If you don’t have goals, then you need to set some. You need something to work towards. Put your own goals to the test. When you sit down and start recognizing goals, you will maybe end up with a long list. Choose what is most important to you in your personal lives. All goals do not have equal value. Some will be more meaningful to you. These are the goals to start on. Keep your list of the remaining goals to get back to later. Trying to do over at the same time can be self-defeating.

Write your goals down, as this increases obligation. Make your deadline for each goal reachable and realistic. There is no such right or wrong on how long you determine it will take to reach a goal. It will be different for each person and each goal. Whatever is comfortable for you is what counts.

If all this seems overwhelming or not easy, start with just one goal. Make it easy and short term. Once you have accomplished this, go on to another goal. Remember that life is a journey to be enjoyed. Be kind to yourself. You will find by setting goals and classifying what you need to do to get there, will cut down on a lot of stress in your life. At the same time, you will be making those visions a reality.

Take a bit of time to reflect on your life and decide which sections of your life need goals. With our fast paced, information overloaded society we certainly don’t spend enough time reflecting on our life.

Discovering and living by your core value brings us purpose and true meaning. By not holding yourself responsible to your own goals, you are not taking yourself seriously. Take pride in your future. Commit and follow through. It’s really not that hard.

Update your files and change all torn files. Purchase new files in different colors, and organize them by color: purple for clients, green for financial papers and so on. Be sure to label all the files, and then sort out them alphabetically within each color scheme.

Use only one calendar

Pick the one that works best for you: one on your computer, or a paper one on your desk. Then get rid of all your other datebooks and use just the one to record and keep track of everything. If you’re maintaining more than one person’s timetable, like your children, use different colored inks to record information for each family member.

Make a note in your calendar, one week ahead of any occasion or event, about what you need to do for that event

Do you need to send flowers for your mother’s birthday? Do you need to buy cake to bring to a housewarming party? Whatever it is, make a note of it in advance so you can stay of top of your tasks.

Make a list of your goals

Write down at least 10 objectives you want to achieve in your lifetime. Be definite. Then put the list away and update it again next year.

Choose one or two objectives you want to achieve this year with your business

Maybe it’s to land more clients or to make more money. How will you achieve that goal? What amount of money will you formulate this year? How will you do it? Type that information out in a clear sentence, put by your bedside, and read it every morning and every night to help inspire you to reach your goals.

Get rid any workplace supplies you haven’t used in the past year

Donate them to your favorite charity or return them to the store for credit. The less clutter there is in your workplace, the more happiness there’ll be in your life. If you buy a new printer, donate the old one.

Update your rolodex

Clean-up all the cards of people you never contacted last year. If a year goes by and you haven’t called them, chances are, you’ll never call them. If you feel you need to keep the information, put all the “I’ll call them one of these days” cards in a file and label it that.

In my last article I spoke of the importance of managing yourself and the value in having an accountability coach. Some individuals are focused and do not need direction or motivation if you will. However, most individuals can use that little bit of guidance and direction.

In this article, I want to talk to you about the topic of goal setting and all that it entails from my point of view. Now I am confident that you the reader understand the definition of a goal. Just to be certain…..”A goal or objective is a projected state of affairs that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. (Wikipedia)
So, we have already established that you cannot manage time, only manage yourself. How do we set goals? Do we set goes on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or a life time basis? Now there is an acronym that I use which sums it up very well and the acronym is S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). Let’s take a look at each category a little closer.

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. If I say I want to lose weight versus I want to join a health club and exercise 5 times a week. I think you can see which is general and which one is specific.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished? What will be your success criteria?

A goal becomes attainable not because it is easily achieved but as a result of you changing your skill set, attitudes and beliefs in yourself. The goals don’t become smaller, you simply begin to grow.

Realistic goals can be of a high and challenging nature because you likely are both willing and able to work towards that goal. If it is too easy to achieve, you may struggle with it due to the fact that the motivation behind achieving it is so low. Bottom line, a goal is realistic if, and only if, you truly believe that you can meet it.

Finally, a goal must be timely. There has to be a deadline so that there is a sense of urgency.
If you want to lose 15 pounds, you have to say I want to lose 15 pounds by Thanksgiving.
Although, you may gain it all back shortly there after…smile.  Saying “someday” simply won’t cut it.

Now that we have established what a goal should look like, I want to close with something that works for me when it comes to setting my goals.  I like taking my Sunday evenings when the household is quiet, and laying out my goals for the week. I can also take a glance at my monthly goals to keep on track with them and more importantly, my end goals. I try to keep it simple and readjust them on a daily basis. I also try to keep it to 3 things. If I accomplish my 3 assigned tasks then I will obviously look ahead to other projects that I can get started on.

Learn about differences between people. There are lots of personality typing systems. You can learn about who you are, the way you are, and then you can start to understand why others are the way they are. There are actual psychological justifications why people act the way they do. When you know this you can respond and become objective with reason instead of natural feeling which might make you desire to fight or flee.

People normally respond to those who understand their outlooks. You can do this by declarations such as, “If I understand you correctly…” or “I can see your perspective on…” Persuading the other individual that you see things in a similar way minimizes tension.

People want to be heard. They want to know that you care and that you understand the reality. In general, people don’t help those who emerge to be against them. During a tense circumstance, it is tempting to avoid eye contact, interrupt or disagree with the person. Build trust by using your body language to listen fully. And summarizing key facts shows that you understand them.

People have a reason or a purpose behind their behavior. They are trying to meet an unmet need. When something does not happen the way they want it to happen, the person’s behavior becomes more difficult, or extreme. Working to understand the enthusiasm behind the actions is vital.

There is little difference when people have the same main concern or goals. Problems occur when you have different fears. For example, if someone values getting the duty done rapidly and fears that a deadline won’t be met, then they may be controlling.

If a co-worker is on a tight of deadline, then stay brief. If a co-worker wants more social contact, then prove you care by chatting a bit longer. Whether you work with a complainer or a know-it-all, adapting to their style gives you the edge.

Adopting one or a few of these strategies might make your day at the office a little more bearable!