In January the YMCA parking lot is jammed, but in April it’s bare. We have good intentions as a new year approaches, but good intentions aren’t enough to accomplish our goals. Most of us have never been taught how to effectively plan our annual goals. Five goal-stealers are the primary culprits. Fortunately, they can be fixed with some intentional tweaks.
Avoid general goals, shape specific goals
Unclear goals lead us to a scattered life.
How will you know when you’ve succeeded? Get dangerously specific!
Avoid impossible goals, aim at attainable goals
Perfectionism sets us up for shame.
With some stretching, is this goal actually possible? Be honest!
Avoid timeless goals, cultivate time-specific goals
Goals without timelines are just dreams.
When must this be complete? Put these into your calendar
Avoid complex goals, craft simple goals
We must be able to easily remember goals during a busy week.
How would you describe your goals to a 10 year old? Find a 10 year old and practice
Avoid strictly WHAT goals, develop both WHO and WHAT goals
People of significance don’t just accomplish things, they develop others around them.
Who will I invest extra energy into developing this year? Write them a note to encourage them.
If you can’t answer these five questions expect your goals to drift away. Spend some focused time this week laying the framework for a productive 2019/2020.
We have several resources to help structure your year, week and month for success on our Stay Forth resources page.