A 5 Step Process to Intentional Goals

If you ask most people about success, the conversation will quickly turn to the topic of goals. They’ll tell you that you have to have goals, those goals must be clear, and maybe even SMART.

I agree. However, goals do not make you successful. Working those goals daily is what creates success. Your behaviors are what make things happen.

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” (Peter Marshall)

To achieve anything, two things need to happen; you need to set good goals and you need to make it easy for yourself to take daily action on the steps that get you closer to them.

For years, I have taught what I call The 5 D’s of Intentional Goal Setting. This is a process to help you break down your goal into measurable steps. To start, you have to get clarity on what the goal is and then on what it will take to get you there. For example, say you want to lose 50 pounds; you need to determine the steps that will get you there. Losing 50 pounds isn't a goal, it’s a result. Working out every day, preparing healthy meals in advance, walking each morning...those are goals. They are actions that can be checked off as you do them.

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” (Pablo Picasso)

With goals, it's important that you are clear about the steps you need to take to achieve them. Random acts generate random results, but when you know what tangible actions you are going to take each day, you stop thinking about your goals and you start achieving them.

Let’s take a look at my Five D's of Setting Intentional Goals so that you can begin using this process to get in the driver’s seat of your own goals.

Decision

First, you need to make a decision about what you want. For example, should you put your children in private school, public school, or homeschool them? Do you want to stay at your job or look for a new one? Do you eat the donuts in the breakroom simply because they’re there or do you walk out of the room and go take a five-minute walk around the building instead?

Facing tough choices can make you waver between options. How do you feel when you're indecisive? Anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed? No one would ever choose to live there on a regular basis, but by not making a decision, that is exactly what you're doing.

Take control by making a clear-cut decision. Even if it is one with a negative or emotional outcome, you feel relief; it’s like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. That is a much better space to live in and the only way you're going to get what you want.

Desire

Once you've made a decision, the desire to act on it will build. Many people put off making a decision and convince themselves that they will feel an overwhelming desire to move in the right direction. That is backward.

We say things like, ‘Monday I'll start my diet,’ ‘Tomorrow I'll clean the house when I'm not so tired,’ or ‘I'll start my work when I feel more inspired.’ But if you wait for desire to overwhelm you, you're going to be waiting a very long time. You'll never wake up one morning and suddenly be overcome with the desire to get moving with your life without ever setting goals. But once you've made a clear decision, the desire will follow.

Desire creates action. As soon as you decide, "Okay, I am going to change jobs," you get excited, you call a headhunter, and you start making arrangements.

Details

We commonly know this D as your daily to-do list. Without a list, it will be harder for you to stay on track and actually get things done that you need to. Without knowing the next steps you need to take, it will be hard to arrive at your goal.

Your goal is your result; the details are the work you do to get there.

The key is to make a healthy to-do list. What that means is keep it short and keep it relevant.  What can realistically be achieved today and what are the three (at most!) things that matter?

How do you know which things matter? Ask yourself this - does doing this get me closer to one of my goals? If yes, put it on the list. If no, leave it off.

Many people have an unhealthy to-do list that is simply a ‘dumping ground.’ The items on that list may need to get done at some point, but they are not priorities and they are not moving you forward. Also, an unhealthy list never ends because you just keep adding to it. When you do that, you never experience a sense of accomplishment. With a healthy daily list, you cross all the items off every day and you celebrate! Letting yourself feel that you achieved something is what keeps you wanting more.

Destination 

Success is a journey; it’s a road traveled. Along the way, you will have speed bumps, road-blocks, and detours that will take you off in different directions. By having the destination clear in your mind, written down, and posted around your home or office as a reminder, you'll be able to get through the detours and challenges and still be headed in the direction you want.

You may need to pull over and get directions along the route, stopping to get help from someone, do more research, or change some habits, but always having your destination front and center in your mind will keep you from ever giving up. 

Determination 

Nothing happens without determination. This step is about holding yourself accountable. Others may encourage you along the way, but you need to tell yourself that you are not giving up...and you need to believe it! When your friend cancels on going to the gym with you, don't just think, "Oh well, I guess I'll skip today," then hang out and watch Netflix instead. Go to the gym anyway or see if another friend wants to go with you. If your friend was your ride, search free workouts on YouTube that you can do at home.

Determination is about finding a way to do it anyway, no matter what might get in the way. There are no more excuses. In the end, all of your decisions are made by you, for you. Become your own biggest supporter and keep yourself on task by making choices that serve you.

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” (Vincent Van Gogh)

Want to learn more about the 5 D’s of Intentional Goal Setting and how to implement them into your own life starting today? Here are audio links where I personally walk you through each one!

Decision

Desire

Details

Destination and Determination