Goal Setting – Your GPS to Success

This is my last blog post in this series on goal setting.   In this summary I’ll lay out a simple process that will lead you to success, if you choose to follow it!  These principles serve as a GPS that will guide you toward your desired destination.

   

Think about your next road trip or vacation.  After you pack your car, I bet you buckle up, plug in your GPS unit, and place it on the dash. Now, what’s the first thing you do, once your GPS unit has powered up?  You enter the address of your destination.  If you don’t do that, your GPS cannot guide you to your destination.

Defining your personal goals is a lot like entering the destination address in your GPS.   Unless you “enter your destination address” in the form of well-written goals, you’ll wander aimlessly through this year, like a driver without a programmed GPS unit!

Every person can set effective personal goals by taking the following four steps.

Each step below starts with a link to the previous blog post describing that particular step in detail.

1. Pause and Reflect – This is the time of the year I ask myself…“Where have I been?” and “Where am I now?” I look at this time of reflection as the first step to making this year extraordinary! You’ll find a concise list of areas to reflect over in my Goal Setting Workbook found below.

2. Dream – Effective, personal goal setting also requires us to start thinking and asking ourselves “Where am I going?”  What are my 2016 plans and goals? What do I dream to accomplish?

3. Plan & Write – Discover the three questions that can guide your goal setting preparation. Then use my Goal Setting Workbook as a framework to help you write down your personal goals for 2016.

                     Fact: You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals,

                                       simply by writing them down!^[1]

4. Get Going – Now is the time to act on your goals! Learn five simple steps to get going on your own goals for 2016. The hardest part of any important task is getting started. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue.

One last thing.  Do you get overwhelmed with the whole thought of setting goals? I shared five tips to get more done in 2016 in this blog post. I especially like tip #1.  I believe it will set you up for success as you work toward your goals in 2016!  These tips will help you shake off that sick feeling of over-commitment and get focused on your most important goals.

You can download my updated Goal Setting Workbook <here>.  It guides you through the simple, but effective goal setting process that I’ve used for years. There is no charge for the workbook, but the difference well-set goals can make in your life is priceless.

Could you share how setting goals has affected your life? Click <here> to share your thoughts and leave a comment.  Please pass this blog post along to your family, friends, and co-workers.

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Footnotes:

1. Dominican University of California:  Goal Study:  Dr. Gail Matthews Ph.D.