Write Down Your Goals

"Only three percent of adults have written goals, and everyone else works for them." - Brian Tracey

Goal-setting is an important activity for everyone, no matter who they are or what they do. How can we know when we've arrived if we don't know where we're going?


Now, setting your goals doesn't have to be mind-blowing or overly complicated. In fact, some of the best goals are the most basic. Here are some tips I've gathered from various sources for writing down your goals.

1 - Just Do It. Write something down. Get it on paper. This makes it tangible - real. You can see it, you can touch the paper, you can hold it close to you, carry it with you.

2 - Be Positive. Write your goal from a positive standpoint. Your goal is what you will be, not what you're leaving behind. For example, I weigh X pounds on Y date; versus I will lose X pounds.

3 - Keep your Goals Visible. Write your goals on several pieces of paper, keep one in your wallet, one by your desk, one on your fridge -- keep your goals in front of you. Better yet, re-write them every day; this will write your goals into your sub-concious, which works to drive your actions towards achieving those goals. "Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Use the SMART system. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.
"Specific" means you attach numbers and time frames to your goals. Avoid generalities and vagueness. "I will have more money" is less powerful than "I will make $10,000 a month by January 1, 2013."
"Measurable" goals are those which you can track and follow. By enabling yourself to track your progress, you can revisit your goals to be sure you're on target, adjust your actions as necessary, and best of all celebrate milestones along the way.
"Attainable" goals are simply goals that you can achieve within the timeframes you've determined. Virtually every goal is attainable, given the proper timeframe to develop and grow to reach your goal. "Your goal should be out of reach, not out of sight." - Anita DeFrantz
"Realistic" goals are those which you are both willing and able to work towards. You must actually want to achieve the goal in order for you to put in the effort required to achieve it.
"Timely" goals have a specific timeframe in which you want to achieve them.

There are many resources available for goal-making, including numerous on the web. But don't over-complicate goal-making in the beginning. The important thing is to write down a goal. Then you can begin working towards that goal, re-defining, updating, even re-writing as you make progress. However you choose to go about it, I say "Just Go!"