By Victoria Mills
In this blog I want to teach you how to write a goal, build a realistic action plan and achieve your goals!
A goal helps you get clear on what changes you want to make in your life and create a strategic pathway and building blocks to unlock your true potential. A goal inspires you to achieve more and become more motivated to sustain focus to achieve. I have a favorite saying: ‘If you don’t take control of how you wish to live your life, then life or other people will control it for you!’
When you create goals I encourage you to THINK BIG! Think outside the square, and challenge yourself to dream big and create the largest goals possible. If you don’t dream, nothing happens.
Creating change in any area of life can be a daunting process for some, while for others it’s an exciting process to welcome in the new. Whether we’re struggling to lose more weight; working on effective time management; wanting to work less hours; seeking a more fulfilling relationship or a more inspiring career. Stepping into the unknown can be daunting and anxious, especially when you don’t know where to start – unless you make a plan!
Did you know?
A. 97% of all people fail to reach any really important objectives if they don’t write their goals down.
B. The 3% who write down their goals have a greater chance of being successful.
C. Yale University Study of 1953: Graduates of that year were interviewed and found that only 3% of them had written down their specific goals for the future. A follow-up twenty years later found that those 3% had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined!
If you want to achieve something in your life you should write it down. It’s a simple as that. If you want to live to your highest potential then take action along with writing your goal down.
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STEP 1: Use the SMART MODEL: each goal must have all of these 5 aspects!
SPECIFIC: A clear specific goal.
MEASURABLE: Small bite sized action steps to help you stay on track.
ATTAINABLE: When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true.
REALISTIC: To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective towards which you are both willing and able to work.
TRACKABLE: A goal should be grounded within a tangible time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency.
*TIP: When you start thinking about creating goals keep asking yourself these questions:
– Does this feel right for me?
– Is this what I want?
– Does this goal excite me?
– Am I prepared to do what is necessary to achieve this goal?
– Have I followed the SMART process?
1. Get clear on what you want. Which area in your life needs your attention but has been neglected for a whole lot of reasons (and excuses)? Spend time on this exercise and really think about where you want to be in three months’ time, six months’ time and a year.
2. Create an action plan for each of these goals that will help transform this area of your life. An action plan is the building block and path to help you achieve your goal. You need a strategy that is simple to follow yet still a powerful prompt or motivator to help you towards success.
3. Read and review your goals every day, with passion. A good habit is to check in with yourself and ask yourself honestly how well you are doing in this area. Track your progress in your journal. If you are not progressing as well as you want to, you have reached a roadblock. (I will explain this in detail over the next few blogs how to shift these.)
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EXAMPLE HEALTH GOAL – using the SMART MODEL:
To lose 15 kg by December 2012. I feel fantastic with my new fit body!
EXAMPLE ACTION PLAN:
1. Commit to exercise with a friend and exercise together three times a week.
2. Eat less starchy foods.
3. Drink more water and think more positive thoughts about my body.
4. Find a picture of a body that inspires me and look at this each day.
5. Identify potential blocks to achieving my goal i.e. negative thoughts that may sabotage my success. For example: ‘Oh, don’t bother, you may as well give up, you will never lose your weight, it’s hard-to-lose weight, I never achieve anything’ and so on. Choose to fill my mind with positive messages about my body.
6. Track my progress.
7. Celebrate my success, i.e. reward myself each week I am successful in committing to my action plan by seeing a movie/having a massage or seeing a friend who supports my goals.
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YOUR EXERCISE:
FILL IN BLANKS BELOW WITH YOUR GOALS:
My health goal is _________________________________________________________
My financial goal is ______________________________________________________
My relationship goal is ___________________________________________________
My career goal is _________________________________________________________
My home life/hobbies goal is ______________________________________________
My spiritual/highest purpose goal is ______________________________________
Other area of my life goal is _____________________________________________
YOUR EXERCISE: FILL IN BLANKS BELOW FOR YOUR ACTION PLAN
Health action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my health goal is:
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Financial action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my financial goal is:
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Career action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my career goal is:
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Relationship action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my relationship goal is:
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Home life/hobbies action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my hobby/home life goal is:
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Spiritual/purpose action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my spiritual/purpose goal is:
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Other area of my life action plan
My action plan to help me achieve my other area of my life goal is:
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