What are your REAL Goals?

I did a great goal exercise the other day with one of my networking groups.  This is one of those things that can help you shake up your perceptions and might help you see things a little more clearly.

If you want to play along at home, take a piece of paper and draw out 5 boxes (draw them big enough to cover the whole page so you’ll have some room to write). 

You won’t likely get the point of the exercise without playing along…but it’s your call.

In box #1, write out a personal goal and a business goal that you would like to achieve (ideally you should do 3 of each, but the process will work with one).

As an example, a personal goal might be: Lose 20 Pounds by this time next year.

In box # 2, write down approximately how long you have had that goal.

For our example, let’s say 5 years…

In box #3, write down what your biggest obstacle or obstacles has been to date in achieving this goal.

Example:  I’m always eating on the run, which means fast food, junk food, etc.  Who has time to make balanced healthy meals?

In box #4:  What specific actions have you taken in the last 24 hours to achieve this goal?

Example:  Tough one…I didn’t eat a second brownie last night after dinner…

Finally, the home stretch, in box #5 write down what you’ll feel like once you’ve achieved this goal?  What is it about this goal that makes you want to do it?   What will you be?  What might others say about you?

Example:  I would be healthy and more active with my kids.

Now take a look over what you wrote.  In the first box you wrote your goal, hopefully it was a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-framed). 

Have you had the goal a long time?  Or did you just make it up for the sake of this exercise?  Ideally you’re going through some sort of regular planning process at work and at home that would identify these goals, but a lot of people aren’t very good at keeping up with this kind of stuff.

In box three, are you making excuses or are these real reasons outside of your control that are keeping you from what you want?

Box #4 is important as an indicator of how important this goal really is to you.  A top level priority goal should be on your list pretty much every day – if not, how important is it really?

Finally – look at box #5 again…isn’t this really your goal?  Take the example:

“I would be healthy and more active with my kids”! 

Isn’t that what I really want? 

It’s pretty common that we focus on what we need to DO or what we want to HAVE as a measuring point in achieving some life purpose.  If I DO this, then I can HAVE that and then I’ll BE what I want to be.

As soon as I save up $50,000, then I’m going to start a business and become an Entrepreneur.

I would contend that you have it out of order.  The right order is…BE. DO. HAVE! 

If I start BEing a healthy person, then I will start DOing things that healthy people do and I will HAVE the weight loss and fitness achievements that I want…!

What do you think?  Are you holding yourself back somehow or can you start being the person you want to be?  It’s a leap of faith, but does it make sense to you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Shawn Kinkade – www.aspirekc.com