Creating a Goal in 5 Steps

Perhaps the thought of creating a detailed goal is overwhelming. You may be wondering, where do I begin? How big (or small) of a goal should it be? Should it be professional or personal? How do I know I am capable of achieving it?

Or, perhaps you don’t overthink things as much as I do, in which case I so envy you.

But while you may not be overwhelmed, it’s possible you jump into goals too quickly, or form one that is too small, too big, or not connected deeply enough to your internal motivation to actually make it happen.

To help each of us wherever we fall on that spectrum, this post is all about creating the goal.

For those of you who already have a goal set, I hope the ideas that follow will help you reflect on your goal setting process and fine tune it. For those of you who are not sure where to begin, I hope this gives you a solid place to start.

So without further ado, here are five steps for creating the perfect goal (pretty infographic and all!):Step 1: Explore your options

Write down the first goal that comes to mind, but don’t stop there. Write down 3 more. And then 3 more. Think of goal setting like eating at a buffet; you don’t want to fill up on the salad. Take your time and sample all of your possibilities.

Often times the first goal you set for yourself may be one that you are confident you can achieve, but you could have pushed yourself harder and accomplished more. And if you do end up focusing on that first goal, that’s wonderful – but at least you know it is the best option for you because you have considered all of your options.

Step 2: Tap into your motivation.

Depending on your goal, it may be a long, arduous process. Something has got to keep you going.

To do this right, it deserves more space than I can fit here. For an entire post on discovering the values which help motivate you through tough goals, stay tuned for a future blog post. 

In the meantime, consider (even just one of) these questions:

• Think of a time when you felt incredibly motivated to make something happen. What was causing that for you?
• What has driven you to succeed in the past?
• What are your biggest goals in life? What do you dream of for yourself?
• In 1 year, what is something you will want to have changed? 5 years? 10 years?

Step 3: Make it SMART (ish)

There is some debate out there as to whether or not SMART goals are the most effective way to do this; some believe they are essential, while others claim they inherently cause us to hold ourselves back. But one thing is certain:

Having a system in place is key.

Be sure to know answers to questions like these:

• How will I know when I have completed it?
• Does the goal have a deadline?
• It is in the realm of possibility for me to accomplish it (i.e. I probably should not create a goal to be 6 feet tall)?
  • Note: This is not meant to sell yourself short! (Get it – I can’t be 6 feet tall, but I shouldn’t sell myself short…ha…ugh…I can’t help myself). Remember, while you consider what is attainable, be sure to stretch yourself, too.
• What obstacles may arise? Do you have a plan in place for what you will do if/when those occur?
• Do you need support creating your system? If so, plenty of free templates exist online. 

Step 4: Write it down.

There’s lots of science to back this up! I know I am guilty of thinking a goal through beautifully, only to lose sight after some period of time. And even when I do take the extra effort to write it down, I am not always consistent about reviewing it regularly.

Here are some easy ways to keep your goals where you can see them:

• Write in a journal, or a non-journal as I like to call it.
• Stick a post-it note on your computer, dresser, bathroom mirror – anywhere where you would see it every day.
• Have a techy preference? Set up automatic reminders and check-ins to do the daily work for you.

Step 5: Sleep on it.

At times I have fallen short on achieving a goal because I jumped in too quickly. For me, the process of setting the goal can be so exhilarating that I lose sight of the fact that I need to maintain just as much energy during the process of achieving the goal. Swimming, cross stitching, learning American Sign Language…all things I was really excited about, but did not see through because I jumped in too fast.

However, the times in which I have given it a few days to sink in, I find that I am either more likely to achieve the goal, or I feel confident ditching it altogether. If after a few days you still are energized by it, then it’s probably a wise decision.

Even this very blog post is testament to that final step. I came up with the crazy idea to start a blog, took the weekend to let the idea stew, and then decided to do some research…baby steps first. I kept liking this goal, so I decided to write ten posts and get feedback from others before publishing them. I thought, if I still had energy and excitement after all that, then maybe it was a good direction to go. And just look at us now :).

That’s it! Follow these 5 steps and you are well on your way. But don’t forget to consider this thought experiment first:

How might having a system in place help you achieve your goals?