Make Your Dream a Reality Through Effective Goal Setting That Works

As we began 2023, I wanted to make sure you have the tools to set goals effectively and have a guide of that you can refer to, to help you achieve your goals in 2023.

I’m hoping in this short lesson will help you, your teams, and your business as you enter 2023 and beyond!

There are many ways to set goals and like most you should take whatever you can use and adapt it to fit your specific situation.

4 Step Framework to Begin the Process of Goal Setting.

?We are into the 2nd week of the New Year! Can you believe it? And are you already feeling like you are not moving or progressing fast enough towards your goals?

If so I am going to walk you through a goal setting framework that I am using now to achieve personal goals and professional goals.

Here are the 4 steps we will cover:

1.?Begin with one word that you can use that if hit will sum up the achievement of all your goals. Example for me this year that word is THRIVE. ?

• THRIVE means to grow vigorously, to flourish, to prosper, and to progress toward a goal despite circumstances.

2.?List out your core areas of focus. Example of my core areas are the following:

• Faith, Family, Fitness, Career, Finances, Fun, and Friends.

3.?Determine the systems (routines) you can commit that if done consistently will allow you to THRIVE in the areas of focus.

4.?Determine how you will track your efforts. Example I use the Day One Journal App for reflections and progress daily.

How to Implement the 4 Step Framework.

Step 1: Theme Setting – One Word Goal

Step 1 is about gaining a big picture focus to help you encompass multiple goals to begin the brainstorming process.

Find ONE word that you can use that reflects both personal and professional goal. One way to do this is to go to Google search bar and put the words you are thinking about and search for their synonyms which are words that are similar.

Last step is to choose one that works best for you as the ONE word that give great balance of the all the words you listed.

Step 2: List out Areas of Focus

What areas are you eager to grow in this year? Remember this is your life you can have how many you desire. Reason being you can have areas that just need to be maintained while others areas may require more attention.

Don’t focus on my areas at the top. This is about you and your goals. Instead ground yourself in reflection, search for pain points from previous year, things that brought joy, and things you may have regretted.

If still struggling envision you at your best self, now what areas are you seeing success in?

?Step 3: Determine the System (Routines) You Will Have to Achieve Your Goals

There are three systems I have found helpful in my goal setting journey. Those systems are OKR’s, GROW. And GOOD Model. Ill list links so you can read upon these more.

OKR’s stand for objectives and key results. https://mint.intuit.com/blog/planning-2/okr-framework/

GROW stands for Goals, Reality, Opportunities, and Way Forward. https://www.performanceconsultants.com/self-coaching-using-grow-model-worksheet

GOOD stands for Goal, Obstacle, Options, and Decision. Personal Model used by my Coach Dharius Daniels.

This is perhaps one of the most important phases of the process due to this is where the execution happens!

With goal setting most people fail because the focus on the outcomes (Lag Measure) instead of focusing on the activities (Lead Measure) that will ensure you are going to hit the outcome.

To be effective in goal setting once you know your outcomes you need to have the activities that you will commit to make those outcomes a reality.

This would look like in OKR format:

1.????My goal is to lose 30lbs this year. (Objective)

• I commit to cutting out 1-2 sodas per day. (Key Results)
• I commit to meal prepping 3-5 days out of the week. (Key Results)
• I commit to exercise for 15-30mins daily. (Key Results)
• I commit to only eating X amount of calories. (Key Results)

The key is found in the key results you are after. That is what you will track on. As you are consistent in the key results you will find achieving your objective becomes a lot easier for you.

?Step 4 Track Your Efforts

If you don’t have an accountability partner which I suggest having one, if not hold yourself accountable.

You can do this by starting a journaling practice where you track progress, write about what is going well, what barriers you are facing, and what you can improve.

The power is found with journaling in the focus it provides you on your goal. If you are always talking about your goal and keeping it in front of naturally you will get better.

To enlist help if journaling is not for you do the following. Ask a friend if they can check on you weekly or biweekly in regards to your goal. A close friend shouldn’t mind helping you stay on track for your goals.

These are the steps for how you can make you dream a reality through effective goal setting.

If you need help don’t hesitate to reach out.