Goal Setting Part 3 of 6

Part THREE of a six-part series on Goal Setting

8. Be sure your goals are compatible: Consider your most important values and beliefs when formulating your goals (e.g. honesty, security, integrity, freedom, responsibility, respect for others, love, leadership, etc.). For instance if you value freedom, your goal might be to be self-employed. 

9. Choose rational goals: Choose goals that you can actually reach in a reasonable amount of time.

10. Prioritize your goals: After you've brainstormed, one way to prioritize is to put the highest priority goals at 10 out of a possible 10 points and the least important at 1 out of 10. 

11. Create a step-by-step plan: Break each goal down into manageable blocks creating a step-by-step plan to achieve it. 

12. Use affirmations: Affirmations can move you forward dramatically in achieving your goals. Put them in the present tense as if you have already achieved them and say them out loud! 

13. Model the strategies of successful people: Think of people you know or you know about who can serve as models. Modeling your actions after someone who has already achieved what you want can help you save time and prevent the painful trial and error that you would have to endure without this kind of help. 

14. The 3 "R's" - Review, Reevaluate, Rewrite: Review your goals regularly and write the steps for the day on your "to do list." Reevaluate and rewrite your main goals every three to six months. Because things change, you may find that what you wanted a few months ago is not exactly what you want now. 

15. Patience is a virtue: Don't be too impatient—some goals take longer to manifest. 

16. Keep your balance: Maintain a lighthearted attitude while working on your goals. Although commitment and persistence are important, balance in your life will keep you motivated and enthused. 

17. Be public with your goals: This may create some pressure on you to keep going after what you want and will probably help you take consistent action. Be sure to only tell people who will be supportive towards your success that you are absolutely committed to reaching your goal.

18. Use a "to do" list for taking daily actions: Using a "to do" list and prioritizing your goals regularly is a useful technique.

One of the secrets of successful people is they take action on the most important things every day. 

Tomorrow: Part FOUR of the series on Goal Setting.

Goal Setting Part 2 of 6

Part TWO of a six-part series on Goal Setting

4.  Areas of your life to consider for goal setting: Here are a number of possible areas of your life to think about when you are developing your goals list: Career, financial, relationship, family, home, friends, personal development, health, appearance, possessions, fun and recreation, travel, spiritual, self esteem and service/community. Some types of goals include: personal development such as emotional, mental, physical and spiritual.

Then there are "thing" goals like vacations, cars, yachts, antiques, houses, etc. Another area is financial goals—savings, net worth, retirement income, investments, etc. Make sure you include some health and energy goals because they are the foundation of a successful and satisfying life.

5. Goals time frames: Goals fall into varying time periods such as: Immediate goals, 30 day goals, 6 month goals, 1 year goals, 5 years, 10 years or longer. Make sure you can accomplish what you want in the time frame you set.

6. Here are four tips for writing effective goal statements:

* Say it like it's already happened: When writing your goal, say it like it has already happened. For example, "I now have a new silver BMW 4 door 2010 sedan."

* Use motivating language: To get you passionate, committed and motivated, add emotional language to your written goals. Here's an example "I absolutely love and am excited about my beautiful new home in the hills" which is much more passionate than "I like my new home in the hills".

* Write specifically and in detail: Because your subconscious manifests things literally, you want to write specific detailed goals. Use language that is clear in describing exactly what it is you want.

* Write in positive terms rather than negative ones: Examples of positive statements might be: "I am now free of the habit of smoking", or "I am now a smoke free person". Negative examples might be: "I don't smoke anymore" or "I'm not a smoker".

7. Be sure they're really YOUR goals: Check in with yourself to make sure that you're thinking about what YOU really want. Often we try to please others at our own expense. You won't be successful trying to reach the goals your parents, spouse or other friends or relatives want for you.

Tomorrow: Part THREE of the series on Goal Setting.

Goal Setting Part 1 of 6

Goal Setting

This is the first post on a six-part series on Goal Setting. We've heard about it all our lives, and there are literally thousands of quotes, books, and articles about setting goals; how the process contributes to your success. But so few people actually set goals.

But it's a fact: Serious Goal Setting will greatly contribute to your success; goal setters are huge winners. There is an often-quoted study done at Yale University that placed goal setters firmly in the successful category when compared to non-goal-setters. The 3% of the participants who had actually written down their goals with a plan, followed that plan and took consistent action were happier, more confident and better adjusted. They also earned more money over that 20-year period than the 97% of the other participants.

So why not be among the 3% who will set goals and live by them? You have everything to gain; and nothing to lose.

I will create a new page on this blog devoted to goal setting for a full list of 70+ tips on goal setting soon. In the meantime here is a few points to help you get started on your goal setting:

Goal Setting Tips

These basic Goal Setting Tips are organized in a sequence that will support you from thinking about your goals to actually achieving them. And remember; only about 3% of us will actually follow through with setting our goals for 2010 and beyond, so make a decision to be numbered among the few; it works!

1. Use a journal to keep track of your goals journey where you may keep daily or weekly records of your progress including affirmations, successes, appreciations for your hard work, rewards, resistances, obstacles, etc. Use your goals journal to write goals initially and to rewrite them over time. Use it to break your goals into steps. Review your progress regularly and jot a few notes.

2. Get yourself into a positive state before writing your goals: It's really important to get yourself into an inspired, positive and relaxed state before writing goals.

3. Start brainstorming: After getting into a good mental and emotional state, start your brainstorming. Write all possible goals quickly without any editing or criticism. You can review and prioritize later; right now you want to be as creative and grand in your vision as you can be.

Tomorrow: Part TWO of a series on Goal Setting. In the meantime check out these books on goal setting:

How Does Your Garden Grow?

What am I planting in my life today? What kinds of thoughts am I allowing to run loose in my mind, taking up valuable space and time and effort? And if I'm allowing negative thoughts to be the predominant thoughts of today, just what kind of reality am I creating for myself?


Gardeners know that if they plant seeds for dandelions, they aren't going to grow roses. But they also know that if they plant seeds for rose bushes, they have to maintain a healthy environment for the bushes to grow in. They have to maintain a constant vigil, getting rid of weeds that steal the water and adding nutrients to the soil that will help the desired bushes to grow.


Our thoughts are very similar. First, we have to plant the seeds for a positive life by focusing on positive elements of life, on positive possibility and potential. Then we need to maintain a positive, healthy environment for those thoughts to grow and develop, getting rid of the "weeds" of negative thoughts and ideas as soon as they present themselves. It's not always easy, but it also isn't as difficult as some make it seem--it takes effort and time, but it's always possible.


Your harvest will come from time to time as you see the benefits of your positive approach to your own thoughts, or the negative results of the negative thoughts in your mind. What will you harvest? What did you plant?


Check out these books on positive thinking from Amazon:

Learn About Teamwork From a Flock of Geese

Leadership Lessons From the Goose

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.


Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.


Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.


Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one"s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.


Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.


Books on teamwork from Amazon you may want to read: