Have you set goals for the new year?
Do you have a plan to achieve them?
Want to set yourself up for success?
Debra Eckerling, project catalyst and host of the Guided Goals Podcast, answers questions about how to set and achieve goals in the new year.
Debra is joined by Tara Coomans, founder of Poodle Mafia, who will be asking the questions, posted by the Guided Goals community. (Tara was the first podcast guest ever, and now joining us for the first show of 2016.)
For future “ask Deb” episodes, post questions on Facebook, tweet to @Guided Goals, or email your goal questions to guidedgoals@gmail.com.
How do you set achievable goals?
First, figure out what you want. Start by creating a mission statement. What is your mission for yourself? What is your projects’ mission? Any goal you should set should relate to your mission in some way.
The mission of Guided Goals (and my mission) is to help people define, plan, and achieve their goals. That’s the tag line. Therefore everything I do is designed to serve that mission statement.
To set goals, start by writing all of them down. Professional, personal, large goals, small goals, tasks.. Get a piece of paper and pen (which is preferable) or else type them out.
Then categorize and organize them. You want to:
- Come up with big-picture, over-arching goals (become an expert)
- Underneath are the large goals to help you achieve them (start a podcast)
- Next, figure out which benchmarks you need to set (what type of podcast, what equipment you need)
- Then comes tasks (which are all of the little todos)
It’s great to have two big projects going on simultaneously. That way if you get stuck on one, you can spend time on the other.
How do you reduce the anxiety that comes with goals?
It’s all about your time-frame. Figure out how much time you can dedicate to your goals each week without causing you stress. If it’s going to cause you stress, maybe the timing is not right.
A note on setting yourself up for success
Pick three to five professional and personal goals and post them in places you look regularly. Your computer. your cell phone, your mirror. If you look at your goals on a regular basis, they are in your head and you are more likely to accomplish them.
How do you write a book in three months?
This is completely doable. It just depends on the amount of time you have to spend.
First, write the back cover, so you have a vision of the complete project.
Then, write an outline.
Next, divide out the chapters. If you have 12 chapters, write four chapters a month. An alternative way to divide your time is to write a brain-dump draft in the first month, flush it out in the second, and edit it in the third.
How do we stick to the goals?
Again, write them out and post them everywhere.
Also, come up with some sort of visual representation of what success looks like, to make attaining the goal seem even more real.
Goals of the Week: Write out your goals, put them somewhere you look frequently. Feel free to evaluate your goals every three months.
Want to learn more about setting goals and setting yourself up for success? Listen to the entire interview on iTunes or Stitcher:
Watch the video:
The Guided Goals Podcast gives you the tools, direction, and resources you need to pursue your passion project. Thanks for tuning in.
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Post your personal and professional goals for 2016 in the comments.
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About Debra: A project catalyst, Debra Eckerling works with individuals and small businesses to create a strategy, set goals and manage their projects. Follow Debra @GuidedGoals, Like Guided Goals on Facebook, Subscribe to YouTube.
