Goal Setting: Set Yourself Up for Success

When I was seventeen, I announced to a room full of my classmates that I would have my own column in a newspaper or magazine by the time I was thirty. This was, perhaps, one of the first tangible goals I ever set for myself. When I was twenty-one, I began keeping a goal list. By the time I was twenty-six, I had my own column in a national trade magazine. How did I do it? It all started with that spoken aloud goal and the goal lists I started making.

Effective goal setting is a skill anyone can learn, and it can serve you well for years to come with a little patience, practice, and motivation. The reason most people fail to reach goals is that they don't have a plan of action or something to remind them of their goals. The method outlined in this article will help you define your goals, set a plan of action, and accomplish your goals. Since this article is interactive, you will need a pad of paper and a pen, or your computer.

The first step to setting goals is to define them. First, on a sheet of paper (or on your computer) create two columns or lists. Label the first column/list 'Short Term Goals.' Label the second column/list 'Long Term Goals.' I define short-term goals as goals that can realistically be reached within a year. Long-term goals are goals that could take several years to reach.

Make your short-term goals realistic like, "clean the house by Friday" or "finish my Christmas shopping by November 15^th." On the long-term list put goals like, "get my degree in biology" or "buy a house." Be specific. The more specific you are, the more you'll understand what it is you really want. Do you want a raise, or do you really want a new job with better pay? See the difference?

Let me remind you that these are not simply resolutions, they're goals. These are things you want and feel strongly about wanting them. If it helps you, give yourself deadlines. I like to write my goals out like this:

Short Term Goals

Get magazine to the printer by April 15^th, 2007

Start working on Novel # 3 no later than June 1^st, 2007

Finish editing Bob's Book by November 1^st, 2007For some of us, a deadline is a motivating factor, for others, it encourages procrastination. Choose the method that works for you. If simply stating the goals and the year you want to complete them works for you, go ahead and do that. I do suggest giving yourself a time limit just to keep yourself on track. You'll also be able to see if you're trying to do too much in a short amount of time. You can sort long-term goals by the age you want to have them completed by. For example, you may want to own your own house by the time you're thirty-two. If you feel more comfortable with this, do it.

Also, feel free to write down goals that seem realistic, but completely unattainable at this point in your life. For example: If you dream of owning a cabin in the woods someday, or opening your own business, put it on your long-term list. There's no harm in dreaming and dreaming big. You may find yourself in a situation later in life when you are in a position to attempt some of these things. Don't limit yourself or allow destructive thoughts like, "That will never happen," or "I couldn't do that" hold you back.

While you're writing down your goals, be a little selfish and don't feel bad about it. After all, it's on paper and not written in stone. That's one of the important things to remember. Even if you only complete one thing on your goal list in any single year, it's not failure. It's progress. If you've had difficulty setting goals in the past, start small and work your way up to larger goals as you gain confidence in knowing that you can complete the goals on your list.

Now, once you feel you have a reasonable list, look it over. Which goals are the most important to you? Label the most important goals with the number 1. Label secondary goals with a 2. Label goals that may not be as important with a 3.

Now that you have a goal list, put it on the refrigerator or in another location where you can view it daily. I print a new goal list every six months. Begin working on the goals on your short-term list one at a time starting with those labeled 1. If you find, tomorrow, that a 1 becomes a 2, change it. As you complete each goal, cross it off the list or move it to a list labeled 'Completed Goals.'

For some goals, you'll need to create a plan of action. A plan of action is, essentially, a list of smaller short-term goals that will help you reach a larger goal. For example, for teens getting ready for college, putting together a list of colleges, researching those colleges, visiting campuses, searching for and applying for scholarships, finding additional funding, and getting applications out on time can be split up into smaller, more manageable bits by writing out each step and checking it off when it's completed. If you break more difficult goals down, you'll soon realize that even long-term goals will eventually be crossed off your list.

Revise your list as often as necessary. I revise my list in the computer every six months. I keep a column of completed goals at the very bottom so when I feel defeated by my list, I can look over all the things I have accomplished and gain a renewed sense of strength.

You may find that some goals on your list fall to the wayside. They are no longer as important to you, or you may realize they really aren't what you want for yourself. This will happen at some point because as we grow and gain experience, sometimes our lives take different directions and our priorities change. This is normal. Don't feel defeated if it happens. Just keep revising your list by adding things more important, and removing things that have lost their appeal. Never remove something from the list just because you have lost faith in yourself.

If you are persistent and continue to keep the goal list, follow it, and reach the goals you've set for yourself, keeping the list will become a habit and can help you carve your own successful life path.

The key to accomplishing any goal is persistence. If you get sidetracked and a goal has to be set aside temporarily that's okay. You can't go skydiving when you're six-months pregnant, or with a broken leg. If you try one plan of attack and that doesn't help you reach the goal, revise your plan and try again. If you're passionate enough about it and never give up, you will succeed. So keep setting goals for yourself and continue reaching for them. It will help you learn what you really want and keep you focused on your life path. Someday you'll look back and be glad you started keeping the goal list that changed your life.