In my post on defining goals the other day I mentioned five steps that are important for setting clear goals. This is the first post in a series that will expand on those steps.

It seems almost too simple to make a big deal out of, but the first step in learning how to set goals is determining exactly what it is you want to achieve.

You have to know where you want to end up in order to figure out how you’re going to get there. Makes sense, doesn’t it? But you’d be amazed at the number of people who try and achieve goals that are really nothing more than a vague idea. Consider these and think about how often you’ve heard someone say them, or maybe have even said them yourself:

I want to be rich.
I want to fall in love.
I want to lose weight.

Sound familiar? They’re a good place to start, but until you put some defining characteristics to them, they’re not really goals are they? You have to define what the concepts “rich,” “in love” and “lose weight” actually mean to you before you can create clear goals around them.

So if we were defining a goal for wanting to be rich, you might ask yourself the following questions:

How rich do I want to be?
Do I want to be a millionaire? A billionaire?
Or would I be rich if I just had enough of a cushion to make sure the bills get paid and there’s a steady flow of cash coming in?
There’s no right answer. Only an answer that’s right for you. And once you know what that answer is, then you can set a clear goal around achieving the amount of money that will meet your definition of “rich”.

Once you know exactly what you want to achieve, then you can go on to the second step in defining clear goals: setting a timeline. We’ll talk about that tomorrow.

Since one of the things on my to do list today is to review my goals and see where I’m at and what, if anything needs changing, I thought I’d write a bit today on what it takes to define clear goals.

It’s one thing to set goals for yourself, but it’s another thing entirely to define clear goals to make sure you accomplish what you set out to achieve. A lack of clarity about your goals can leave you feeling confused about the end result, and put you on a one-way track to being stuck in the mud. Having a clear goal, on the other hand, can give you a sense of purpose and a huge boost in momentum.

Here are five things to think about when you’re defining your goals:

1. Know exactly what it is you want to achieve.
2. Decide on a time frame for achieving it.
3. Make sure your goal is realistic. (So says the queen of unrealistic goals!)
4. See the details. A vague idea is not gonna get you where you want to go.
5. Did you leave room for change? (If you said no, you might wanna think that.)

Over the course of the next few days we’ll talk about each of these five areas in more detail. In the meantime, think about where you are at this midpoint of the year.

Are you where you want to be so far this year? Would redefining your goals help you achieve them more easily?

Yesterday I promised that I’d share my new writing plan with you, and also let you know how you would benefit from it. So here’s the scoop…

One of the ‘light bulb’ moments I had during my weekend cleaning spree was that I need to be writing a whole lot more than what I have been. Research and writing are almost like an addiction for me. If I’m not doing one or the other, I’m just not happy. And I’ve not been doing enough of either in the last month or so.

I’ve been focused too much lately on the negative parts of my life, and it just ain’t working. There’s been too many days where I’ve worried over the bills (and how they’re gettin’ paid); where I should move to, and when I should move; and whether or not I’m even makin’ the right decisions — which usually leads to no decisions being made at all, and even less writing getting done.

So, on Saturday morning, I decided that it was time to quit makin’ everything harder than it has to be, and just get back to the basics of what makes me tick. And what makes me tick (from a workin’ standpoint at least) is researching, reading, writing, and golf (both the playing of and writing about). Since the golf course doesn’t open for another few weeks, there’s lots of time for the rest of the stuff on the list!

What I did was make a brand new plan and change all my goals. Up until now I’ve always had goals that were out of my control. I’d set targets to make X amount of money or get Y amount of subscribers in a certain period of time. And then I’d beat myself up when it didn’t happen, knowing full well that there was no way I could control whether I’d achieve those goals, since they were dependent on other people taking action.

When I finally clued in that the only goals I can realistically achieve are the ones where my actions control the success or failure rate, I rewrote everything in terms of specific, measurable and achievable outcomes. Every goal I have now for the next 90 days depends on me reaching certain numerical targets in terms of quantities of the content I create.

I also realized that for me, as long as I concentrate on the writing, the rest of my life will sort itself out pretty much on its own.

And that’s where you come in…

While I could be perfectly happy writing about topics that interest me (and there’s a lot of them), I’d really much rather spend my time researching and writing the topics that interest you. I’m making it my mission to provide you with the information and resources that you want to ensure your success in your quest for personal growth. And I don’t mean tell me what you want so that I can create products to sell to you (although for the sake of transparency and total honesty here, there might be the odd one because after all, I do have those pesky bills to pay). What I really really want to know is what topics you would like to see me research and write about for you here on this blog. What areas of personal growth can I help you with?

So please, don’t be shy. Leave a comment and let me know what type of content you want to see when you visit here. It’ll be a win-win situation for both of us… You get the information you’re looking for, and I get to spend my time writing something that you can use.