Steps to Achieving Great Goals

By Kelly Adams, CFP®, EA
Novi, MI
www.harborlightplanning.com
Goal creation and documentation can have an air of fantasy. But however improbable or foreign your goals may seem, putting them on paper can be a very positive and fruitful experience. Writing down your goals will help you focus on exactly what you want to have or to do, which is more effective than a vague wish list in your head. A written record helps you stay on track, giving you a way to measure your future progress.

As you convert your goals from thoughts into words, you engage more of your brain and clarify the instructions you give to your unconscious mind. By merely committing your goals to a written list, you increase your chances of converting them from “hoped for” to “possible.” Once you’ve written out a goal, break down the end result you want to achieve into smaller and more manageable steps. This moves you even closer to making your goals a reality because instead of tackling one big mountain, you’ll be climbing a series of foothills.

If you’ve never written down your goals before, begin by relaxing and clearing your mind. Appreciate the value of setting a goal: something to strive for, to improve, or to change different areas of your life. Start with a lined piece of paper numbered 1 to 30, and list 30 goals. You may feel stuck after 7 or 8, but push through and keep on writing, really trying for 30. They don’t have to be complex. Consider short-term and long-term goals in a variety of categories: financial, family, personal, spiritual, and physical. Don’t worry about being realistic at this point; just keep writing.

How do you transform this simple wish list into actual positive changes in your life? Decide on at least one, and up to five goals from your list of 30 to actively pursue in the next year. Choose goals you are excited about. Write each one at the top of a blank piece of paper. Be sure to phrase it so you define the outcome clearly and state it positively (about what you want to do or to have), not negatively (about what you want to avoid).

Visualize attaining your goal, and give yourself a reality check. Ask yourself whether realizing your goal fits into your life and if the cost of achieving it is reasonable for the benefits you’ll receive. Next choose a reasonable date of completion, and identify your first step. You may have to work backward from the outcome you want to find that first step. Then ask yourself, “Is there anything I need to do before I can accomplish this step?” This will help you recognize and remove any roadblocks. List the remaining steps you’ll need to take to achieve your goals.

Set reasonable yet aggressive target dates to complete each step of the process. Most importantly, get started and have fun. Enjoy setting and achieving your goals and completing each step along the path of success. Reward yourself after achieving really large or meaningful steps. Keep the rewards simple and inexpensive—just marking your progress by putting smiley stickers on your goal sheet next to each completed step may be all the motivation you need to get started on the next one.