thethings you want to accomplish in each category over the next 12 months.
Step 3: Put a date that you want to accomplish the goal next to each.
Step 4: Determine what steps/activities you need to take to accomplish the goal. List out the daily, weekly, monthly things you need to do to accomplish the goal and write them below the goal.
Step 5: Put your goals in the order of importance to you on your goal commitment card
Step 6: Visualize your goals daily as if they have already been accomplished. If you study professional athletes, you will soon learn how powerful visualization is. The best of the best see themselves performing at optimal levels before the event occurs.
Step 7: Review your goals every day. Keep them in front of you.
The key to hitting your goals is to set the right activities and to monitor your activities. By doing the activities they will eventually become habits. Once you have formed the right habits you are well on your way to hitting your goals. It is almost like autopilot.
I personally like to set 90-day goals. I have longer-term goals such as 1 year and long-term goals too. I have found that I can accomplish what may have taken 6-12 months in 90 days if I put the right focus on those goals.
You should do a monthly review of your goals to check your progress. Over the years when I have done this, I have found there are goals I had hit early, ones I was not close to and others that did not motivate me anymore so I removed them.
Goals and timelines are not in concrete. You can adjust the goal byincreasingor decreasingit, or you can decide to eliminate it altogether. Do not eliminate it if it is a matter of you just not hitting it.
Another important thing to do is to celebrate when you achieve a goal. It does not have to be something elaborate, it can be as simple as a high five, going out to eat, orenjoying a good bottle of wine.
I use a Commitment Card to record my goals. The card is simply a 3 x 5 index card.It is easy to carry or to put up by my computer monitor.
Commitment Cards also make great stocking stuffers at Christmas. I have given them to my kids for years. It is fun to watch your children set goals and watch them attain them. It is a great habit to teach them.
Keep your Goal Cards. It is fun to look back over years past and see all that you have accomplished and all the things you still want to accomplish.
“Happy is the man who sets a goal and is willing to pay the price to reach it.” – Unknown
Be Great!
