5 Easy Steps to Setting Goals for the new Decade.
As we enter a new decade its time to get the goal-setting juices flowing!
Have you ever thought about what you want to be doing in 5 years? What about 10 years? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?
If the answer is no…Maybe its time to re-evaluate your goals.
As we near the end of a decade and 2020 quickly approaches its important to define actionable and achievable goals.
Everyone defines success differently, but I personally believe that in order to reach your own personal (and professional) definition of success, you need to set goals for yourself.
Often times this can be a struggle to define goals, but without goals, you lack focus and direction.
I’m hoping that after reading this article you can take these simple steps for goal setting and start to formulate your own goals for 2020.
Why are goals important?
Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life’s direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding or not. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve and ends with A LOT of hard work to actually do it.
These are some steps that I believe will help you get closer to setting and attaining your goals.
1. Define your Goal Category.
Below is a list of different categories to get your goal-setting juices flowing.
Write some of these down and expand on them. Feel free to define your own category if your goal trajectory does not align with this list.
- Family and home
- Financial and career
- Spiritual and ethical
- Physical and health
- Social and cultural
- Mental and educational
- Artistic
- Attitude
- Public service
- Pleasure
2. Define your Stepping Stone Goals.
Goals exist on a number of different levels.
You need to have long-term “big picture” goals as well as smaller goals that will build the foundation you need in order to achieve the larger-scale goals.
For example: If your long-term goal is A, you will need a shorter-term goal (B) to help you eventually achieve A. Sometimes an even shorter-term goal (C )to help you reach B and so on.
The number of layers involved in this will depend to a great extent on how long-term and ambitious your overall goal is.
Start right now. If you already have a long term goal you’re working towards …close your eyes and picture that goal in your mind. Think of 3 things that you will need to do right now in order to get you one step closer to that goal.
3. Write your Goals Down!
I get it, life happens and over the course of the next decade life will happen A LOT. After you’ve defined your goals It's crucial that you keep track of them.
Do you have a whiteboard in your office? Maybe a corkboard that you like to pin things on? How about your refrigerator?
Where ever you decide to put them just make sure they are visible every day!
4. Set SMART Goals.
This is a classic way of setting goals and has been for a long time now, so its only fitting that it made the list.
SMART is an acronym for, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).What is it that I want to accomplish? Why do I want to accomplish it? Who (if anyone) is involved in my achieving this goal? Where will this goal be achieved? Which constraints and requirements will be involved in achieving this goal?
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating). How many? How much? How will I know when I have accomplished the goal?
- Achievable (agreed, attainable). How can I accomplish this goal? How realistic is the goal, are there any other constraints that would limit me here?
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based). Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time in my life? Does this match my other efforts/needs?
- Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). When do I want to achieve this goal? What can be done today? What can be done six weeks from now? 6 months from now? 2 years from now?
Use the SMART formula as you start to evaluate and define your new short and long term goals.
5. Don't Be Afraid to Fail!
I often chat with people who are not achieving their goals because they think they simply can't, or they feel like their goals are too far out of reach.
If you’re setting achievable goals and following the steps above, there is no reason why you should be falling short.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”
If you found this article helpful, leave a clap! 👏👏👏
As always, don't forget to connect with me on LinkedIn
