Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
Below are the 7 basic steps to setting your goals for the coming year.
You have to decide what you want.
The problem with so many people is that they do not know what they really want. Setting your goals requires you to make a decision about what you want in life and determine when you want to have achieved that thing. Get clear about what you want, but choose goals you can control. Unlike dreams, which allow you to fantasize about events over which you have no control over, goals have to do with aspects of your existence that you control and can therefore manipulate. In identifying your goal, strive for what you can create, not for what you can't. Have a good plan of attack.
Assign a timeline to your goal.
Once you have determined precisely what it is you want, you must decide on a time frame for having it. The deadline you've created fosters a sense of urgency or purpose, which in turn will serve as an important motivator, and prevent inertia or procrastination. Especially since you only have 12 months to full fill your 2013 goals, you MUST set time limits for every small step you intend to take, in order to make sure that by the end of December 2013, you have accomplished the majority - if not all - of your goals for the year.
Set goals in small increments, complete with time, dates, amount, some details.
By breaking down your goals in smaller, workable units, you are more likely to make them come true. Remember, even the greatest ones had to start somewhere. Breaking down a huge goal into more doable parts makes the entire process easier to get through. Suddenly, the vision of success by the end of 2013 is not as daunting as it seems, especially if your mini-goals for each month is accomplished diligently. All of these monthly developments, when taken as a whole, contribute to a final, ultimate result.
Plan and program a strategy that will get you to your goal.
Pursuing a goal seriously requires that you realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved, and that you create a strategy for navigating that reality. Willpower is unreliable, fickle fuel because it is based on your emotions. Your environment, your schedule and your accountability must be programmed in such a way that all three support you -- long after an emotional high is gone. Life is full of temptations and opportunities to fail. Those temptations and opportunities compete with your more constructive and task-oriented behavior. Without programming, you will find it much harder to stay the course.
Write it down
Putting your goal down on paper is more than just memorizing it. You are actually confirming your willingness to make it come true. A written list of goals is an effective reminder of what you need to do. Once you're done, write a good review of your accomplishment. A simple list on a piece of notebook paper is fine, or using a computer program to really jazz it up works just as well. You may want to hang it up somewhere, as a constant reminder to work toward your goals: inside your closet, at the back of your medicine cabinet door or on your bulletin board near your desk.
Share your goals with others
We are far more likely to stick to our plan and reach our goals if we know our friends and family support us. Being part of a team increases our determination, our stamina, and our courage. Caution: Never share your goals with anyone who may ridicule, tease or discourage you! The world is full of doubters and you have no time for them. But, find a support team, a group of cheerleaders, and a coach who will encourage you every step of the way. High achievers count on and work with other winners!
Have a system of evaluation in place
The best way to make sure that you are sticking to your goals, accomplishing them according to your deadlines and determining how realistic they actually are is to evaluate your progress. If a certain obstacle is marring your plan of attack, then edit your goals or strategies so that you can move forward. If you, however, see that you are not getting anywhere, then evaluating them will help you realize this.
Now that you have the guidelines to getting your goals, good luck on the year ahead!
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