It is a new month so therefore we need to create new goals for ourselves. Or at least refocus our attention to our them. On my blog and at our gym CPMFITness we highly value goal setting. We value what it has done in our lives and the impact it has had on our clients as well.
We encourage our members to set goals based on the ultimate vision for their health, business, and personal achievements. When planning goals you need to reach deep within and step outside your comfort zone a little.
When my husband and I set goals we make sure they scare us a little. If your goals are not scary the reward is not as sweet when you reach them.
I was reading a good article from Lululemon and It talks about the 6 concepts they integrate into their goal setting and here they are:
1. Possibility
When we set visions and goals in possibility, we create opportunities that are beyond what is likely to happen, without self-created limitation. A couple of ways of getting into possibility:
let your past be in the past. We tend to create our future based on what’s happened in the past. The ‘story’ that we bring with us comes with limitations so a goal set from the past will likely create more of what already exists.
remove perceived constraints. It’s easy to imagine excuses for ourselves that prevent us from realizing our potential. ‘I don’t have enough money’. ‘I don’t have the time’.
2. Vision
We create visions for our ideal lives to drive our goals. When we have that clear picture of our ideal lives, our goals become powerful and meaningful to us. They give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning – something to get excited about. A powerful vision:
- is set 10 years in the future
- is clear and concise (one to two paragraphs) with enough detail to feel complete
- incorporates all major domains of our life: health, personal and career
- moves us emotionally and gets us excited – maybe even a little nervous
- uses present tense language. We write it as if we are already there
- is authentic to us and grounded in our passions
3. Balance
We set personal, health and career goals. Having balanced goals leads to a balanced life, while having goals in only one area can leave our desires for other areas unfulfilled. There’s often overlap from one area to the next and these categories can mean different things to different people.
4. Audacity – The most important one to me…
We boldly go where we haven’t gone before and set goals that are truly challenging. We love setting BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). A BHAG – you hear me refer to this one a lot!
- is difficult to achieve
- is unlikely to happen without great commitment and perseverance
- brings us closer to living our ideal life
- brings a phenomenal sense of accomplishment
- is achieved maybe 50% of the time
5. Format
We format our goals in a certain way to give ourselves the greatest likelihood of achieving them. A goal written with the incorrect format can cause indecision and go unachieved. When we write powerful goals, we –
- trickle back.
Contrary to Maria von Trapp’s advice, we start at the end (not the very beginning) and set our 10-year goals first, then move backwards to our five-year and one-year goals. - keep it quantifiable.
We should always be able to measure our goals (and, in the same way, our success). - are specific.
It’s easier to do something if we know what that thing is. That’s why we precisely articulate the desired activity, object or outcome in our goals. - use the present tense.
We write our vision and goals in the present tense to make them more attainable. - use affirmative language.
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. We keep our goals clear by stating what we want, not what we don’t want (double negatives can be so confusing). - are concise.
We use as few words as possible. Our goals are for us, no justification is required. - include a by-when date.
We use by-when dates to motivate us and give our goals structure.
6. integrity
Once our goals are set, we think about how to work them into our daily lives. Some of the ways we do this are:
- we create a system to honour and achieve our goals, like posting goals on the fridge.
- we enroll others so they know what we stand for. Sharing our goals with others who are also committed goal setters allows them to support and assist us.
- every day, we choose the things that move us closer towards achieving our vision and goals, rather than those things that are in conflict.
These are very good guidelines for goal setting. Remember a goal without a plan is just a wish …
Fit Chic