Get exactly what you want in 2009

Did you set some resolutions at New Year? Are you doing well, or are they already challenging you a bit? 

Why do we set goals or resolutions? Usually it's because we want to change some things in our life that aren't quite as we want them to be. Often we know what we want to change, and take some action to achieve it. But we may come across an obstacle or challenge and we either give up, re-set the goal to something else, or we persevere and get through it. 

Being very clear on what our goal or purpose is helps a great deal when we come across challenges, because we are focused and have the motivation to overcome the obstacle. However, without a goal, when we are presented with life's challenges we simply just change direction - because that one obviously wasn't working!!  That's how we can flit about from one thing to another and not really know what or why we are living the life we do.  

Having goals give us clarity and make things a lot easier when it comes to making any decision about what to do. We can have goals in any or all areas of our life that need some improvement, so whether that is our health, fitness, finances, business, work, relationships or whatever, having a well defined goal gives us the best possible chance of getting it.

Setting great goals is a skill that once learnt, we can use again and again in our lives to help us achieve anything we want to. Like anything we learn, we get better at it the more often we do it. It is a technique that has had amazing results for all my clients. 

So how do you set great goals? Well you may have come across the acronym 'SMART'  which is often used for setting goals in business. It says that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. However, in setting goals in life I believe the 'achievable' and 'realistic' tend to limit your imagination and automatically your self-doubt steps in to limit what you believe you could realistically achieve. This then stops you going for something you really want that would inspire you to keep going, so the motivation to continue with the good work of sticking to it is soon lost.

So why set a goal for something you don't believe is achievable or realistic? Well it is just our limiting beliefs that make us think it's not achievable, when in reality it is. By simply changing our beliefs we can achieve anything we want to. "Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you'll end up amongst the stars" A quote from Les Brown.

A similar, but much better acronym for setting goals in life is 'SMERTIE'.  Your goals should not only inspire you to get started, but keep you focused and motivated to continue when the going gets a bit tough, and make you determined to see it through.

SMERTIE stands for:
Specific - clearly define what you want and don't be vague with your goal - want to be rich? how rich? put a figure on it.
Measurable - a clear understandable outlined plan of what needs to be done to also give confidence you are on track.
Evidential - identify what practical evidence will show the progress and the achievement of the goal.
Responsible - the goal has to be totally down to you and its achievement, or not, has to be your responsibility.
Timed - put a date on when you are going to get it, not just a month or year.
Inspirational - it has to truly inspire you to really go for it, otherwise you could easily pass it over or put it away.
Emotional - everything we do is driven by our emotions, so goals must include specific emotional gain to drive you into action. 

But what about the recipe to put these ingredients together? That's where the skill comes in which is a simple, yet powerful technique to create a great goal that works for you.   

OK, so it's not that simple to set a great goal as it requires some thought and work. And this may seem a bit over the top for short term goals, but when the skill is learnt it just becomes second nature to identify and set good goals for life, or just for today. Then when the goal is set, it's just a matter of taking action!

If you would like to learn more about setting goals then please contact me for a free taster coaching session to see if it’s something that could work for you.  

Start living a life you love.