Well it is approaching that time of year for “New Years Resolutions” Don’t instead set Goals.

My first inspiration came a long time ago while listening to a cassette tape by Sales Trainer Brian Tracy. He said that those who set Goals consistently get more done that those that don’t.  The first step is to put your goals in writing, I did 3 simple big life goals, My Vision for my Future. That simple act gets your brain working on it as he says almost on autopilot. Keep those goals where you can see them. Well I found that piece of scrap paper not long ago and yes through many twists and turns I accomplish those goals. You see achieving Goals is not a straight line or as simple as writing them down that’s just the start.

“A Goal without a plan is just a Wish.”  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

What is your Vision for your future, be it next year, 10 – 20 years, or the life you look back on at your end. A Vision statement need only be a few sentences it is your high and mighty propose your Why.  Too many folks just Go with the Flow, and end up where ever the flow takes them. Unless you are fortunate enough to work for a benevolent corporation that may or may not be a good thing.

“Either what you do is part of your plan or someone else’s.” David Sandler.

“If your Why is strong How is no Problem” Anthony Mayo.

After you have your Vision, break that vision down into Goals these are more specific. For example, if your vision includes furthering your education, the big goals could be:  Upgrade Your Skills,  break that down to the Tasks needed to achieve those goals, like the Courses you need to take, GPA you will need, Certifications you need to earn, the number of hours a week you need to study to get that GPA. Get Specific.

Next Make sure the Goals and Tasks are Measurable. This is where the rubber meets the road and a lot of folks get stuck. A GPA is measurable, the number of hours spend studying measurable, appreciation is not measurable.  Now the hard part set up a method to Track your  progress. Be it a Calender, a spreadsheet or reminders in you smart phone. Set up and Ideal Week, that schedules all of your activities related to your Goals and All other Activities, it is amazing how much time you really have in a week. (I learned this from (Sandler Sales http://www.Lrn2Sell.com) Pick what works for you, then review it weekly.

Are your goals attainable? there are two schools of thought here 1. Big Goals that are Never Attainable, “It’s better to go big and miss than to go small and hit” Les Brown. 2. Set goals that are attainable so you can get some wins as nothing succeeds like success.  I tend to put Big Goals into my Vision and keep my goals attainable but I need to work and grow to hit them.

It often helps to review your goals with a trusted advisor – mentor. (avoid spouses & relatives) Do a Reality Check are the Goals, too hard or too easy? You need someone what will tell you straight up and understands what you are trying to achieve. We need someone who will both Nurture us and Prod us at the same time.

Time Box your goal, there must be a specific completion dates for your Tasks and Goals. If not Procrastination will often set in and it gets put off again and again. I find it helps to measure my activity on a goal – task every week and then do a bigger review every month. We need to track our wins,  every week I write out my 5 wins for the week. Some are big most are small yet in time the add up.  I learned this tip from Robin Sharma. He also said

“Every Day is our Life Lived in Miniature” Robin Sharma.

Celebrate success along the way. Some folks keep a Journal of their achievements others blog, some keep notes. Achieving Your Goals is a Journey enjoy the trip along they way, not just the end.

Start this proces with the plan to have your Vision, Goals and Tasks down to a few pages. Now the Most important part, pick a Task and Start NOW, do something to make progress on that Task any action will get the ball rolling…! Then keep moving !

Related Content Below:

Jordan Peterson: How to Set Goals the Smart way

Brian Tracy Goal Setting Guide: https://www.briantracy.com/success/personal/op/14-step-goal-setting-guide.html

Goal Setting The Sandler Way: https://www.sandler.com/resources/webinars/goal-setting

Evan Carmichael Vid 5 Ways to set and Achieve Goals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dKK338QhvY

Robin Sharma 4 Reasons to Set Goals: https://www.robinsharma.com/article/4-reasons-to-set-goals

Tom Hopkins Setting Realistic Achievable Goals: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/goals/setting-realistic-achievable-goals