Picture this:
It's new year's day, the morning after the night before.
Your head hurts and you feel a little hungover.
You've just binged your way through the latest box set on Netflix with Deliveroo for company.
At that moment, because of guilt, you decide to make your list of new years resolutions:
- No more drinking
- Going to the gym
- Healthy food only
- Leave job
- Start a business
It's the second Friday in January and after an initial spurt of enthusiasm, you give up. It's Quitters Day.
Does any of this sound familiar?
This is how I used to set my new years resolutions, and by extension, my goals as well.
One of the main problems I always faced was that I'd set really big goals to achieve within a very short space of time.
I also never planned out how to achieve those goals, other than wanting to achieve them.
However, I've since learned an effective process for setting goals (and new years resolutions) that you will actually achieve.
I've also created the Ultimate Goal-Setting Worksheet to help you with your goal-setting process. You can download it for free here.
Determine your 3-year vision
What's the focus of your efforts and the driver behind your motivation over the next 3 years?
This should be something you can commit your efforts to with consistent daily effort.
Develop the 4 core areas of your life
- Body - health & fitness
- Being - mindset
- Balance - family + relationships
- Business - Work, business + finances
What goals do you want to achieve in these 4 areas over the next 3 years?
Ask 5 Whys
Primarily a problem-solving technique, you can use this method to understand why you want to achieve the goals you have set.
Ask yourself why you want to achieve your goals. Each answer forms the basis of the next question.
Set a 1 Year Vision
In each core area of your life, determine 3 things you can do this year to bring your closer to your 3-year vision.
Set your 12 Week Sprint
Break your 1-year vision down into actionable steps that you can take this year in order to achieve that goal.
What 3 actions can you take over the next 3 months to move you closer to that goal?
After each 12-week sprint, spend a week reviewing your actions and any changes + improvements you need to make for the next 12-week sprint.
Daily + Weekly Actions
Your 12-week sprint determines the daily + weekly actions you need to take. Spend time reviewing your progress on a weekly basis.
Daily Habits
These are things that you can do every day that help you move forward in the right direction towards the 4 core areas of your life and gives you a chance to develop and build new habits.
Obstacle List
List things that in the past have caused you to fail with achieving your goals and how you can prepare to overcome this time around.
Process Goals
These are tasks or actions you can take on a daily basis to make your life a little easier.
With habit stacking your can group together small routines and link them to a habit that is already set in your day.
By preparing your environment you can set yourself up for the best possible chance of success by eliminating distractions and having all of the tools handy that you need to work on your goals.
Why this works
This approach is completely different from how people normally approach their goals.
It enables you to plan your goals and provides a step-by-step process to achieving them. It also determined where and when to put your attention.
Regular reviews also provide you with a feedback loop so you are constantly reviewing and adjusting your progress based on what's working and what isn't.
Make sure you download the Ultimate Goal-Setting Worksheet to help you with your goal-setting process. Grab the worksheet for free right here. download it for free here.