A few years ago, I sat down at the end of August and set a new production goal for the rest of the year. Up until that point in time, my yearly goal was getting the better part of me instead of the other way around. Needless to say I was pretty far behind my yearly goal. Actually, it was less than 50% accomplished! To make matters worse, to come anywhere close to hitting that yearly production goal, a new company record would have to be set.

During a coaching session, my coach and I decided that if the goal was not providing any motivation, and acting more like a burden than something needed to be done. So what we decided to do was make a new goal for the rest of the year. Timing was important. Setting a new goal for the end of the year – and accomplishing it – would leave me with a positive feeling about that year and provide me with good momentum for the upcoming year.

In setting the new goal we wanted to make sure all five characteristics of a “good goal” were present. In setting a new goal I, like you, had to make sure all five characteristics were there. Our goal setting worksheet can walk you through these five steps for setting an effective goal.  The goal had to be:

Meaningful to You: When you think and/or talk about your goal it continually gives you excitement, enflames the passion within you, and makes you want to take action.

Specific, Measurable and Has a Due Date: This means you need to have numbers in not only size and quantity, but also in time. You need to know how much of an increase (or decrease), how often, how large and by when. The goal has to have a “due date” of when it will be accomplished.

The Right Size: Everyone and every situation is different, but you need to make your goal large enough to case you to stretch, but small enough to still be attainable. For example; if you were 36 pounds overweight to set a goal to loose all 36 pounds, in the next 3 weeks would be unrealistic and unhealthy. But to set a goal to loose 12 pounds over the next 3 months would be more alone the lines of “the right size”.

Written Down: To write down your goals causes you to commit to a specific outcome by a specific date. Once it is written down, you cannot re-negotiate in your head new terms of the goal. You will also want to write it down in more than one place; write it down in multiple places.

Reviewed: You need to hang your goals up so you can continuously review them. This doesn’t mean in just one place. It means all over the place! When I do this, I write the goals on my bathroom mirror, hang them in my house and office, tap them to my door, and even tap them to my steering wheel and (write them) on my rearview mirror. The more you keep them in front of you, the better chance you have to accomplish them.

Once the new goal was created I shared it with my coach. He encouraged me to attach a reward to the accomplished of my goal, as well as a negative outcome if it was not accomplished. In doing so, it caused me re-evaluate the goal and make sure it was set properly. Within a few days he, and more importantly I, knew the consequences of my goal.

What followed was a testament to the goal setting process. That September I accomplished 11% of that goal. Not exactly following the new plan that was created. Again, finding myself so far behind a goal had many negative implications. My coach asked me one important question, “Are you still going to accept your negative consequence if you don’t hit your goal?”.

The answer was “yes” and to me that was unacceptable. You see, the goal was so meaningful to me, and the self-imposed consequences were so “severe”, that it caused me to make the necessary adjustments to achieve my goal.

That October my production was six times larger than September. The fourth quarter was my largest quarter of production every in my career! The same quarter ended up being 48% of my yearly production and brought me within 7% of my original yearly production goal. I set a new company record for the most production in one quarter. And it had nothing to do with me! It had everything to do with the goal setting process.

You see the five characteristics of a “good goal” are not a “pick-and-choose” menu. They all need to be there or it won’t work. Too often people leave one or more steps out. When that happens you have a gamblers chance of achieving your goals.

Take some time now to review your goals. Maybe you need to set new goals. No matter what situation you are in, take your goals and make sure all five characteristics are there. When you are working on your goals eliminate all distractions. By doing so, you will be eliminating barriers to the accomplishment of your goals. When you set goals that have contain the five characteristics you have set yourself up to accomplish your goals and be free.

Be Free!

Jeffrey Czajka
Instructor