Whether you use a PDA, notebook, or post-it notes, one thing is for sure, writing your goals out will act as a road-map to success in your personal life and career.

I would like to share with you a process I have started using and that has been one that is helping me to achieve the goals I set out.

I would also like to take the fear and anxiety out of goal setting. For the last few years, I would spend all of January 1st pounding out goals to achieve by December 31st. They were things I was interested in accomplishing, some I needed to accomplish, some I saw someone else trying to accomplish. It was not a fun process, in fact I dreaded it. After I typed or wrote them down, I would have a good running start the first week. By the next month, I couldn't tell you what half the goals were and where the notebook was that I wrote them on! Now, I know I am not the only one who has done this! December would come and I would be sad and depressed because the things I really wanted to do I hadn't gotten any closer to, in fact, I would start to question if it was something I really had my heart set on.  

The first thing I would suggest is sitting down, not when you are feeling stressed or tired, and find a quiet place to think about what YOU really want. This is important to setting and obtaining goals. You have to want to achieve it. Not because your parents want you to, or because your friend is doing it, etc. If you aren't passionate about it, if it's not coming from a deep desire you have, then you won't do the things you need to do to achieve it. 

Also, don't have too many goals for the sake of having them. It's not a contest. Goal setting is about you. They need be realistic enough to obtain, but challenging enough to stretch you out of your comfort zone. And, they are continuous. It's good to use the New Year to reflect and start anew, but as you go through the year you will achieve goals at different times, or have to replace one with something more pressing. And they all do not necessarily have to be done in one year. I heard and believe that women (when it comes to goal setting) think in seasons (of their life), not years.

I will use a specific goal to show the process, it's simple, and if you are using it please comment and let me know about the goals you have achieved and/or are working towards. I would love to read them.

1. Be Specific: "I want to take my wife on a second honeymoon to Italy in October 2009. (Why?) This has been a dream we have shared since we first met and we haven't been able to do anything like this since we had the kids. They are all old enough that she will fill comfortable going out of the country without them."
2. Deadline: "We are going to Italy the first week in October." If you do not have a deadline, your goal will be just floating out there and it will make it that much easier to push it aside and let "life" overtake it.
3. Break the Goal(s) down: "I have eight months to the deadline. We are opening a vacation savings account at the credit union. We need $6,500; we currently have $2,000 available to start. We need to have $4,500 to reach our goal. We will add $563 in the account monthly and $140 every week. We will do this by direct deposit. Any bonus's or unexpected money we will add half into the account as well. Every month we will check on our progress to see how close we are and if we need to ramp up the vacation account and planning."
4. Accountability: Who can you share this goal with? Be careful, do not  share them with dream stealer's; someone who is negative and who will tell you all the reasons why you can't do it. Maybe the accountability partner is your spouse, or a best friend, or your mentor. Whoever it is should have a good enough relationship with you that they can ask "how you are doing with your goal" without fear of offending you and someone you respect enough not to lie to.
5. Have Goals in View: "Have brochures of Italy, read them together, check out videos from the library, study the historical sites you want to see, plan out the activities that you want to do. Have your screen saver be pictures of locations in Italy. Who's going to watch the kids for the week? Plan it. So on and on." All this not only keeps you motivated from day one to the deadline, but it builds excitement and makes the goal seem that much more attainable.

I know some things can't be measured, e.g. " I want to reconnect to my teenage son because he is withdrawing more and more". You probably don't want to set a "deadline" for this, but you can still use these steps and move closer to the outcome you desire. I hope this helps. If you have anything to add or suggest I welcome it. Also, any questions about this you can email me or leave a comment. I wish you all the success and joy that comes with achieving what you set out to do whether it is in your personal life or business.

Natalia Hals, January 2009