WHEN SETTING GOALS DON’T FORGET TO:
Set a deadline for achieving each of your goals: A time frame for completing your goal give you an absolute beginning and end to the goal. Even if you don’t hit it by the time you set you can modify the goal and extend the time. By not setting a time frame you will most likely keep putting it off.
Set your goals high, but be realistic: If you write a goal down that is too unrealistic then you will not work towards it. For example: “I will run for president in the next election.” This is a good goal! However, unless you are a prominent government official it might be a little far fetched to accomplish. A great goal might be: “I will run for my local city Council for the next election, then run for State Senator in two years and then in eight years I will run for President.” This goal gives a clear short, intermediate and long term plan with a time frame. Your goal for President may be high but you are also shooting for the steps in-between.
Set stretch goals: A stretch goal is one that stretches past the realm of current possibility. Here is an example of a goal: “I will find a Literary Agent and a publisher for my 387 page Fantasy Fiction by the end of June this year.” Here is a stretch goal: “I will attract the sight of a major motion picture company and get a 3.5 million dollar movie contract by August this year.” The first goal is a possibility. The second goal stretches the imagination—might be possible if the first happens and the book is outstanding.
Keep them in front of you and look at them daily: Look at your goals daily—out of sight out of mind! Keep them in ‘Top of mind awareness’ to that your consciousness is consistently striving towards those goals. It keeps you motivated. When you are working towards your goals it is uncanny how things just pop up. You might meet that contact you needed to get that job, or bump into someone who knows that agent that is looking for a good fantasy novel. If all you do is wish to win the lottery but never buy a ticket—how do you expect to win?
Cross it out when you accomplish it: Track the goals you accomplish. Cross them off your list as you hit them. You will be surprised at the end of the year how many of them you will have crossed off. I have been doing this for over twelve years and every time I am amazed at how many goals I have crossed off at the end of the year.
Reward yourself when you achieve a goal: Give yourself some praise when you hit a goal. For the small goals I give myself a bottle of wine. The larger goals I give myself a music CD or a DVD. Reward yourself for doing a good job. It keeps the motivation going to hit the other goals.
Set new goals: Things change. If you have new motivations, dreams, desires, hopes and wishes write down new goals. The New Year is not the only time to set goals.
Happy goal setting! You can reach what you desire just lay it out in front of yourself and go for it!
YOU CAN DO IT!
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