Set Goals That Inspire You. A Simple Exercise.

From my last post I got several questions about goal setting, specifically the process of finding goals that truly light you up and turn you on.

Here is a simple exercise that I use to help with flushing out the goals that are important to me.

Exercise:

For one week take a moment each day to write down 15 goals that inspire you and that you want to accomplish this year.

Write them in the present tense, make them concrete, and give them a timeline. For example:

1. I finish my ebook (title) by September 15, 2012.

2. I buy a new computer (model) by January 31, 2012.

3. I write two blog posts for every week in 2012.

4. Etc.

The goals can be big and hairy or small and insignificant. It does not matter. The only requirement is that they light you up.

The next day, before you get ready to write down your next 15 goals, review the ones you wrote the day before. Which ones still hold excitement? And which ones don’t? Some will have lost their fire. Maybe they were a good idea at the time or maybe you wrote them from a sense of obligation.

Take the goals that are strong and transfer them to the new page. Ignore the rest. Now add more goals until you reach your 15 different ones.

Repeat this exercise for one week. By the end of that time you’ll have 15 goals that are strong, solid, and exciting. Write them on a blank piece of paper and put them up on your wall. Enjoy watching them unfold.

Do you have a specific way to set your goals? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.

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