There is an additional step in the goal setting process that seems to get left out by most people. It is the #1 mistake that often costs us the results we truly want. Instead of being able to work towards the goal consistently over time, we get derailed and often don’t end up completing the process and achieving that goal. You may have experienced this and concluded that “maybe goals don’t really work for my kind of projects”, or maybe “I just can’t seem to stick to my goals”. This experience is common when working towards a goal when you have not taken that extra goal-setting step. You can eliminate this circular process of stop-start and resulting feelings of frustration just by adding in one extra step when setting your goals.So what is that step? Have a specific plan to achieve your goal. Each goal needs a specific plan, or pathway mapped, to get you to the finish line (the goal). Having the finish line in mind is important, but mapping the way will help so much more. So, where to start? Think about where you are now in relation to your goal. There is a gap between where you are now and where your goal is at the end. Think of the space in between the two as a “no-man’s land”. You want to create points to aim for as you cross this wide open space. Aiming to get to the other side is not enough. So firstly, look at what steps need to happen to get you to your goal. Make a list of every task and action that needs to happen. Then think about obstacles that might come up. What things might hinder your progress? For example, your goal might be to acquire 5 new clients by the end of June. An obstacle that might come up could be that you are not getting enough leads to acquire those 5 clients. So the obstacle is generating enough leads. Write this down on your list with all the other tasks. So now you should have a list of tasks/actions and obstacles that will fill the space between you and your goal achievement. You’ve essentially created a series of smaller goals to get you to your larger goal. The next step is to assign those tasks and obstacles to overcome in your calendar and to set deadlines for each. That’s it.
Now as you work on your goal, you are working on a mini goal, the smaller part of the whole. This provides a stepping process for you to keep moving along towards the end goal. It creates outcomes along the way which are the small wins that will keep you motivated. It breaks things down into smaller pieces which makes it easier to manage and creates a smaller part for you to focus on. This also helps reduce that feeling of overwhelm. It also provides a time-frame for getting all the smaller steps done. Rather than feeling there is a never-ending list of things to do before you can get to the goal, you can instead focus on each step one at a time, knowing that it leads you to the larger goal. It is this knowing that you have mapped a path that makes you feel that you are actually on track to achieving your goal. And feeling on track will keep you motivated which will ultimately ensure the achievement of your goal.