The best daily goal setting system ever
There is one test in the world of goal setting when I comes to systems of writing down your goals every day.
This is the big secret: The ideal system for everyday goal setting is one that is comfortable enough to do every day. In fact - one that let's you look forward to the next moment you get to work on your goals.
If you do that and adhere to the SMART guidelines, you will see incredible results.
Now I've tried my share of systems over the years, but only recently have I perfected my own system. I do not claim this is better than anyone elses in overall - it's just better for me. I'd like to share with you my way hoping that it may well get you on your way to unleashing your potential.
You will need:
- This simple sheet (recommended)
or
A5 notebook
or
one A4 sheet of paper - A pen.
- 15 minutes of leisure time.
What you should do:
- If you chose not to use the sheet, download it anyway and look at the layout. Make your own notebook or sheet resemble that layout.
- Put yourself in a relaxed, yet energized frame of mind. Or you might feel better whilst calm and quiet. Whatever it is, make sure you enjoy it and feel comfortable.
- Fill in Part 1, keeping in mind these guidelines:
-
- Keep your goals SMART (Yes, I will mention this on every occasion).
- Phrase your goals so that they evoke feelings of power, fun, excitement. A goal like "Each day I substitute 1 meal for a healthy one and open up new horizons of flavour" is *slightly* better than "Eat healthier food".
- Make your goals ambitious, but realistic. On the edge of your current possibilities. And that edge is bleeding my friends...
- Set a date. This is not and end-all - just an estimate.
- Prioritize your goals as you see fit - the most important ones at the top
- Your goals will change, especially in the beginning. This is a good thing and one of the key benefits of goal setting - you refine your goals and set the ones that really matter.
- Fill in Part 2. This is a basic step for giving your mind the reasons for achieving the goal. The crucial thing here is to really feel the benefits of achieving the goal. Take a moment to savour the moment in your minds eye. Feel it. Experience it. Be there...
Also - think what will it cost you if you don't achieve this goal. Loss is hard to bear for the human mind, and if you associate enough things that you could lose - you will have more will to follow through.
Work your list of goals consecutively on the following days. If you have more time - you might want to do more then one goal on a separate sheet. - Fill in Part 3 . This is the next action for every goal. This should be a single action that is possible to make now. Do these actions as soon as you are ready. Don't over schedule - take it one thing at a time - don't try to cram in 10 actions - it will just numb you down to them and you won't achieve much more.
Example:
Goal: "I weigh xx and my fitness level gives my great energy and allows me to do 50 push-ups"
Action: "Make exercise plan" or "Do my daily exercises". - Fill in Part 4 . This differs from Part 3 in the lighter fashion in which you an treat these actions. These are things you can do in your free time. These actions are usually something like a habit.
Example:
Goal: "I weigh xx and my fitness level gives my great energy and allows me to do 50 push-ups"
Action: "I contract my stomach muscles while in the elevator" or "I drink at leat 5 glasses of water a day" - You have finished! Put your signature at the bottom to make an agreement with yourself that you will follow through.
- Print one sheet each day and put it somewhere that you know you can't leave without having to deal with it. Tape it to the door, put it on your shoes, attach to your monitor and so on... Make filling out the sheet your priority.
- You've got the system - the rest is up to you.
I believe in the effectiveness of this system because of it's double whammy approach - it give you the benefit of a well formed, inspiring goal with the momentum builder of every day actions.
Also - having the action stated in plain, normal language gives some relief from the intelligence challenging (but subconscious effective) task of forming your goals in the present tense.
The reasons for your goal reinforce your commitment and remind you why you are doing this.
And the part 4 actions remind you of the importance every day habit forming.
As a last tip, I would recommend that the most important goal for you in the next week or two is:
"I rewrite m goals daily and realize the amazing changes that already are entering my life".
I wish you much luck.
Goal software 101: Trait #3: Measurable actions
The computer was invented primarily to help humans do numbers. It has evolved enough to not show you all the complicated math going behind the scenes - but it's still there. Today we will be talking about how we can learn for computers.
But first... some goal setting 101. There is a fairly basic methodology of setting your goals which everyone is probably familiar - that goals should be
(picked my favs - see the whole list here)
There is some big wisdom here. But SMART is a basic technique applying only to your goals and not the follow up: the action plan. When the goal is set - achieving it can be a lot more reliable is you actually set SMART actions that are to be acomplished. Those might be something like "I will enjoy a brisk walk every weekday afternoon" if your goal is related to fitness or weight.
This is great way to get you started on your goal and commit to doing something on it. In the ideal world, you would compose a checklist of all your actionsand track it on a daily basis. The problem with daily habits that haven't sunk in yet, is that the next day something unexpected happens (working late, partying or whatever your heart desires) the habit dies. If your list gets more than 2 days behind, chances are you will never use it again.
Now this is where the patience of a computer pays off. If you do the thing electronically - the software could bug you with an SMS message every hour until you get it. It may give you reports on how you've followed through. This has big advantages because you can keep track of whether you stayed with the plan - if you've screwed up- try again. If you came through and nothing is happening - get a better plan.
I actually came across the need for something like this when I was developing a plan for my fitness goals. I needed something that would keep track. I stuck with a spreadsheet but this is not what I would ultimately like to use.
Anyone have something interesting like this they' like to share?
