The most important part of making goals is taking ACTION to achieve them

It’s time to set your dreams in motion!

My friend has a shelf full of colourful notebooks. Each one has the first two pages filled with goals – hopes and dreams that were written down and then filed on the shelf, never to be seen again. Do you have a shelf filled with good intentions? There is a way to get those good intentions out into the real world, but it’s going to take some commitment from you. Are you ready?

Dreams and intentions are the absolute seeds of greatness. If you keep them in a packet, or bury them in the wrong soil, they won’t go anywhere. If you want to see a fruitful result, you need to act! Prepare the right soil, place your pot in the sunlight and then water them regularly. What does that look like in the real world?

Prepare the soil – SMARTIES goals

Lay the groundwork for your goals by using this tool to focus your intentions into something you can use. Remember to frame these goals positively.

• Specific – give as much detail as possible (‘I want to speak French’ vs ‘I will be able to speak French in a business setting by December’)
• Measurable – give yourself ways to measure your success. It will highlight your progress as you move toward your goal.
• Attainable – your goal should be within reach, even if you need to stretch a little, but shouldn’t be near to impossible.
• Relevant – do you want to achieve this goal? Will it help you move forward?
• Timely – is this the right time to be chasing this goal? Set your deadlines realistically.
• Interesting – interest is sustained when goals are challenging and enjoyable to complete.
• Engaging – does this goal keep you involved regularly? Touch base with your goal daily.
• Success oriented – Goals should be framed positively, aim to achieve not to avoid.

Put your pot in the sunlight

Your goal will need some support and energy to come to fruition. What do you need to feed your goal for it to thrive? What resources do you need to organise? When are they needed? A daily action planner is a great way to do this. List the tasks that you need to achieve in the day. Plan and set time aside to complete your tasks. It will not always look like you planned, but you will usually find that you achieve most things in the time frame that you set yourself. We are setting ourselves up for success.

Water your plant

Interact with your goals at least twice per day. Put them somewhere where you have to read them, like your mirror, the toilet door, on sticky notes on your computer screen. By doing this you are putting out to the universe what it is that you truly want, you are holding yourself accountable.

Harvest

Celebrate when you meet your goals! It takes deliberate effort to move yourself forward. Reap the rewards of your diligent work. Thank the people that helped you along the way and take a moment to feel proud of yourself. Well done!

In summary,

A dream written down with a

DATE

becomes a goal. A goal broken down into

STEPS

becomes a plan. A plan backed by

ACTION

makes your dreams come true!

This is the fourth article in my goal setting series. Check back here every Monday to see the next installment!

Part One – Part Two – Part Three – Part Four