Institute Retreat - Successful Goal Setting

This was the second handout that we got at the time management workshop by Sister Smith.

Successful Goal Setting

Top Ten Reasons to Establish Written Goals for Your Life

10. Written goals strengthen your character by promoting long-term perspective.
9. Written goals allow you to lead your life as opposed to simply managing it.
8. Written goals provide internal and consistent motivation.
7. Written goals help you stay focused - to concentrate on what's most important.
6. Written goals enhance your decision-making ability.
5. Written goals simultaneously require and build self-confidence.
4. Written goals help you create the future in advance.
3. Written goals help you control changes, to adjust your sails, to work with the wind - rather than against it.
2. Written goals heighten your awareness of opportunities that are consistent with your goals.
1. The most important benefit of setting effective goals, is the person you become as a result of the pursuit.

7 Reasons People Don't Set Goals

1. They have not yet accepted personal responsibility for their lives.
2. They fear criticism.
3. They don't know how.
4. They don't realize the importance of goals.
5. The curse of early success.
6. Fear of failure.
7. Fear of success.

Highly Effective Goals Are:

1. Written.
2. Stated positively.
3. Time-Bound (I will...by Dec 31st, 2010).
4. Challenging and reasonable.
5. Consistent with your ambition and desires.
6. Specific and measurable.
7. Thoroughly planned.
8. Tracked. (Chart, graph, track online, fill in the bubble, calendar, etc.)
9. Performance goals, not outcome goals. (Base your goals on personal performance which you can control.)

The Goal Setting Workshop

Step 1: Brainstorm your dreams/Ideal lifestyle (no limitations, 50+ goals to cover next 25 years).
Step 2: Prioritize (choose 5 goals to focus on for the next year).
Step 3: Convince yourself (what are tangible/intangible rewards of accomplishing your goals?).
Step 4: Plan on paper (what has to happen for you to accomplish your goals...be specific).
Step 5: List available resources.
Step 6: List potential obstacles.
Step 7: Identify ways to overcome obstacles.

Tips for Success

1. Review your written goals regularly.
2. Get a mentor for important goals. (get direction, advice, ideas, motivation, etc.)
3. Be accountable to someone-- tell someone about your goal & deadlines.
4. Be balanced- set goals in several areas. (spiritual, physical, financial, career, family, recreation, travel, community service, education)
5. Create a "triumphs" journal. (create a list of things you have accomplished in the past)
6. "Visualize" your goal as already accomplished. (screen saver, pictures, goals book, etc.)

Resources:
"Success is Not an Accident" Tommy Newberry
"The Success Principles" Jack Canfield
www.joesgoals.com (website to track goals, habits, provides reports, etc.)
www.maintainfit.com (tracks running, swimming, hiking, biking, and walking)