6 Steps for Effective Goal Planning
“How do you recommend planning for the upcoming year? Setting monthly goals? Mixing personal and professional goals each week? Creating quarterly profit marks? I’m new to goal planning and I want to get great at it.” This question comes from Mollye, a regular reader of this column.
I have six steps for effective goal planning that are rooted in the belief that without a destination in mind, we can’t make a map to get where we want to go, and we end up meandering aimlessly. For this reason, I’m an advocate of goal planning and visioning (mixed with holding their outcomes loosely and not forcing them). Once you have the high-level laid out (I’ll explain how below), you can then break these into smaller goals and steps.
I’ve developed my practice bit by bit over the past 15 years, trying out new techniques to develop the best goal and vision-planning methods. In my early 20s, I realized I had a variety of dreams, but felt as if I was struggling to achieve them. Using these techniques has taken me from that place to one where I feel that I’m truly successful (which I define as freedom of how I spend my time and using my unique combination of gifts full-out in service to others).
These steps will help you define your goals, dreams, and visions and then turn them into your reality.Step 1: Brainstorm
