Yep, it’s that time of year!
What is a goal anyway? We hear about goals all the time. Often, people use terms like action step, objective, mission, vision, intention, project, wish, and even value proposition in place of the term goal. (Of course, if we’re talking about scoring a goal – as in hockey, whole different thing!)
A goal for our purposes here is simply a statement that creates commitment to a specific outcome (or set of outcomes) in a predetermined time frame. Easy enough.
Here are 6 Knock Out MUSTS to be considered when effectively setting goals or to at least get the most out of setting goals – making them Knock Out Goals!
Goals MUST have Passion
If there is no passion behind a goal, what’s the point? It’s easy to lose momentum and focus if you’re not that passionate about the goal in the first place. How do you know if you are passionate about your goal?
Do you value the goal enough to schedule the time necessary to achieve it?
Do you (or would you) invest your energy and money in the pursuit of excellence?
Do you feel a sense of loss when you can’t be the best you can be at it?
Do you have a tough time hiding your excitement when you talk about it?
Goals MUST be SMART
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time driven. The goal must be specific enough to be focused; measurable enough to know when you’ve hit your mark, actionable enough to determine what needs to be done, realistic enough to be possible, and timely enough to create urgency.
Goals MUST be Lofty
A goal must be far-reaching and lofty enough where it can’t be crossed off your checklist moments after writing it down. For example, making a purchase of something online is probably not a goal. Typically, goals require a number of action steps to complete. Your goals should be a bit of a stretch, so make them count.
Goals MUST be Accountable
Some people can hold themselves accountable to their goals. Most can’t. That’s the benefit of hiring a coach. What can you do to ensure that you stay focused on your goals? Maybe every week when you don’t move forward on a goal, you have to contribute a specified sum of money to your rival college. Or make 20 cold calls. Or whatever. The point is having a negative consequence. (Negative consequences are much more impactful than positive ones.)
Goals MUST be Written
A Harvard Business School study found:
83% of the population do not have any clearly defined goals.
14% have goals but not written down.
3% of the population has goals that are written down.
The study concluded that the 3 percent that had written goals were earning an astounding 10 times more income than that of the 83 percent group. In addition, similar studies have shown that individuals with written goals also tend to have better health and happier marriages than those without goals.
The power of written goals is indisputable. Writing your goals down is the first step to any action. And write them the old-fashioned way – with pen and paper, not typed in a computer. Why is writing your goals so important? It creates a commitment in your mind that gives you the momentum to perform the actions necessary to achieve your immediate goals. Writing them is even more crucial for your long-term goals.
Goals MUST be Visible
Put your goals in a place where you can see them every day. If they’re in a Word file somewhere, you’ll never look at them. Again, write them out long hand and keep them on a clipboard at your desk. Stick them to your bathroom mirror, attach them to the remote control, post them on the fridge, keep them in your wallet, or tape them to the GPS. I keep mine written on whiteboards in my office. Get creative and try to have fun with it.
Write a goal that you will achieve by the end of the year. Then break the goal down into quarterly milestones so they feel more achievable with a greater sense of urgency.
Then write a list of tasks that you will need to perform to achieve your goal.
Put those tasks in your calendar and actually schedule time to achieve those tasks. Do it now!
Be unstoppable and don’t let anything get in your way!
Let me know how I can help you achieve your goal.
Rely on me to be in your corner!
Here’s to a knock out New Year!
