Have you ever tried to set goals, and had never quiet achieved them, or maybe you have reached them and said, is that it? Is that what I have been working for. How would you like a different method by which to set goals? A mentor of mine taught me this method and I have found it far more powerful than the SMART method I was taught at both senior school and in career planning. I think SMART goals is a great introduction into goal setting however it doesn’t associate you into the goal, it places it out in the future with no internal representation of what it will be like to achieve it. The carrot is always in front of your face so you never quiet reach it.
I’m going to summarize the method and tell you how to do it.
9 steps I use to set my goals.
1. How is it possible that I don’t have it now?
2. What specifically is my desired goal? What position am I in currently with respect to the goal?
3. How would it feel if I had it now? What would I see or hear and how do I achieve it? What is another method to achieve my goal?
4. How will I know when I have it?
5. Once I achieve this goal what will it allow me to do or have?
6. Is this goal only for me? What is the first thing I need to do
7. Is my goal properly defined? Do I know where, when, how and with who do I want my goal?
8. What resources are needed to achieve my goal?
9. What is the purpose of my goal? What will I gain or lose if I have it?
Let’s do it.
I want you to sit down with a piece of paper and go through the following steps with me.
Write down the basis of your goal.
For Example. I want to go to Spain for 3 weeks in the middle of next year… Great, now let’s go through the steps
Follow the questions I have written above, I’m going to write down the answers to my example, you can just take a mental note or write it down, I leave that up to you.
1. How is it I don’t have it now?
I haven’t saved the money yet, I haven’t asked for the time off work, I don’t know when I want to go.
So we have established that this is an outcome not a state, by that I mean, we can’t have it now. A state for example happiness we can have right now just by thinking of a previous time we were happy and stepping into that physiology again.
2. What specifically is my desired goal? What position am I in currently with respect to the goal?
I want to spend 3 weeks on vacation in Spain, I want to travel to Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and San Sebastian. I want to do it in June 2010. I will need about $2000 for flight and $3000 for spending money. My current position is planning, I know where I want to go, when and how much I estimate I will need.
3. How would it feel if I had it now? What would I see or hear and how do I achieve it? What is another method to achieve my goal?
I want you to let your imagination go wild, remember when you were a child and played in a fantasy world, same principle here. Imagine exactly what it would be like if you had your goal right now, imagine all the different ways you could achieve it. Have fun day dreaming.
I might imagine myself lying on the beach in Malaga and enjoying a flamenco dance in Madrid, maybe the plane ride over there, and a great feeling because I know I have saved the money to go on the trip so its not going on my credit card.
4 How will I know when I have it?
If this was my goal, this would become real to me when I check into my hotel in Madrid. I would know I have reached Spain because I’m jet lagged and in a country that doesn’t speak English.
Your evidence procedure may be different if your goal was to go to spain, you might know you are going when you are booking your tickets or maybe its sitting on the plane. Whatever it is its ok: it’s your evidence procedure and it will be unique to you. Only you will know when something feels real to you. So when you are setting your goals, whatever makes it feel real is right for you.
5. Once I achieve this goal what will it allow me to do or have?
Going to Spain for three weeks might allow me to go to dancing lessons, or brush up on my spanish, maybe even take a cooking class. After my vacation I might enroll in an advanced spanish course or continue dancing.
Standing in the present moment with your goal achieved what will it allow you to do now or have now? What comes after the goal?
6. Is this goal only for me? What is the first thing I need to do.
Yes this goal is for me, I want to go to Spain and explore the country. However if I had a family, this goal would be something I would like to share with them. The first thing I need to do is ask for time off work.
So now you can see a goal might only be for you or may involve other people. Remember too it is very important you know what your first action step is and to take it.
7. Is my goal properly defined? Do I know where, when, how and with whom do I want my goal?
Now lets go back and really define my initial goal and maybe even some sub goals to make sure I am taking action towards it.
So lets have a look.
It is now the 15th of June 2010 and I am now in Spain for a 3 week vacation, I saved $5000 for the trip, I know this because I just had my welcome drink in my hotel in Barcelona and I feel great, everyone around me is speaking Spanish and I’m having a lot of fun trying to practice my Spanish.
This would be my main goal, so maybe I need a couple of sub goals to keep me on target.
It is now the 20th of November 2009 and I have put in my leave request for next year, I know this because I have had the feedback sheet and the leave has been approved, so I can now go and book my flights.
It is now the 1st of February 2010, and I have booked my flights to Spain, I know this because I can see the print out from the travel agent sitting on my fridge door and I’m excited because I can now look at accommodation.
These might be two of my goals to help me stay on track to going to Spain in 2010. You might not need to have sub goals to achieve a big goal, it is totally up to you. The great thing about sub goals is they form a check list so you know you are achieving things along the path to you major goal.
8. What resources are needed to achieve my goal?
For example, I might have a friend who works at a travel agency who can help me book flights and get good prices. I might have a friend who I can stay with in Spain.
Explore what you have, you might surprise yourself what resources you already have available to you, and who can help you achieve your goal.
9. What is the purpose of my goal? What will I gain or lose if I have it?
Simple as yourself this Is my goal ecological? Is it good for me, good for others and good for the environment?
Going to Spain on Holiday
- Good for me – Yes, I can learn something new.
- Good for others – Yes, I can teach other people something new.
- Good for the environment – I aim to recycle and reuse all my resources where possible. I am not harming the environment by going to Spain so Yes.
Finally The glue that holds it all together
Now you have set some wonderful goals for all areas of your life, intimate relationships, career, family, spirituality and health and fitness you are on the way to achieving the success you desired.
Once you have achieved your goal, go ahead and celebrate it, enjoy the fact that you have made the required steps to reach your goal and you can now bask in the light of achievement. Remember you need to reset, go ahead and make a new set of goals to achieve, it will keep you working toward a greater cause.
So go out, ask as many question why as you can, even ask children why. They have some priceless answers.
Wishing you love, laughter and success in all elements of your life
Candeece Falland