Have you written out some goals for 2010, or even for this decade? I have – seven goals summarised on the back of a business card!
Goals are exciting – they motivate you and once you start achieving them – they motivate you even more. Here are some guidelines:
1. Decide what you want in life – your own goals, not what other people want from you. Imagine if they are achieved how you will feel. Put yourself into the future – see yourself as having succeeded. Visualise. Now work through the steps to make them happen.
2. Define your goals – be as precise as you can, make sure they are realistic and achievable goals. Write them down. Goals may be in all sorts of areas of your life:
Do you need to make goals about the way you relate to others – to set a better mood or relationship? Or perhaps you need a new long-term career goal to create your own business. Or is it time to reduce your debt and make changes that you will benefit from for the rest of your life.
3. Prioritise your goals – decide what is the most important thing for you to achieve, or maybe two or three of the most important and when. Don’t set an impossible number of goals to achieve all at once. Make sure your goals are realistic and within your control.
4. Set sub-goals and action plans – Make a list of the steps or sub-goals involved to achieve the main goals. The best thing to do is take a small action as soon as possible to commit to the goal. Make it happen. Do it! Get started and feel great about it.
5. Measure progress – make sure you keep note of your achievements, plot a graph of weight loss, study your schedule to note changes, tick off achievements on a list. Find clever ways to keep tabs on yourself. Maybe set a review date each week – Monday morning or Friday afternoon, to see how you are going. As well as a to do list, make a list of “I did this today”.
6. Keep motivated – Setbacks and challenges can throw us off track so use reminders, positive scripts, to keep you focused:
I am excited about this!
I will make it happen.
I know I can do it!
This will be fun.
I am giving myself three months to get to my next goal.
Use positive language when you tell others about what you are doing. Use definite clear words rather than ‘maybe’, ‘possibly’ and ‘might’.
Other strategies to keep you motivated can be to share the goal with others, do it with someone else – a goal buddy, put reminder notes/stickers where you will see them, talk to successful people whom you admire and are achieving or have achieved the goal/s you are going for.
Maybe you will have to work out what is holding you back… it could be:
a. Your own negative thinking.
b. Events or the situation are out of your control.
c. Someone is holding you back.
Expect setbacks. It might be hard. Plan for setbacks and know your strategy if you are tempted to give up. You might need someone special to talk to – a life coach, a trainer, a manager, maybe a counselor or a specialised service to help you achieve the goals you want to achieve.
7. Celebrate your achievements – Enjoy your success with achieving a goal. Share it with others. Help others achieve their goals, it will motivate you even more.
Remember it’s often persistence that means the difference between achieving and giving up.
Make sure you have fun as you achieve your goals.
See clip of Personal Goal Setting.
Eve Ash’s books (Rewrite your Life! and Rewrite Your Relationships! and best selling DVDs such as Personal Goal Setting and Successful Thinking Habits are available at www.7dimensions.com.au.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
