Goal Setting
Outstanding individuals have a vision of who they want to become, and what they want to accomplish. Regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in, they dare to dream of a better life and becoming a better human being. While they may occasionally look out a window and daydream of the day that this occurs, they remain focused on their vision for their life and steadily work each day to reach their destination.
The end of each calendar year marks the time that many individuals reflect on what they have accomplished during the past year and set goals for what they wish to do in the coming year. For people that have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish in life, the setting of goals for a coming year is an exciting time. They can take the time to measure what they have accomplished, analyze what still needs to be done, and outline the steps they will take in the coming year to get them closer to what they want in life. For those just starting out on a newly formed vision, the setting of goals is an essential activity. Goals can give direction, provide motivation, and help you create the working template of what you want to accomplish and who you want to be.
One thing that is a certainty, the days of 2012 will eventually pass. The only variable is how you use the valuable time that you have been given. Will you simply let the days pass without accomplishment? Will you adhere to your own personal status quo? Will you be a better financial position one year from now? The upcoming year, 2012, is a leap year, so you even have an extra day to accomplish what you set out to do!
If you did not set goals this past year, there is no time like the present to start. Your goals are your dreams, the destination you want to get to, and the creation of the world and surroundings you want to live in. Spend some time in the coming days to think about what you want to accomplish in life and what you can do in the coming year to make that a reality. If you have a process that works for you in setting your goals, then by all means, do it! However, take the process of goal setting seriously, and don’t simply write down a few goals, or think in your head what your goals are. Take that extra time to analyze what you want and what you need to do this coming year to help you get closer to your dreams. As you engage in this process and find your thoughts wandering or feel a little lost, use the steps below to help you create the process that will help you set your goals.
Steps for Setting Goals
Step 1: Eliminate fear from your goal-setting session.
Many people do not set goals because they are afraid they will fail. Ironically, the moment an individual doesn’t dream to become more than they are, they immediately destine themselves to be limited in life. In the process of setting goals, emotions such as fear must be eliminated before you even begin the process. If you do not eliminate fear from the goal-setting process, it will be far too easy to limit your goals with sayings such as “I can’t do that,” “That goal is too big,” or “I have failed at that before.” Do not limit yourself, as you have the capacity to do tremendous things in this coming year if you have the right mindset.
So, before you do anything else, make the conscious decision to eliminate all aspects of fear from your goal-creation session. Be excited and embrace what you will accomplish in the coming year, and how these goals will help you achieve what you truly want in life.
Step 2: Write down your dreams in life.
Nobody knows your dreams better than you. What motivates you? What do you really want to accomplish in this lifetime? Do you want to be financially independent? Do you never want to work for another person again? Do you want to own a record studio? Do you want to travel the world? Do you want to provide your children the opportunities to follow their dreams?
Dreams are perhaps the most powerful force in the world. They provide us the image of what we can be and what we can accomplish in this life. No matter how dire the circumstances we find ourselves in, dreams allow us to escape the moment and project our future self and our future surroundings. As Robert Kiyosaki said, “I am successful because I am driven by my dream instead of my circumstances. Focusing on my goals helps me overcome disappointment and enables me to accomplish what I set out to do.”
Writing down your dreams in the course of a goal-setting exercise helps provide some direction while setting goals. For example, if my dream is to become a professional writer, then this dream sets the stage to accomplish the individual goals I set out to get me closer to my dream in 2012. Your dreams will serve as a motivational force for you to accomplish these individual goals in the coming year.
Step 3: Write down all potential ideas for goals that will help you accomplish your dream.
This is your proverbial brainstorming session. At this point, do not worry about practicality, feasibility, or whether these potential goals are realistic or not. Simply take some time to jot down any idea that could help you accomplish your overall dream. A simple rule to follow: if it pops in your head, write it down.
You may want to take a few days to accomplish this step. While one intense brainstorming session might capture the majority of the ideas you can come up with, great ideas can pop up anywhere, in the car, in the shower, or riding an elevator. For this step, take the extra time to produce as many ideas as possible that you can analyze in step four.
Step 4: Analyze your brainstorming ideas and focus your list.
At this stage, you will have numerous ideas that can serve as the basis for your goals in 2012. Now analyze each of the goals in relation to each other to determine what order the goals need to be accomplished in, the priority each individual goal has in accomplishing your dreams, and making your goals measurable.
Order - Accomplishing any overarching dream often requires a series of sequential tasks. For example, if your dream is to retire on a ranch in Montana one day, there will be a series of events that need to take place in order for that to happen. Determine if there is order that events need to happen, and naturally prioritize the events that need to occur first.
Priority - You may have several goals that focus on different dreams. One of your goals may be to become financially independent, and another goal may to become physically fit. While different goals can absolutely be accomplished in the coming year, you should analyze at this point if the goal is truly important to you, and the priority it has in relation to your other goals. Narrow down to things you truly are passionate about.
Make Goals Measurable - Let’s assume that one of the goals you made during your brainstorming session was, “I want to become a better person.” While this is an admirable goal, how are you going measure whether you accomplish it? Break down the goals you are passionate about into measurable components.
Step 5: Determine time constraints and practical application.
At this point, you should have a few goals that you are passionate about that will help you accomplish larger dreams you have in life. Each of your goals will require a certain amount of time and resources to accomplish. You should absolutely shoot for the stars and push your limits in the coming year, but also make goals that can be accomplished with the time and other resources you have available to you.
You should try to analytically determine whether some of the goals you have set are feasible. If you only have on average three hours of free time per day, then how much of this time are you committed to use to accomplish your goals? Can the goals you want to set be accomplished in this time? After breaking down each of the goals you set in step four, you may find that there is simply not enough time to accomplish them all. You may need to narrow down your list further.
As you estimate the time, this is a good place to write down estimated completion dates for each of your goals. If your goal is to exercise for one hour each day, then no completion date would be needed as it is a continual goal. However, if you wanted to do three real estate deals in the coming year, then write down when you want the first and second deals finalized.
Step 6: Talk with friends, family, and business partners.
Once you have reached this stage, solicit input from those close to you. They may give you ideas that you missed, bring up potential constraints you have not thought about, and give you encouragement about your goals. You will likely need the support and assistance of those close to you to reach your goals in the coming year, so including them in the process at this point can let them know of the expectations you have set for yourself.
Step 7: Write down and post your list.
Once you have finalized your goals for the coming year, don’t be a coward. Remember, in step one, you eliminated fear from this process. Print your list and post it in prominent places in your life. Frame your goals in a place you see every day at home and work. Post them on your Facebook account, create a screen saver to remind you, or find other creative ways that will remind you of your goals on a daily basis. Let the world know what you are going to accomplish, and don’t fear what others may think.
The Coming Year
During the course of the coming year, unexpected setbacks may occur. While some setbacks are unforeseeable, try to envision the hurdles you may have to overcome. If your family requires more time of you, how will you adjust? If you are sick for a certain period of time, what will you do? If you lose your job or primary source of income, what will your plan be? While you will not be able to anticipate every situation, visualize how you will encounter situations that are less than ideal. Hopefully, this vision is one that has you demonstrating strength and tenacity.
Whatever you do in the coming year, make a resolution to forward progress. You have amazing capacity to accomplish what you want in this life. Wake up each day with a determination to make your dreams a reality. If you have a clear vision of what you want in life and do what you need to do each day to make that vision a reality, then don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and it actually happens.