If you’re following the process from my prior posts, you’re ready to take some steps with your remaining goals.
We will need to examine the remaining goals and choose JUST A FEW. I always recommend just three or four. (Why? Because we don’t want to stretch ourselves with too many goals to juggle.)
You’ll want to follow your best logic and perhaps some meditation on which goals are best for you to select from the list. You’ll want to balance what you have going on in your life with the goals you choose as well. For example, if you have two goals of “Learn Latin” and “Learn Swahili”, then you may be into a bit if a pickle learning two languages at the same time.
You may also want to start with a group of short-range goals (you see the results faster than long-term goals). Ultimately, you’ll put your chosen goals in list form.
If you’re using the Ziglar Performance Planner then you have a space already allocated for these “finalists”. If you’re using your own notebook or perhaps a computer, no problem - simply be sure to have these goals completely written out in an easy to understand form. After all, you may be referring back to these goals (and you should!) frequently.
Use the Ziglar “General Goals Procedure Chart” or simply use your own device to lay out the following for EACH goal you’ve identified. (Remember, there should only be three or four goals in this process - so it make take a bit of time, but it shouldn’t be difficult to complete.) Here’s a sample layout of the Goals procedure and the content you could use:
- Goal Name
This means give your goal a name. If it’s simple yet descriptive, even better. An example would be “Learn conversational Italian” (you could also add a timeframe, but you will also set a timeframe on the last step). - Benefits of Reaching this Goal
This one is the carrot for your hard work. What’s the reward at the end? Be sure to describe this in as much detail as you need to help keep you on track. If we’re sticking with the Italian language goal, perhaps some of the listed Benefits would be “Be able to meet with Old Country family and speak with them, Be able to order in fancy Italian restaurants, Appear more romantic, etc.” You get the idea. - Identified Obstacles to Reaching the Goal
All goals have obstacles. It’s a fact of life. Sometimes, the best goals have the highest mountains to climb. You’ll need to think through your goal and figure out as many of the possible barriers to success as you can. “Time to study Italian, Broken CD Player, Noisy household for Italian lessons…” - Special Skills or Knowledge Needed
What skills do you need to reach your goal? Sometimes, a special skill or knowledge is a goal in itself. But, other goals may need you to use the skills or knowledge of OTHERS to help you reach your goal. For example, if you have a live tutor for your Italian, then they really should know Italian. This leads directly to the next step. - Identify groups or individuals who can help you reach your goal
You’re not alone in this journey. Really. There’s going to be someone who can help you through the process to achieve whatever your goal is. For Italian, maybe you’ll nee a tutor (as mentioned) and maybe a helper (someone do hold up flash cards for vocabulary). Sometimes, you can solicit help from an organization to assist you with conversations in Italian (check a site like Meetup). - Detail your plan for meeting the goal
This is the biggest part of the goal setting for most. It’s also the most difficult. Don’t let this dissuade you from accomplishing what is needed. Push through this step and get the details identified. Place the steps in order. Use as much detail as needed to help YOU understand “What’s next?” When it comes to learning Italian, it may look like: “Pick up new Italian coursebook at store, get books/course on CD/MP3, set aside study area, arrange for meetings once a week with study partner/conversationalist, follow Books/coursework, practice with CDs, practice with study buddy, review progress weekly…” - Set a definitive date for completion
Yes, be very clear on this. Even with ongoing goals, you can set a date for interim completion. It’s not mandatory, but it helps tremendously. Like if you’re losing weight, set a goal for March, a goal for July and maybe one for December. Your Big goal will be the December weigh in but the interim goals will also be defined and you will push to reach each in turn. (It’s a huge bonus if you reach goals faster!) For the Italian language learning, be reasonable with the date but don’t push it out too far. You should have already defined the obstacles and figured out who your allies are. With these aspects in mind, you should be able to stick to your plan (as defined just above).
You’re now looking at a list of several goals with a lot of information for each. If you’re using the Ziglar Planner, move these identified goals to your Weekly Activity pages. If you’re not using a Ziglar Planner, simply take your list of goals and use the goal titles with your online, phone or similar planner. Be sure to identify for yourself what steps you need to follow as part of your overall (larger) goal for each day.
A lot of people fail to implement this part of the program. Why? Because it requires most people to keep track of where they are with their goals. This is why a goal planner often works best.
Take the time daily (beginning of the day and end of the day works best) to go through your goals. Write down for the day, the items you NEED to do to achieve your goals (remember, most goals are broken into steps to success) as steps. At the end of the day, your list of goal-based activities is a checklist for how well you did. Go through your list and grade yourself. Use this to set the tone for the next day. It’s a cycle.
At this point, you’re nearly ready to take on the world. If you use these methods, you’ll find that you’re taking more purposeful strides through your life and no longer just on cruise control in your life.
I’d love it if you’ve been able to take on these steps and share with others. My contact information is here on the website and if you’d like, I’d love to share a bit of your success story with others. Just let me know!
You’re in charge. Take the steps to show it.