You can call them New Year’s Resolutions…your Wish List…a Dream Board…the Vision Journal…any creative name you can come up with.
Bottom line: we are talking about Goal Setting.
And it is an art.
The good news is that goal setting is an art that can be taught. The even better news is that it is never too late to begin to acquire this skill. It will change your life.
Goals are ambitions, aims you have…a result you wish to achieve. There are many types of goals: those that relate to us only…those that encompass at least one other person, who might be a spouse or life partner, a business partner, our children or parent(s)…and those that deal with a small group of people, our community or a more global audience.
It is possible to be working on I-We-All goals at the same time. Regardless of the type of goal, setting goals involves consideration of safety and security, rhythm to your life, your sense of self or ego, health, work, relationships and play.
In addition, you need to know a little bit about yourself. Are you a great starter who flags towards the end of a project? Are you best in the middle of a task? Are you a great finisher, charging hard toward the finish line? Being clear on this will help you structure how you are going to accomplish the goal(s) you set for yourself.
Be realistic about the energy you have and the resources available to you when you design your plan for achievement. You need to know what tools are at your beck and call, what your skill-sets are, how the brain actually works and what meme systems might be running that could affect your success.
Clarity, motivation, planning and and the ability to adjust are crucial elements in goal setting and goal completion.
Make no mistake; if you are not emotionally invested in achieving the goal you set, no plan will be enough. You must have a passion for what you are trying to accomplish, even if the goal itself sounds mundane.
Visualize your goal…see the image: feel it, taste it, savor it as something already accomplished.
Write your goals down. There is a visceral component between pen in hand and words on a paper that no amount of typing into a computer can match. This amounts to a commitment you are making with yourself, a giving voice to what it is you want. Carry your list of goals with you and refer to it on a daily basis. This emphasizes the importance you place on what you say you want.
Solution-based thinking enables you to create a plan or a ‘program design’, if you will, outlining the steps in the process of bringing your goal to fruition. Often, adjustments need to be made. Life happens and you need to be ready for the possibility that the original plan will require tweaking in order to accomplish what you set out to do. You may also find that the goal you set cannot be achieved within the time frame as originally thought: enter Plan B.
Know that you don’t have to go it alone.
Engage in group discussions, create an accountability partner, have a team to go to for support and help, share your goals with others. Having a cadre of people who want you to succeed and are generous with their time and ideas is a beautiful experience, not only for you as the recipient of this largesse, but for those from whom you receive help. You just might be allowing them to achieve one of their goals by asking for their support!
As we look to end one year and usher in a new one, take this time to dedicate yourself to yourself. It’s not difficult. It is simply a matter of knowing how to start, how to hang in, and how to finish!
At The Legacy Center, we teach a course in Goal Writing as a part of our Legacy Wellness Series. Check our calendar for the next Creative Problem-Solving Seminar to be offered.
Happy New Year…Happy New You!
CZ
