A Bit More On Goal Setting

Setting goals enables us to start the journey to achieving something that will make a real and positive difference to our lives, and I believe that it is worth the effort. With this in mind, I thought I'd share my knowledge on the subject of goal setting and give you a few tips to help you achieve this year.

The first thing to do when thinking about what your goals could be, is to create a space in which you can dream. To achieve this you could go for a walk in a nature setting (forest, walking on some hills or in the countryside), go for coffee in a nice cafe, or sit back in a comfy chair to relax and listen to some music. Personally I find the latter suggestion the most thought provoking for me, but everybody is different so do what suits you best. Once relaxed you can get going. Ask yourself the following questions:

If I knew I was going to be successful, what would I be doing with my life?

If I had unlimited money and time, how would my life change and what would I do with that spare time and money?

What did I love doing as a child and how can I replicate similar activities now?

When nobody is placing demands on me, what do I love to do and why?

Once you have answered those questions, either in your head or by writing down the answers, you are ready to list your goals. When writing your list of goals, start with the ones that you already know you want to achieve. Next, sit back and ask yourself what else you want to achieve. Start by writing down everything that comes into your mind and use positive phrases such as 'I want to move house' rather than negative ones like 'I don't want to stay in this house'.

Once your list is written, leave it for 24 hours and then come back to it. You can add to it at that point if you wish to do so, or you can take stuff off the list, but go through the list and put a tick next to the goals that resonate with you. It is important that you don't self-censor during this process. Be completely open and honest with yourself about what it is you want to achieve.

When you have done this, go through the list and tick again. Keep repeating until you have, at most, five goals on your list.

These are the goals for the year ahead, and this is now your foundation that you have laid. Take a look at your list and then cast your mind forward in time. Imagine that you are at the end of the year, looking back and reflecting over the past 12 months. What are you looking back on? Have things changed? Or is it the same as every other year? Will the previous 12 months have been intervening and enabled you to get that new qualification, or lose that excess weight, or overcome your particular issue. If you can imagine yourself one year from now, it will become easier to identify the goals that are most important to you. From there you can begin to plan what you need to do next in order to achieve your goal.

So, to summarise, here are my top tips to help you achieve this coming year...

Remember that the more powerful and compelling you can make your goals, the greater your chance of sticking with them throughout the year.

When considering your goals, it's good to strike a balance between long term goals and those which can be achieved quickly.

Include some goals in your top five that will bring quick results. This will help to build your confidence in avhieving the longer term goals.

Once you have your goals in mind or written down, ask yourself the following questions...

1. Why is it important that I achieve the goal?

2. What will I get if I achieve it?

3. What will it cost me if I don't?

Finally (and what I deem as the most important tip I have for you), whatever your goals for the year are, it's important that you make them SMART. I use this process with my clients. Each of your goals should be:

SPECIFIC: What exactly do you want to achieve?

MEASURABLE: How will you know when you have achieved it?

ACHIEVABLE: How can your goal be attained? What skills or support do you need?

RELEVANT: Is this goal worthwhile to you?

TIMED: When do you plan to start and finish the goal?

That's all on goal setting for now. As always, I hope that you can take something from it and apply to your own life. Here's to a year of achievement.