Welcome and thanks so much for tuning in to the Unstoppable Success Podcast Series Episode number 18! This episode is all about getting what you want in life and in your career or business. I’ve called this podcast, “Getting What You Want” because if I called it what it really is, I am not sure that there would be a lot of interest in the topic because the topic is really all about goal setting.
When I talk to my coaching clients about goal setting or when I am meeting with colleagues and the subject of goal setting comes up, a glazed look comes over the eyes of the people with whom I am speaking. It’s a tell tale sign for me that goal setting is not a favorite topic for that person or group.
I’ve often wondered why this is the case and I think it’s because too many business and life coaches have made too much of a science out of it. There are volumes of blogs, books, and videos on the subject and there seems to be this call to make the process more complicated and daunting than it has to be. Goal setting can be simple. It doesn’t have to follow a process. It doesn’t have to take months or even days. I am here to simplify the process for you because I believe that goal setting is such an important part of getting what you want.
So if you are ready, let’s get to work, because this podcast is going to be a working session. Grab a PC, laptop, smart phone or tablet or just grab a pen and paper and we’ll get your goals all set for the next twelve months.
Let’s begin by setting goals for your personal life. And what I want to do is create goals for those major areas of how we live and here they are. Write or type these areas and leave space between each one because we’re going to fill in goals for each of these areas in the next few minutes. So to begin, write down:
- Career/Professional Goals
- Financial Goals
- Wellness Goals
- Spiritual Goals
- Emotional Goals
- Relationship Goals
Now what I want you to do is to think about each of these areas and begin to decide what you want in each of these areas. What’s missing in each of these areas, what needs to happen, what should each of these areas look and feel like in the next 12 months?
Along with writing down what you want (the goal) I want you to make sure that the goal is specific. Put a number to it if you can. We’ll walk through some examples in a moment because not all goals can be measured in an easy way. And then finally, put a date on when you want to see this goal realized. The date might be immediately or by the end of a certain week or month.
That’s it. Write down the specific goal, how to measure it, and when you want to achieve it. It can be that simple.
The other way we are going to keep this simple is to only write down two goals for each of the major areas. That’s it, just two goals. Keep this process simple and you may be more inclined to stick with it.
As a start, let’s think about Career/Professional Goals. These can take the form of “Get a Raise”, Get a Promotion”, “Change Jobs” or “Start a New Business”. As they are, these goals don’t include a way to measure them but if you say, “Get a 5% raise”, now we are looking at something that we can track in terms of success in meeting that goal.
Finally, put a date on when you want to complete that goal. The goal of getting a 5% raise may be something you want to do by the end of the year. There may be some hoops you have to jump through to get that raise so give yourself time to avoid frustration. Keep the goals and the time-frame realistic.
Let’s take another major area of life. Let’s look at spirituality. Some people are inclined to skip this area of goal setting. It doesn’t speak to them for some reason. But this is an important area of life and thinking about how to feed your soul is important to be in balance. Examples of goals might be to go to church or get more involved in the spiritual community you already belong to. But let’s expand this and think about spirituality in a much broader sense. A goal in this area for some might be to take a yoga class, learn to meditate, take an art class, or spend more time in nature. Again, make the goal as specific and measurable as you can and put a date on it. For the sake of example, the general goal of spending more time in nature might take the form of spend 15 minutes outside each day for the next 6 months, starting tomorrow.
Keep going with this process and continue with financial, wellness, emotional, and relationship goals. Write down two specific goals for each major area and don’t forget to include the date.
If you are a business owner, solopreneur, entrepreneur, manager, or supervisor. You are going to want to repeat this process for your business. The major areas to include in this part of the goal setting exercise are:
- Productivity
- Sales
- Profitability
- Marketing
- Leadership
- Time Management
- Professional Development
- Customer Satisfaction
- Employee Satisfaction
Let’s look at two of the major business areas. Profitability might include a goal of reviewing each account you work with to determine how profitable it is or if it’s profitable at all. Plan to complete this goal by the end of the first quarter. In the area of Time Management, one of your goals might be to review 3 time management software packages by month’s end. A goal in this area might also be to simply develop a daily to do list for yourself, using free software tools to help you so this.
Remember, the goals should be specific and measurable if possible and you need to put a date on accomplishing the goal. Keep your goal list handy so you can review it often to make sure you’re staying on track. I have mine on the corner of my desk along with my business and marketing plans and I can honestly say that my goals are the one thing that keep me focused for success.
So take a moment before you move on to your next activity today and think about your goals for this year. If you are going to get what you want out of this life, setting goals is an important exercise. Setting goals is going to energize you, your career, and your business and may be just what you need for your unstoppable success.