Every day is a new opportunity to set goals or achieve one. You might even visit somewhere you have never been before or re-connect with someone from your past. It is a chance to make new friends and contacts or change the course of your life. It is an extension of time, to complete the things you wanted to complete—but never did. It is a new day of fresh goals.

What are goals?

First off, goals are usually confused with hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams are just wishes inside our head or spoken aloud. Hopes and dreams are the beginning of goals. However, until you write them down on paper they do not solidify into goals—they remain hopes and dreams—they remain wishes.

Goals are completely different. Goals are specific, defined, clear, measurable and written down objects we hope to reach, dreams we want to fulfill, results we aim to complete, desires we strive to obtain or actions we will set forward. They are a prioritized list of things you want to do in your life in the short, intermediate and long-term.

You can set one goal or develop goals for all aspects of your life. Our goals can be broken down into eight, core areas. These eight areas or goal units are Personal Growth, Health, Income, Career, Social Life, Relationships, Belief and Family.

When setting goals look at these eight areas and think to yourself what of these is most important to you. Start with that one first, setting out action statements that will clearly define what you want to accomplish in that core goal unit. Then work on the next one that is important to you. You may only want to work on one goal unit, a few or all of them. Working on all of these may allow your life to be well-rounded.

A GOAL SETTING EXERCISE

Use a blank piece of paper, list out your goals in each area. Start every one with positive, “I WILL . . .” statements. Be as specific as you can and list out a timeframe for the completion of it.

Here are some thought starters in each goal unit: (X= Insert what you want there.)

1. Personal Growth (Knowledge):

• I will take a course at a college/university/community college . . .
• I will take a typing or computer class . . .
• I will read books about (a particular area of interest) . . .
• I will find a mentor . . .
• I will find a study partner . . .
• I will obtain a certain accreditation for my work . . .
• I will learn a foreign language . . .

2. Health (Fitness):

• I will change my eating habits and/or start a weight loss plan . . .
• I will join a gym and go 3 times per week for ½ an hour each day . . .
• I will take a spin class at the gym . . .
• I will roller-blade, ski, golf . . .
• I will watch less TV and do a physical activity outside . . .
• I will gat off the computer and go for a walk . . .

3. Income (Financial Stability):

• I will make $X this year . . .
• I will save $X this year . . .
• I will set aside $X this year for investments . . .
• I will put aside $X this year for my child/s future/schooling . . .
• I will pay off X bills . . .
• I will find a better paying job that will pay $X . . .

4. Career (Work Environment):

• I will accomplish X this year . . .
• I will learn more about X this year . . .
• I will handle my stress and not show it at work . . .
• I will be a fair boss . . .
• I will say only positive things at work . . .
• I will stay out of gossip rings/stay away from negative people . . .
• I will show up early . . .
• I will bite my tongue when I want to make a sharp reply . . .
• I will find a new job I will be happy with . . .
• I will start a new business . . .
• I will get a second job . . .

5. Social Life (Friends, Fun or Recreation):

• I will take a vacation to X . . .
• I will take up X as a hobby . . .
• I will join X social group . . .
• I will find an old friend from the past and re-connect . . .
• I will overcome my fear of X (fear of water and take swimming lessons) . . .
• I will throw a party . . .

6. Relationships (Significant Other or Romance):

• I will find a girlfriend/boyfriend . . .
• I will get engaged . . .
• I will get married . . .
• I will get divorced . . .
• I will have a better relationship with my (significant other) . . .
• I will appreciate my (significant other) and surprise them randomly with (gift, card, post-it note, single rose, flowers or chocolate) . . .
• I will show I appreciate my children more and praise them more often . . .

7. Belief (Higher Power or Self):

• I will take a course in meditation . . .
• I will attend/join church or civic organization . . .
• I will get close to God or Higher Power . . .
• I will study X religion . . .
• I will practice my beliefs . . .
• I will open up my thinking to others beliefs . . .
• I will think and be positive . . .
• I will expand my comfort zone in X area (Public speaking) . . .
• I will increase my confidence in X . . .

8. Family (Relatives or Associative Family):

• I will make a new close friend . . .
• I will talk to my parents more . . .
• I will see my parents more . . .
• I will re-connect with a long lost relative . . .
• I will spend more time with my children . . .
• I will spend more time with (significant other) . . .
• I will spend more time with my friends . . .

DON’T FORGET TO:

Set a deadline for achieving each of your goals: A time frame for completing your goal give you an absolute beginning and end to the goal. Even if you don’t hit it by the time you set you can modify the goal and extend the time. By not setting a time frame you will most likely keep putting it off.

Set your goals high, but be realistic: If you write a goal down that is too unrealistic then you will not work towards it. For example: “I will run for president in the next election.” This is a good goal! However, unless you are a prominent government official it might be a little far fetched to accomplish. A great goal might be: “I will run for my local city Council for the next election, then run for State Senator in two years and then in eight years I will run for President.” This goal gives a clear short, intermediate and long term plan with a time frame. Your goal for President may be high but you are also shooting for the steps in-between.

Set stretch goals: A stretch goal is one that stretches past the realm of current possibility. Here is an example of a goal: “I will find a Literary Agent and a publisher for my 387 page Fantasy Fiction by the end of June this year.” Here is a stretch goal: “I will attract the sight of a major motion picture company and get a 3.5 million dollar movie contract by August this year.” The first goal is a possibility. The second goal stretches the imagination—might be possible if the first happens and the book is outstanding.

Keep them in front of you and look at them daily: Look at your goals daily—out of sight out of mind! Keep them in ‘Top of mind awareness’ to that your consciousness is consistently striving towards those goals. It keeps you motivated. When you are working towards your goals it is uncanny how things just pop up. You might meet that contact you needed to get that job, or bump into someone who knows that agent that is looking for a good fantasy novel. If all you do is wish to win the lottery but never buy a ticket—how do you expect to win?

Cross it out when you accomplish it: Track the goals you accomplish. Cross them off your list as you hit them. You will be surprised at the end of the year how many of them you will have crossed off. I have been doing this for over twelve years and every time I am amazed at how many goals I have crossed off at the end of the year.

Reward yourself when you achieve a goal: Give yourself some praise when you hit a goal. For the small goals I give myself a bottle of wine. The larger goals I give myself a music CD or a DVD. Reward yourself for doing a good job. It keeps the motivation going to hit the other goals.

Set new goals: Things change. If you have new motivations, dreams, desires, hopes and wishes write down new goals. The New Year is not the only time to set goals.

Happy goal setting! You can reach what you desire just lay it out in front of yourself and go for it!

YOU CAN DO IT!