As motivated and Type A as I am, I’m bad at the whole goal process. It’s not so much setting of the goals. That I have down pat. I’ve got a whole list of goals. Things that I want to do in the next month, year, before I kick the bucket, etc. My goals tend to sit and wait.
I’m a big procrastinator. Once I start working towards a goal, boom! I get it crossed off the list. I just have trouble actually planning out tasks and starting the work. Life gets in the way, the To Do list gets in the way. Even fear sometimes gets in the way. I have random thoughts of things I need to do to meet the goal, but the thoughts are disjointed and scattered.
I came up with a goal sheet that I plan to use to help me get better at goal setting. After all, a goal is just a dream until you actually start on it. I want more goals and not just dreams. Here’s how to use the goal sheet in your own goal setting quest.
The first step after picking a goal topic is to define it in quantifiable and measurable terms.
I will become a certified personal trainer by June 30, 2012
so that I can start helping others better their lives.
Make it meaningful for you by including the “why” in your goal. Why do you want this? So that… ??? That way when you refer to the sheet in the future, there is emotion and meaning behind it. It’s not just a hollow statement. Make it yours. It must include something measurable like a date, a size, a percentage. If it’s vague, it makes it easier to put off. Trust me on this one. 😉
Once you have your meaningful goal written down, work on what you need to do to accomplish it. Baby steps along the way to the end of the journey. The tasks should be small enough to complete with relative ease and not require multi-tasking. If they are too big, you’ll get stuck on one and not move on.
The tasks should also require a sub-set of the time to reach the end goal. Don’t set a goal to complete in a month and then define a task that will take you 6 weeks. You’ve already set an impossible goal. What can you complete in a month? A week? A day towards your goal?
- Research and choose a personal training certification.
- Enroll in the personal training course.
- Read and complete the quiz for 5 chapters each week until complete.
- Take the final exam.
- Complete CPR certification course.
Lastly, put due dates on each task and stick to them. Designate time on your calendar if you have to for working on a task. Plan it out just like you would an appointment. Carry your goal sheet with you to look at as a reminder. Find what works for you.
Once the task is accomplished, put a check in the Done box and pat yourself on the back before moving to the next task. The process is working for me so far. I’ve checked off the first three tasks already and am aiming to complete number 4 within two weeks.
To save the goal sheet and use it for your own goal, click the image to open it in a new page then right click the image to save it. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear about your goals.
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