Introduction – What is Goal Setting?

In this class, you’re going to learn how to create, map out, and put a plan of action together to achieve your goals!

But first… “What is Goal Setting?”

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Think of anyone that’s successful – whether they’re a well known public figure (for me it’s Oprah), someone at work, or someone in your circle of friends (definitely Tiffany Aliche for me) – I’m 99% sure they’ve all got where they are, not because of sheer luck; but preparation and GOAL SETTING!

Putting it simply:

…people who succeed have goals, and people who have goals succeed.

And you can do it too! The goal-setting process is for everyone – from stay-at-home mums to corporate executives – because the principles of goal setting are the same, it’s just the goals themselves that are different (and personal to you).

But what exactly is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is simply a process – albeit a very important and personal process that helps you get what you really want out of life by giving you a clear direction towards your chosen goals.

Goal setting helps you:

• Work out what you really want – this is personal. You’re the only one who knows what you really want, and it’s often not what you think.
• Work out a plan of attack to help you achieve what you really want – there is no point in having a great goal if you don’t know how to get there.
• Give you the motivation to put your plan into action – since your goals will be personal and meaningful to you and based on what you really want, you will be motivated to achieve them.
• Keep track of where you are going by helping you focus on the big picture, to ensure you don’t lose your direction – it’s easy to get distracted by life’s little obstacles, so goal setting will help you focus your time and energy on the right direction.

Goals are well-defined targets that give you direction and motivation – they are your road map to success (that is, what YOU consider to be success), your life’s plan, your personal guide to the future.

Goals can be focused on:

• Developing a new skill – perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn a new language, how to dance, or play a musical instrument.
• Improving your current skills, whether they be focused on career tasks or life skills such as budgeting.
• Beating old habits like smoking, or developing better ones like exercise and healthy eating habits.
• Producing an outcome, achieving your dream – it could be achieving more harmonious relationships with your family, wealth creation, or achieving a career goal.

The most important thing to remember is that goals are personal – they are yours and yours alone, although they may include aspects involving family and friends. Don’t make the mistake of using someone else’s goals as your own.

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Activity:

Why is goal setting important to you?

At this stage, you may not know what you really want. But don’t worry, that is no reason to turn back now. Later lessons in this E-course will help you find out for yourself what is most important to you and what you really want.

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Why Goal Setting Works

Goal Setting is like a map – people who know where they are going and how to get there are more likely to get there than people who don’t. Goals are like your target destination, and the Action Plans developed as part of the goal-setting process are your map.

More specifically, goal setting works because:

• It gives you something to aim for – not only that, it gives you something MEANINGFUL and personal to aim for.
• It helps you focus your time and energy on achieving your goals – instead of your efforts being spent on meaningless activities and tasks, your action plan will give you a clear plan of attack by setting your priorities.
• It gives you motivation – because the goals are MEANINGFUL and personal to you, you’ll want to achieve them. This gives you the motivation and energy to keep going towards your end goal.

Of course, it will only work for you if you commit to the process and follow it properly. Yes, there are pitfalls and you will probably have setbacks – it is important to bounce back from these, learn from your setbacks, and persevere!

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Where it goes wrong

Goal setting sounds simple right? Well, it is, but it can go wrong for one of two main reasons – you just won’t follow the process through, or you’ll commit one of the seven deadly sins of goal setting (listed below).

Some people don’t follow through the goal-setting process because:

• They can’t think of a good reason to set goals
• They don’t see how goal setting will help them
• They think they haven’t got the time
• They think it is too hard
• They are afraid they won’t achieve their goals
• They don’t take it seriously

And of the people that do go through the goal-setting process, many fail because they commit one of the 7 deadly sins of goal setting:

1. Not putting goals in writing
2. Being unrealistic
3. Motivations are unclear
4. Not having a plan
5. Not taking action
6. Losing Focus
7. No Follow-Through

By Setting Your Intentions and Developing a Plan to Follow Through, You’re going to completely avoid these Goal Killers!