It’s been a month since many of us set our New Year’s Resolutions. It’s also the time in the year that many of those resolutions start to slip and fade. Setting goals is very important to me and is a key aspect of how I plan my life and business. It’s also important to me that I help all of my clients improve their lives in any way possible. Because of this, I have decided to share a few of my views on setting and obtaining goals in order to have a well balanced life. If nothing else, I hope that it encourages you to stay on track with the goals you have already set.
- Write it down! For many of us, our goals reside only inside of our head. Even if you have only a few simple goals, as time goes on, those things tend to slip into the deep recesses of our consciousness and make it harder for us to remain focused and on track. I’ve included a printable .pdf at the end of this article that I use every year to get my goals on paper. I encourage you to print it out today and start writing things down. By doing so, you will help commit your goals to memory and it will allow you to post them where you can see them often.
- Be Balanced. We are complex beings and whether we like to admit it or not, all of the different areas of our lives are intertwined. If you are struggling in the personal areas of your life, it is likely that it will affect your performance in your business and vice versa. Since every area is important, it’s good to give importance to all of the different areas of your life when writing your goals. I write goals in each of the following categories: Personal, Financial, Business, Family and Spiritual. If I can make progress in each of these different areas, it will give me energy and motivation to improve in other areas where I may be lacking more.
- Write SMART Goals. Perhaps you’ve heard of this acronym before. A SMART goal is:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic in time and skill
T – Time-based
When you are writing down your goals, make sure that each one fits these qualifications. Many goals sound like this: “I’d like to lose weight “ In order to make this a SMART goal, it should say “I’d like to lose 15 pounds and 3” around my waist by April 1st”. By using this method, it will allow you to measure progress and help you stay on track with each goal. It can also help give purpose to your daily activities and encourage motivation.
- Track your progress. Here’s the most important part of it all….tracking your progress regularly. Most people fail to achieve their goals because they don’t track how they are doing. By tracking progress regularly, you will build habits quicker and easier and you will gain motivation since it will be easier to see when you have made an improvement. One way to start tracking and to keep yourself on track for your yearly goals is to write smaller 10 day goals. Each of these should be smaller steps that will lead you to your main target. There is a spot for 10 days goals on the printable as well.
Please don’t hesitate to call if you would like to discuss any of these items. It’s one of my favorite topics and one I feel very strongly about. My best wishes go out to you as you make steps to improve your life and yourself in the year ahead!
Download the printable .pdf goal writing forms here!
~Tony Long
913.221.8351
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