September is nearly here. An end to summer and for many, the return to routine ad structure. Right now is a great time to evaluate your goals and action plans for the next months as you establish perhaps new routines for the fall.
I remember starting off every school year in elementary school with an assignment to write out 3 goals for the year. I would write down the most vague and simple goals like "get good grades" and "have fun." Clearly I wasn't too enthralled with the activity or about to get any valuable result out of it.
It almost goes without saying, but you should have a specific action plan for any goals you create otherwise, you may simply be leaving achievement up to luck. A lot of professionals in project management refer to SMART goals - a framework for criteria used to set goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
SMART goals also should point to your reasoning and the WHY behind your objective. Note the distinction between WHY and relevance: relevant refers to keeping in line with your overall life plan and purpose while your WHY keeps digging deeper to the root of your purpose.
For this reason, it's helpful for your WHY to be specific. If the reasoning behind your goal is some vague, intangible result, keep pushing for a pointed driving force behind your intention. This can be multi-step if you feel like there are several layers to your ambition. The point is that tuning in to your WHY will connect you more to the potential achievement of your goal. Doing this activity will help you visualize your success and envision who you will be once you have reached your goal.
Try it now! Identify your goals, start with one for now and make it as specific as you can. Put a number on it, and if you can, a flexible deadline. Outline steps you need to take week by week (or day by day if you're working on something short-term) to achieve your goal. Subscribe with the code 'GOALS' to receive a download of the PURE Wellness Goals Action Plan worksheet that you can use this week to be ready to launch your plans forward this fall.
To read more about the ideas behind connecting to your WHY, check out simonsinek.com . His concepts apply not only to personal goals, but to entrepreneurs and mission statements as well.
Comments