How to Set Goals That Matter

It’s that time of the year when people think about what they have done (or not done) and how they can do more (or better). I’m no different; December is always a reflective month for me. It comes with all of the mixed emotions of the holidays combined with the pressure of getting stuff done in a time when people seem to take half of the month off.

First, instead of focusing on what did not get done, focus on what you did accomplish, no matter how small. Write it all down and verbalize your gratitude so that you can fully embrace  it.  (Thanks to Linda Hollander for the “write it down” tip.)

Next, don’t just focus on monetary goals, focus on real life goals. Things like:

• Learn a new skill (a non business skill)
• Learn a new language
• Work fewer days in the week
• Read more books
• Spend more time vacationing
• Get a coach or mentor

You get the idea. Sadly, our society puts so much emphasis on just “working harder” or “working smarter” that we often just end up working a lot. At least I have in the past.

As I look at 2015, I am excited about my goals. A part of me wants to share them for that accountability factor, and a part of me wants to stay in my bubble. But, in the spirit of new beginnings, I will share a few of them:

• Personal Development. I am a student of personal development and it has served me well. What I did not have last year was accountability in my consistent pursuit of personal development. I now have that accountability in process.
• Personal Fitness. Many years ago, I used to train at a martial arts studio. I made a commitment to pursue not just training but some advancement here. And this is one that concerns me a bit because I realize I am not in my 20’s any more and yes there is always the possibility of getting hurt. But that is true with bike riding, too. 🙂
• Finish the books that I start. I won’t make the “one book per month commitment” because I know that doesn’t work for me. But I will commit to finishing books before starting new ones. My ADD allows me to read multiple books at a time, but in all honesty, I think I finish fewer with that model.
• Learn some new skills. I am looking forward to mastering a new software tool which will make my work easier and more profitable. Who could resist that, right? (That’s an easy one, but we have to include those in the list so we can celebrate the success of accomplishment.)
• Getting a coach or mentor. I am blessed to have had many great mentors in my journey Several of them, I still glean from, but there are two areas where I realized that I want to experience much more success than I have in the past. I’ll keep them under wraps for now, but I am sure I will share more about those successes as they occur.
• Finishing Books I have in Progress. I hope to complete at least two of them. With the help of my new coach, I might just complete 4 or more. 😉

How about you? What goals are you setting for this coming year?

BONUS VIDEO – How to Set Goals
I want to share with you a video on goal setting that was created by one of my mentors, Dr. Matt Mannino. He is an expert in helping people learn how to achieve breakthrough’s and accomplish more in life by understanding how our subconscious mind is really the driving force behind all that we do. In this video, he discusses what holds most people back from achieving their goals, and how to overcome those hinderances.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best year ever! If you need any help, I am always happy to help, so feel free to reach out to me for a free consultation.