How Can Goal Setting Help Me?Goal setting seems to be the Achilles heel for many people when it comes to getting their life organized. I am asked by many a client "how can I make a goal and actually keep it?". Well, let's talk about what we know to be true. The truth is that any goal not written down is just a dream anyway. You must write down your goals in order to take action.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" you might say, "I know all of that." But did you know that you must take it a step further and actually put a deadline and write down tasks that are needed to reach your goal and then the steps necessary to complete those tasks. Let me break down the basics.Goals need to be:
Make sure that your goals are realistic. You can make short and long term goals. I use Franklin Covey Plan Plus software for Outlook to keep me focused on my goals. I like that it has planning features and I am able to put it into my Palm to carry with me and keep on top of my goals. Check it out below.
So here is goal setting step by step:
Also, make sure that your goals are compatible with your values and with one another. Keep in mind who and what your specific goals effect. When you take time to really think about your values and your goals it makes it much easier to achieve them if they fall in line with your beliefs and with what you hold near and dear. Don't try to accomplish all of your goals at once. Pick 2 or 3 that are the most important to you and start there. Goal setting does not have to be hard or tedious. Take your time and start by planning.
Planning
Ask yourself what tasks are important to you. List steps to accomplish those tasks and figure out the amount of time it will take to complete those tasks. Plan for interruptions and the unexpected. It is okay if things don't go according to plan. Don't beat yourself up about it.
One of my clients finds that it is more helpful to schedule a time for your tasks instead of carrying around a big list of to dos. I tend to agree. When you actually put your task in a time slot you are making a commitment to complete the tasks. You will know whether or not you can do the task in the time that you allotted with practice. It is okay if you scheduled a task and you didn't get to it or you didn't have enough time to do the task. If you remember nothing else remember to put your tasks on your calendar.It doesn't have to be hard to plan. Just try it for a month and see how it works for you.
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