Take our goal setting challenge and make the last part of 2015 your most successful! As we approach the last 100 days of the year, it’s a time for many of us to look back and see whether we have reached and surpassed our goals for 2015. I think it’s also a good time to set one or two more goals to get us in the habit of setting and keeping goals so that we will enter 2016 with enthusiasm and vigor. No one shows up for a race without having practiced and being in good shape. Rather those preparing for a race spend time practicing and studying the course to ensure their success. I want to encourage you to think of the last quarter of 2015 as your practice run for more success in 2016 by setting a big goal for yourself! Last week, I delivered a speech on goal setting, so this week I want to engage my readers on some goal setting strategies that may help you improve your goal attainment success.
- It has already been proven that those who set goals:
- Live longer, are healthier and experience more joy
- Are more positive and experience greater interpersonal wellness
- Experience more financial and life success
- Have a greater chance at being leaders and motivators of others
I believe that GOALS means:
G- Great – goals should be great because they should expand our individual possibilities in an extraordinary way.
O- Opportunities – goals should bring new opportunities to our lives, new hope, new options, growth or learning, either personally or in our careers.
A- Achievable – goals should be achievable; they should not be unrealistic dreams that we have no possibility of attaining.
L- Leaping via stretching – goals should stretch us, life is a race that requires some running and some leaping
S- Successfully – we need to reach out for success or we will fail to reach our goals. We have only one chance to take a successful leap and if we are bogged down by fears, self doubts and negative self-talk it becomes difficult to get moving toward our success.
Steps to Setting Your Goals
As you prepare to set your goals, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is one thing you want to achieve more than any other in your life at this time?
- Why do you want to achieve this goal?
- What would be the benefit, to whom?
- How long have you had this desire?
- Are you ready to make sacrifices to accomplish this goal?
- Are you ready to take action towards achieving this goal?
- What will it take for you to be ready?
- How will you know that you are ready?
- What will it look and feel like to accomplish this goal?
- Will this change your life?
- What resources will you need to accomplish this goal?
- Who will support be a support for you?
- What is one habit you will need to give up or form to achieve this goal?
- What self defeating thoughts or ideas will you need to change?
- What is good now in your life that will help you succeed?
- How will taking this be rewarding your new life?
- When will you accomplish this goal by? (Be Time specific)
- Does this goal reflect your true values?
- Is this a goal or a commitment to someone else?
- Will achieving this goal take you closer to becoming the person you truly want to be?
If you are able to answer these questions then you will be able to set an achievable goal for yourself and your chances for success will be great. Take a moment to complete this goal assessment to help you connect your goals with your passions.
Goal Assessment Exercise
Write down your top two goals on a sheet of paper
- Read through goal number one
- Repeat this with your eyes closed and your right hand on your heart
- Do the same thing for each of your goals
- Do any of your goals resonate with your heart?
- Was there a quickening of your pulse and a tingling of excitement?
- Was there a tightening of your chest and a sense of dread?
Good luck with setting your goals. As you we enter the last 100 days of the year take our goal setting challenge, set some time to set a really challenging goal and let me know your progress on our blog.
Here is How to Sign-up!
Tell us:
- What is your name and your goal?
- When did you set this goal?
- How can we support you through your goal?
- What actions have you taken?
- How are you progressing?
- What other options are available to you?
Each day we will add snippets and thoughts to keep you going and focused. Look out for new ideas!
Joyce Odidison is a Conflict Analyst Coach, who is the founder of Interpersonal Wellness Services Inc. & Coaching Institute. She consults, teaches and coaches with mid-career professionals and organizations to improve performance, skills, competencies, and workplace wellness. She can be reached at www.interpersonalwellness.com or by phone at: 1 877 999-9591.