Goal setting: what people don’t know
Moving beyond goal setting to goal getting
When I talk with clients about goal setting, there are always a few (okay, a lot) who give up before they start. They usually say things like:
I tried setting goals… and they don’t work for me.
I just don’t have any willpower.
I’m tired of setting goals. I’m at a stage of my life where I just want to relax and take it easy.
Have you ever said any of these things?
I think that many times goals get a bad rap. Businesses shove them down employees throats. There are sales quotas and performance reviews.
The media makes everyone feel like a loser if they can’t identify their top three goals. And really don’t we all want to lose weight, make more money and get organized? What makes this year any different from last year?
What if setting a goal was simply a way to get what you want? What if you were guaranteed that the goal you set… would work? There is a way to accomplish that. But it does take some work. After all goals don’t magically happen (you probably already figured that out). Here is the magic and missing piece to most goal setting: Create an action plan that is congruent with your personality and lifestyle. Here’s how:
Imagine what accomplishing your goal would look like. This is creating a future vision that incorporates your goal. Be sure to envision not only what you would have but who you would be. Would you be someone who…
- feels confident and successful
- feels in control and focused
- feels energized and excited
- feels positive and purposeful
Now describe what you would do to be that person. These are actions you will take and behaviors you will create. Work backwards from the goal. Would you be someone who:
- Calls x number of clients every day.
- Spends 1 hour daily writing training procedures and creating a training calendar.
- Interviews web designers and contracts with one for a website.
- Lives intentionally by setting priorities and creating a timetable each day for tasks
Put those tasks on your calendar. Schedule time each day or week to work on your action steps. Make that time non- negotiable. Create a daily and weekly way to check out and account for following your action plan. Make sure you schedule an actual date as to when you want to accomplish your goal and put it on your calendar too.
Create accountability. Schedule regular evaluation days to determine if you need to tweak your action steps to make them more effective. Find an accountability partner and set up regular check-in times to review your progress. Work on your goals, not just in your goals.
Does this sound like too much work? I’m not going to lie. Setting and accomplishing goals isn’t easy and effortless no matter what people say. However, it is empowering and effective. The choice is yours. Live each day on the fly and see what happens… or take charge and be the leader of your life.
Ready to move beyond just goal setting? Want to create an action plan that works? Let’s talk.
Sign up for a complimentary coaching call here: https://bookme.name/dreamachiever
