Excerpted from Reach Your Goals by Linda Byars Swindling | |
Set Goals
Successful goal setting starts with clarity about expectations and outcomes. Some questions to help determine the best goals to set are:
- What specifically do I want?
- Why? What are my compelling reasons?
- What is the potential reward or impact?
- Whom do the results matter to?
- Which people need to be involved?
- What am I willing to invest or sacrifice?
- When would I stop pursuing or quit?
Guideline to setting goals
Outlining a goal increases the probability it will be accomplished. Some guidelines are:
- Focus on results and opportunities.
- Use positive, meaningful language.
- Personalize to your values and purpose.
- Write it down with a deadline.
- Use clear, simple and specific words.
- Make it exciting or challenging.
- Build in reminders and milestones.
- Create a contract with yourself or others.
- Craft a way to visualize the goal.
- Set short and long-term objectives.
- Analyze for problems and solutions.
Checkpoint: Write your goals in the present tense as if the results have already been obtained.