Setting and achieving goals is a large part of finding and living our calling. Discovering our purpose seldom falls in our lap and being in a good position to be generous doesn’t happen by accident.
Following are some useful tips to help get the job done. We wish you the best in your personal development and efforts toward living your calling.
Most of all, we feel truly blessed to be a part of your journey.
1. Write it down.
Writing down a goal makes it more real. Of course, it helps for you to look at it frequently, too.
2. Be SMART about it.
Specific: When we are clear on what exactly we want to accomplish, we will be able to know when we have done it.
Measurable: It’s not always easy to quantify the things we want to change, but it is necessary if we want to know when we are finished.
Attainable: Achieving goals feels great and inspires the desire to do more, so let’s set ourselves up for success by choosing goals that we really can achieve.
Risky: The goal needs to make us stretch if it’s going to be worthwhile, otherwise we probably would have done it anyway.
Time limited: Deadlines are powerful at inspiring action; without them, we will often let even the important things go by the wayside.
3. Choose the words carefully.
Wording can make all the difference in whether a goal is achieved or not. In general, using the fewest number of words to get the point across clearly is best.
4. Break it up according to how much time remains.
If we assess how much time and other resources are available before the deadline, we can even out the workload. That way we are more likely to avoid things like all-nighters, headaches and strained relationships.
5. Plan specific steps.
Big goals with multiple steps including those requiring sustained effort over time need to have specific actions attached to them to get the bigger job done.
6. Schedule time for those specific activities.
I just learned this one the hard way: Having a specific list of things to do to finish a goal won’t help if we don’t make time to do them. We’ll need to schedule blocks of time for goal-related activities.
7. Chart your progress.
Charting can be fun and inspiring. It also makes it clear how we’re doing in reaching our goal.
8. Let other people in on your goals.
Accountability is priceless. There’s the embarrassment factor if we don’t do what we said we would do. Also, a person who cares enough to hold us to our word can provide needed
inspiration and motivation along the way.
9. Be willing to ask for help.
We don’t have to put on a one-man show if having some help is appropriate. For many goals, the point is to get it done and there’s no prize awarded for having done it all alone.
10. Change your plan if it’s not working!
“If the horse you’re riding dies midstream, for God’s sake, dismount!” If what we are doing isn’t working, we should try something new until we find what works.
My Goals
I am working on a few really big goals right now. One of those goals is:
“On or before 9 AM November 22, 2013, I have 1,000 or more Simply Great Lives email subscribers.”
I will definitely need some help in reaching this goal. so, if you like our blog, please subscribe at www.SimplyGreatLives.com. You can also share the blog with other people and encourage them to subscribe if they like it, too.
Your Goals
Do you have any big goals you are working on that you’d like to share?
