“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”Napoleon Hill
Why Set Goals?
Olympic athletes do it. Captains of industry do it. And you can do it too! Goal-setting is a tried-and-true method for achieving success! Whether your dream is to improve your fitness level, learn a language or start a business, you can make it a reality by planning and focusing on your goals to achieve your highest potential and get the best out of life!
Goals provide:
•Long-term vision
•Focus and clarity
•Smaller, more manageable steps towards the long-term goal
•Sense of direction
•Means to measure progress
•Accountability
•Motivation and a sense of urgency
•Pride and self-confidence
All top achievers set goals!
Effective Goal Setting
It’s not enough to declare your intent to achieve a goal as in “I am going to run a Marathon” or “I am going to eat healthier”.
The plan; and there must be a plan, has to include aVision Statement which provides:
Inspiration: Why is achieving your goalworth the dedication and hard work?
Direction: What needs to change in your life to enable you to reach your goal? Compare your ideal day to your typical day.
Vision Board
If you wish to take it one step further, you can also create a Vision Board around your vision statement.
Write your vision statement on a piece of paper and find photographs, pictures and messages that best describe your vision. Post the collage on your fridge, as your screen saver or anywhere that you will be reminded daily of your vision.
Essential Steps for Goal Setting
Once you have formulated your vision you are ready to create goals towards achieving your vision by using the following eight essential steps:
- Identify a particular area
If you are struggling to zero in on a specific goal, an effective tool for assessing areas of your life is the Goal Wheel. The center of the circle is “0” representing complete dissatisfaction and the outer edge is “10” representing complete satisfaction. Fill in each segment on a scale of 0 to 10, according to your satisfaction with that area of your life. This will visually demonstrate your level of satisfaction and help you identify areas for goal setting. The following is an example of a Goal Wheel. You can change, add or delete categories according to your own life.
- Identify goals that motivate you
There must be some value in achieving your goal. If you have little interest in the outcome, then success is unlikely. Create a value statement around why this goal is important and of value to you.
- Set goals that meet the following criteria:
ChallengingStrive to push yourself beyond your present state
Inspirational Choose goals that are relevant, help others and make a difference.
AttainableBe realistic to ensure you can actually achieve your goal. Do you have the necessary skills and resources? Do you need help? E.g. personal trainer, nutritionist
SpecificDefine your goal in concrete terms. “I will run a 10km race” as opposed to “I will run more”.
Time-LimitedCreate a deadline for your goal. A long-term goal should be “chunked” down to more manageable short and medium term goals.
PositiveFrame your goal in positive terms. Rather than “Stop eating junk food” try “I will eat 5 servings of vegetables on 5 days of every week”.
FlexibleGive yourself permission to re-define your goal. Nobody is perfect and tomorrow is a new day!
- Set goals in writing
Write out your goal statement according to the criteria in #3. E.g. “I will lose 20 pounds by December 1st, 2015 to feel better, improve my health and benefit my family”.
- Make an action plan
Break your long-term goals down into smaller goals that define exactly how you will accomplish the larger goal.They should identify what is to be accomplished on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.E.g. “I will lose 5pounds by March 30th, 2015 by following My Healthy Eating Plate guidelines”.
- Identify potential barriers
Internal barriers are roadblocks created by you, such as poor time management, and external barriers are beyond your control, such as snowstorms or illness. Identify these potential barriers and have strategies in place to overcome.
- Make a commitment
Write a commitment contract with your goals and time frame, date it, sign it and display it so you are constantly reminded. For extra motivation, have a friend, family member, or colleague sign it as well saying they will hold you accountable by checking your progress regularly.
- Track your progress
Keep a journal with task and target dates or download an app that allows you to keep track of your progress. This allows you to identify your weak areas.
- Review your goals
Review your goals and progress regularly to help you keep committed. Reassess and make adjustments if needed. If you are consistently unable to meet your goals try evaluating your Readiness for Change. Ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely you are to stick to your plan? If the answer is any less than 10 then you need to adjust your goal. Let’s take the short-term goal “I will run for 30 minutes continuously by March 30th, 2015”. Your action plan for reaching this goal is to walk/run for 30 minutes 3 times/per week. Ask yourself: “On a scale of 1-10 how likely am I to walk/run 3 times/week for 30 minutes?” If the answer is 5; you need to adjust your goal and your action plan to something that is realistic for you. Once you reach a “10” on the scale of likelihood, you are ready to proceed.
- Reward your accomplishments
Enjoy the satisfaction of reaching short, medium and long term goals. Reward yourself with a massage, a new book or an evening with friends.
Reverse Goal-Setting
Another technique for goal-setting is called Reverse Goal-Setting. This allows you to visualize the end result and formulate steps needed to get there.
- Write down the goal
The goal should be positive, written in the present tense, specific and measurable.
E.g. “I have lost 20 pounds on December 1, 2015”
- Why this goal
Write down why this goal inspires you, benefits others and makes a difference.
•Losing 20 pounds inspires me because I’ve always struggled with my weight
•It will benefit my family because I won’t be as tired or reluctant to do things
•It will make a difference because I’ll be happier and healthier
- Reverse your goal
Now take 3 steps backwards from your end goal and make shorter-term goals
•I have lost 20 pounds on December 1, 2015
•I have lost 15 pounds on September 1, 2015
•I have lost 10 pounds on June 1, 2015
- Plan simple actions towards each individual goal
Create a to-do list to include necessary tasks to reach each of the smaller goals
•“I will work with a nutritionist to develop a healthy meal plan”
Write out the details and direct actions towards each milestone.
•“I will plan my weekly meals”
•“I will eat at home 5 nights a week”
•“I will stock only healthy food in my fridge”
Track your progress, review your goals and reward your accomplishments!
“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it”.Mia Hamm
Don’t be afraid of failure! Whatever goal setting method you choose it’s important that you hang in there! Not reaching your goals can be a valuable learning experience.
Ask yourself the following questions and then re-write your goals:
•Did I follow the goal setting guidelines?
•What barriers got in my way and how can I tackle them next time?
•Are there skills I need to acquire first before attempting this goal again?
•Do I need to ask for help?
Suggested Goal Setting Apps
The Way of Life: Ultimate Habit Make and Breaker Identify, track and change habits
Strides Includes custom reminders and charts to motivate you to stay on track
Balanced Goals and habit motivation for a better life balance
Good HabitsBased on Jerry Seinfeld’s advice, get into the habit and don’t break the chain
Goal Check Simple layout and easy-to-use options
Goals on Track Keep all your goals, tasks, habits and journal data in sync with mobile and web-based versions
Putting it all together!
Goal:
I will run a half marathon on Sunday October 18th to raise money for charity and to improve my fitness level.
Action Plan:
Medium Term Goal: I will continue to run with a training group for motivation and run 5/week increasing my distance each week to reach 15km on September 1, 2015.
Short Term Goal: I will join a Learn 2 Run group and walk-run 3/week increasing my running time to a continuous 30 minutes by March 30, 2015 in order to improve my fitness level.
Now It’s Your Turn! Use the January Tracking Calendar to create weekly goals
Identify your Goal
Use the Wheel of Life on the next page to identify goal areas. Examples of life areas include: Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Finance and Leisure Time. Or create your own.
Write your Goal
______
______
Write your Action Plan
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Wheel of Life Goal Identification
(Refer to guide instructions on identifying life areas)
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