Tuning in to New Goals

Wow!  I've been away for quite awhile now.  But I haven't been partying and playing around.  Not a whole lot, at least.  I've been thinking.  And planning.  And listening - to myself.

What will 2008 be like for me?  What do I want?  What will I do to make it happen?

More importantly, though, I've been listening to what is getting in my way.  While I'm a proponent of speaking up, and saying what's on your mind and in your heart, the conversation loses its power when it's about self-defeat, misguided assumptions, or impossibilities.

I want newness and improvement and difference in my 2008.  And I plan to get all that by setting goals that I will stick with.  I've done it before, and I will do it again.

So what did I do that worked?  I used a system that you might already be familiar with, a system called SMART goals.  Sure, there are more sophisticated systems out there, but I like the SMART concept.  It works like this.

Establish goals that have these five elements.  They are:

• Specific - clearly state what you want
• Measurable - have a way for you to track your progress
• Achievable - stretch you without being impossible
• Results-oriented - don't compete with other things you want to  have happen
• Time-based - you set a deadline

Then I add my own PLUS.  I pay attention to how I'm feeling about the goal.  Does it feel like an obligation, or do I feel led my intuition?  Am I at peace with the goal, or does the thought of it frustrate me?  Am I excited about getting started, or do I find excuses to delay?

Write your goals down and share them with someone who will hold you accountable.  Celebrate your success when you reach a target in your Measurables.  Be flexible enough to shift when your circumstances change.

If you want to know more about SMART goals, I wrote an article for my ezine subscribers that  explains this process with a bit more detail.  I'll be writing about goal-setting in more posts to come.

Enjoy the New Year, and all that you want it to be!

Comments

[Kathy Mallary]

Hey, Patricia -- glad to see you're back and blogging! I really enjoy your posts.

I sent you an email a couple of days ago but am wondering if it got through. There may be some email wonkiness going on...

Anyway, I thought I'd get creative and wave at you through comments. Give me a call if you didn't get my email.

Hugs,
Kathy M.