Goalsetting - How to Easily Set and Get Your Goals

Which of the following changes to your life do you want to make to your life this year?

To have a slim and trim body?

Find a stimulating job

Take up a sport or hobby

Buy your dream Home

Travel to an exotic destination

Have more time with your family

Establish your own Business

Double your income

Become involved in the community

Develop your creativity

Improve your skills

Create a plan for your financial future

Have more fun.

Enhance your current relationship or find a new partner.

All of the above

To help you channel your energy into achieving this year's goals, here are some practical ways to get you started. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn't start immediately, is there?

goalsetting - Getting Started

Write a list of what you want to achieve this year.

Make sure what you've written down is specific, measurable and attainable. Eg. Lose 5 kgs by 30th April.

Write no. 1 against the most important goal. Write no. 2 against the next most important goal.

Continue numbering the rest of the goals.

Look at the goal with no. 1 next to it. ie. Lose 5 kilos. Start a separate list with the heading Lose 5 kilos by 30th April.

Write down the action steps you need to take to achieve this goal:

Join gym

Decide which specific days and times you will attend

Purchase gym gear

See nutritionist

Enter the action steps into your diary/electronic organiser on the day/s you will do these:

Jan 15th - join gym

Jan 16th - book nutritionist

Attend gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 6.00 a.m.

Ensure when you book time for yourself in your diary you treat it as a top priority. Unless there is an earthquake or equally devastating disaster occurring, keep that time sacred.

To ensure your goalsetting is successful, it is imperative to write your goals first and then plan the appropriate steps to take in your diary. Otherwise your goals could end up being wishful thinking!

goal/Dream Chart

Having visual reminders is a valuable part of the goalsetting process. It's a great way to prompt and keep you motivated to follow through. Cut out a picture of the body you'd like to have from a magazine and stick a photo of your head on top of it. Alternatively if you want to recapture the way you were some time ago, find an old photo of yourself. You can place these on your desktop, car dashboard and the fridge at Home.

Do this for your other goals (minus the head). In fact having a dream chart with pictures or words of the things you want to achieve is a great stimulus for your sub-conscious mind. Sticking these reminders onto green paper is even more effective. I have one of these in my office and guess what? It actually works!

Action Is The Key

Once you've identified what you want, written it down, planned when you will take action and done your goal/dream chart, nothing will happen unless you get off your butt and take action towards those goals.

Avoid the 'Too Much Too Soon' Syndrome

Often people try making many chang