Defining and Setting Goals

We have heard a lot about goals for the country these past 12+ months.  Goals for the economy, goals for social programs, goals for small business and families, etc etc.  Soon people will begin to set goals for themselves for 2013, most likely related to fitness (ever notice how more ads for gyms pop up on the TV, radio and in print around this time of year?).

I am a frequent goal-setter...but not so much a goal "do-er."  I can articulate goals with great fan-fare, enthusiasm, and panache.  I write them down on fancy looking lists.  I even define the steps that would land me at the goal.  And then...

FULL STOP

I stick my list of goals in a file, which languishes on my desk, in drawers, in bags, or hidden underneath magazines.  Many, many, months later I will find the list, and think "Darn.  Forgot about this. Oh well," and then go about my day.  It's as if the goals never existed, were a pleasant distraction to contemplate, but ultimately not meant to see the light of day.

That's not to say that I've never had a goal that I've achieved - I certainly have.  But in terms of consistently articulating, planning and executing annual goals, well there I am all talk, no walk.

But I keep trying!  This year, I set goals for myself in the following categories:

• Fitness:  The most cliched of goals, perhaps.  No explanation needed, right? Just move your bottom.
• Career:   Either related to advancing in a current position, or moving on to a new opportunity, or strengthening your skill set in your current career.
• Intellectual:  Exercising your brain - whether by taking classes on a new subject, or learning more about an issues by reading non-fiction books/watching documentaries on a topic, going back to school for a degree, etc.
• Cultural:  Getting out to see museum exhibits, attending concerts, going to the theater (not the movie theater!), or a dance performance.
• Spiritual:  Attending regular services, meditating, reading on related topics.
• Wild Card:  This category is fun and dynamic - it could be a random long weekend in Vegas, or buying a gift for yourself that you would normally never buy.

I listed out my goals for each category, taking care to make sure they were SMART, laid out the steps I would need to follow in order to achieve them, and then...
 
                                                                        FULL STOP

But hey, if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then call me crazy, cause I'm getting ready to try again!  There are a lot of resources on the Internet with free printables that help with goal articulation and execution.  I like Work Your Way, and Buttoned Up.  Both of these sites offer advice on goal setting and attainment, and have really helpful free printables.

If you need help just articulating what types of things you might want to make into goals, Work Your Way has this mind map that is really helpful for brainstorming :

Once you've identified some goals, Buttoned Up has a lot of useful printables, such as this goal list form: 

I'm going to take the next few weeks to think about my 2013 goals, articulate them and set up the steps for achievement.  Won't you join me (either in spirit or in action)? 

To forward momentum,
xoxo,
MF