Goal Setting: Keeping It All In Check

This is post #7 in the Goal Setting Series. Next: When to Trash a Goal

Accountability is a Big Word

It also has big implications.  It means you have to be organized and responsible and live with your actions and who the heck wants to do all of that?  Where’s the fun?  It really does exist, but first some catching up…

If you haven’t printed off your goal sheet yet, please do so now. Go ahead. I’ll wait. It’s very important that you keep a copy of your goals in front of you. Put it on a bulletin board, your refrigerator or on your cubicle wall. Make multiple copies if you need to. Divide it up and keep your work goals on the wall above your desk and your personal goals on your bathroom mirror. Do what works for you.

My goal sheets were created using a spreadsheet in Google Docs so I can access it from any computer and even my iPhone, but I also have the summary sheet printed and taped right in front of my desk. Every time I look up, there they are. It’s a great motivator to stay on task. :D

Don’t Be Shy

It also helps when others can see your goals (although it is ok to have private goals). For one thing, you can be an example to those around you who watch your progress and see that you are working hard to complete something meaningful. It will also make you more aware of your goals when your friends and family know about them and openly discuss them. In fact, talking about your goals is a great way to ensure you will reach them faster. When others are aware of what you are after, it triggers their thinking. People you never suspected may suddenly step in and assist you in achieving something they saw on your list. It happens.

So if it’s just you and your goals, who is responsible for making sure you are on target?  Uh….that would be you. Yes, you will need to police yourself.  Houston, we have a problem.

Where’s the love?

If you don’t trust yourself, that’s perfectly acceptable. Heck, I don’t even trust myself half the time. I’m easily distracted by shiny things and I’ll be the first to admit that I get sidetracked by other projects and find myself frequently overwhelmed by taking on too many other things that have no attachment to my goals whatsoever. No one is immune to this.  However, if you can leave immunity to the tv reality shows and focus in on some ways to stay accountable to yourself, you will find that the stress of being “organized” and “responsible” will become child’s play.

What you can’t do is beat yourself up and quit when you find you’ve wandered off the path you so carefully mapped out for yourself when you first set the goal.  You’re human.  Acknowledge that fact and remind yourself that mistakes are not optional, they are required.  Make a few and learn from them.

Reward yourself.  You deserve it.

The first level of the goals game is to hang the proverbial carrot out in front of you.  Find ways to reward yourself for accomplishing the items on your list.  With fitness goals, the gurus tell you to buy new clothes when you drop the weight.  That same concept works with any achievement.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.  It doesn’t even have to be material.  It could be as simple as taking a day to sit by an open fire and read a new novel.  You choose.  Make it fun and make it something you REALLY, REALLY want.  Go ahead – think about a big, fat juicy carrot.  Or make it chocolate if veggies aren’t your thing.

First Things First

Not everyone has the luxury of doing exactly what they want every day, me included.  I have kids, sports schedules, band practices and lots of other events peppered throughout my day.  At the first available moment (usually after the kids get on the school bus and I get my shower), I sit down at my desk and the first thing I do is look up at my goals sheet to see what needs the most attention.  I know for absolute fact if I don’t start straight away on one of my goals that the day will get away from me and I will not have made any progress.  I won’t answer my phone, my email or text messages.  I buckle down and focus on my business goals for at least the first 2-3 hours of my day.  Sure, I get interrupted from time to time (especially in the summer when the kids are home) or I have to book a doctor’s appointment during those hours.  It can’t possibly be set in stone.  You have to be flexible, but you also have to stay on top of your goals.  If you made meaningful goals, then completing them are keys to your happiness.  You need to connect with them every single day.  Not every goal will need daily attention, but you should be aware of where you stand with every single goal on a daily basis.  Your goal sheet is that reminder.

Organization = Accountability

I mentioned organization and responsibility, but being organized isn’t something you are born with.  It’s a skill that you learn and work to master.  I didn’t start out with some elaborate plan in place for starting my business and I certainly wasn’t organized.  I knew that organization was a skill I needed to learn.

There are a ton of great books out there that can help you manage your time, your tools and your life.  Everyone can benefit from having a solid organizational system in place.  There is no one-size fits all method for managing your life, so I suggest you check out some books from the library and see what suits you best.  Here is a list of my personal favorites (no particular order – just looking up at my bookshelf):

• Getting Things Done – David Allen
• Time Management From the Inside Out – Julie Morgenstern
• Do It Tomorrow – Mark Forster
• The Now Habit – Neil Fiore
• Getting Results for Dummies – Mark H. McCormack
• Your Best Year Yet – Jinny Ditzler
• First Things First – Stephen R. Covey
• Personal Development for Smart People – Steve Pavlina

So about that fun you promised?

Oh yeah.  The fun.  Completing your goals should instantly be fun if you are rewarding yourself, but there’s more. Hitting that bulls-eye on your goals sheet will give you an amazing rush.  If you need a self-esteem boost, this is your ticket.  You can get a real high from accomplishing goals that truly mean something to you.  Meaningful goals are their own reward and they should come with automatic benefits.   Fitness goals, for example, come with the benefits of being healthier and having more energy.  Marketing goals come with increased profits.  You get the picture.

And remember the part where I wrote “the stress of being ‘organized’ and ‘responsible’ will become child’s play”?  It’s true.  Why?  Because goal-setting is addicting.  If you started small as I recommended in the beginning of this series, you will be able to achieve some simple goals rather quickly.  You will get a small high from completing those simple targets.  The bigger the goal, the bigger the high.  It doesn’t take long to get addicted to setting and achieving goals.  As a side-effect, you will want to hone your organizational skills so you can work on bigger and bigger goals.  As you crave that sense of accomplishment, you will find it becomes easier and easier to make your goals a priority in your life.  Accountability becomes automatic. Child’s play.  ;)

This is post #7 in the Goal Setting Series. Next: When to Trash a Goal