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This Year Crush Your Goals: Tips & Tricks

Goal Setting Wheel

I will admit it I’m one of those people. You know the ones that set up crazy goals with sub-goals. Then structures out their whole calendar year with baby goals to achieve those big goals. Which tie into my 5-10 year life plan of MORE goals? Yeah, that would be me.

I have no idea why my mind thinks and processes that way. But I LOVE setting goals and pursuing things I’m passionate about.

There is nothing like the rush one gets when they check off a goal on their list. Now a lot of others don’t seem to feel the same way as I do.

I can’t tell you the countless times I would announce to my team or students that we were going to work on goal settings. And all of a sudden the whole room would groan. You would think I was some evil goal setting monster.

In reality, I’m more like a “goal setting angel” sent from God himself. To help you look at your dreams and teach you steps to make them a reality.

But enough of that, let’s look at some tips and tricks to help you crush your goals.

Prayer

I’m a firm believer in prayer. Getting alone with God and praying into the following year needs to be our foundation. God will usually quicken us and or highlight things when we get quiet before Him. But don’t forget to be bold and ask Him to guide you through this process.

Coaching / Goal Setting Wheel

Using a coaching or a goal setting wheel is a great tool to help you visualize where you are flourishing and lacking in your life.

I usually fill one out. Then I would then proceed to ask myself questions to develop a goal or goals to help me in that area of my life.

Low On The Goal Setting Wheel – A Fixing Goal
(A goal set to help an area of life that is lacking or broken)

  • Why am I feeling low in this area?
  • What can I do to fix this issue?
  • How are you going to do that?
  • Is this a something I can reasonably achieve? What are the obstacles I might face?
  • Set Goal

High/Medium on the Goal Setting Wheel – Dream Big Goal
( A goal to step out and go after MORE )

  • Is there anything I can do or add to increase this area of my life? Is there a risk I should be taking?
  • What can I do to reach that?
  • How are you going to do that?
  • Is this a something I can reasonably achieve? What are the obstacles I might face?
  • Set Goal
Goal Setting Wheel

The SMART Tool

Most people who are goal setters by nature already know what the ‘SMART’ tool is and love it. But just in case you are not familiar or need some refreshing here is the jist:

Specific – Have your goal be as specific as possible. Consider the difference between saying, “I will organize my life,” versus, “I will organize my kitchen drawers.”

Specific goals help you feel competent to reach them. If a goal is too broad, you may feel paralyzed just thinking about doing it. Define exactly what you want to accomplish. If the ultimate goal is very large, then break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Small goals are still powerful goals.

Measurable – Quantify your goal by putting it in measurable terms. Saying “I want to lose weight or read more books” is fine, but how will you know if you’ve succeeded?

Rather, consider the power in saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds, or read 5 books.” You can mark your achievement easily, and will feel more accomplished.

Attainable – Choose a goal that you have the time and energy for. Even specific and measurable goals can be unattainable if you lack the resources to achieve them.

Exercising for an hour every day is great, but if you simply don’t have an extra hour each day, it won’t happen.

Realistic – Along the lines of being attainable, make sure your goal is realistic. Want to start a new business? Great! But expecting it to generate a significant income in the first six months may be difficult.

Research your goal to make sure your expectations are reasonable.

Timeline – Very importantly, mark your goal with a time limit. Deadlines help focus attention and resources more effectively. Set a time frame in which you will meet your goals.

It also helps us remember that there will be an end to our efforts. Sometimes goals feel overwhelming because of the sense that we’ll always be working on it.

If you would like to learn more about SMART goals and how to use them in your goal planning, then I recommend S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple: 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals 

Write It Down and Make it Visual

I’m not going to go into all the scientific data about the importance of writing down your goals and setting up visual aids. If you are interested here is an article that will wet your appetite on the subject. The Power of Writing Down Your Goals and Dreams

There is numerous ways of going about writing down your goals. You can go the techy route with websites and apps that will email/text you to keep you on track to achieve your goals. Or use a paper goal planner or make a list and put it on your fridge. The key is to be reminded of your goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them.

So, those are some tips and tricks I use and I hope they help you crush your goals! And don’t forget to download the goal setting wheel!

DOWNLOAD GOAL SETTING WHEEL

Please share below what you love or hate about goal planning and your favorite tip on tackling them.

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Heather

Saturday 20th of May 2017

I have seen these several times in Bullet Journal layouts, but haven't tried them yet. I definitely want to incorporate it into my June spread though! What a great idea!

Claire

Saturday 20th of May 2017

The SMART goal is perfect for any bloggers or businesses. I also use them too, and I really like the idea of offering readers the free printable :) Thanks!

Rachel

Friday 19th of May 2017

Write it down is always a big one for me. Sometimes just seeing it helps and knowing it's there to cross off. I always love when I get to cross things off my list.

jalisa

Friday 19th of May 2017

These are great tools. I've been getting so much better at setting my goals when I write them down.

Jeanine

Friday 19th of May 2017

This is a helpful tool! I have a lot of goals for my blog for this year and so far so good! It's been amazing! Keeping track of all you accomplish is great motivation!