Week 13: Have You Done the Work?

How are you doing on your goals for 2015?

I sent this out last week and I think it’s so important that I’m sending you a gentle reminder to do this before the year is out.

Truthfully, did you set some goals for yourself?

Goal setting is an important step toward your overall happiness. Setting goals helps you get out of the present moment and focus on something beyond your present circumstances.

Now that 2016 is nearly upon us, it’s a perfect time to analyse how you’re doing.

It’s also a perfect time to set new goals for 2016.

I have a passion to help you be happy, and goal setting is a big part of your happiness!

I’ve been looking back over the goals I set for myself this past year. To tell you the truth, I try to look over my goals on a weekly basis to make sure I stay on track.

I’d like to share with you my approach for setting goals. I look at my goals three different ways:

• Step 1 – Set your annual goals before the old year is out.
• Step 2 – Revisit your goals on a weekly basis.
• Step 3 – Imprint your goals on a daily basis.

Let me show you what I do.

Step 1 – Set your goals for next year before the old year is out.

1. Each year in December I set my goals for the year ahead. I normally find a place away from home where I know no one will disturb me. I take a whole day all to myself. Last year I went to my local gym.
2. Grab a new notebook and your favourite pen. Grab last year’s notebook of goals, too.
3. First, I do a simple review on my 2015 goals. If you have last year’s notebook, great! If not, make a new list of each goal you had for this year and ask yourself, Did I succeed at this goal? If the answer is ‘YES’—pop a tick next to the goal. I love to put the word YEAH next to the goal. Or give yourself a cute sticker (you don’t have to be a kid to love cute stickers!). If it’s a goal I didn’t manage to achieve, I’ll ask myself: did I really want this goal in the first place? If the answer is ‘no’ then I’ll discard it. If the answer is ‘yes’ then I’ll reset it as a goal for 2016.
4. Create a wish list. I make a list of things I’d love to happen to me this year. I include a health goal, a goal to increase the income from my business by 20%, and one to go on a holiday—maybe this year is the year for the holiday of a lifetime! Of course you can add as many goals as you like to this list. Include relationship goals, personal growth goals, or maybe even something fun like a goal to get a new puppy!
5. I thoroughly review the list and ask myself the following question about each item on my wish list:  Why is this goal important to me? I spend at least 20 minutes for each goal asking myself this question over and over again. I write down whatever comes to mind. At the end of that time I’ve either sold myself on the goal or have concluded that I’m not that serious about this goal. You know when the goal is right for you because it’ll be easy to write down all the reasons you want this goal. When it’s hard to get past the first few reasons, then perhaps the goal isn’t right for this year.
6. I then list the goals in order of importance to me and pick my top three.
7. Next, I take each goal and write out a clear statement about each. See the examples in this chart.
8. Against each goal I will write out a system to measure whether I am on track or not.
9. Last, I will write out the steps I need to take to make this goal happen and give myself a date to complete this goal.

Step 2 – Revisit your goals on a weekly basis.

Once you’ve decided on your goals for the year, here’s what to do next:

1. Set aside one hour a week to review your goals. I do mine every Sunday morning. This timing is perfect for me because I can plan my actions for the week ahead. Review what’s working and what isn’t. Be honest with yourself! The point is to check if you’re on target with your goal, not just to check off a box on your list.
2. If you need to add further actions to each goal, then do so. Your action list is a work in progress. Don’t forget to add the time frame for the completion of each step.
3. If you’re stuck on a particular goal, then revisit the action list. Ask yourself, “What else can I do to make progress on this goal? What help do I need?”
4. This is also a time to celebrate and dwell on your successes so far. By celebrating, you imprint on your mind the successes you’ve achieved. This step is so important because it will give you the impetus to continue. You will be propelled to success!

Step 3 – Imprint the goals on a daily basis.

You’ll meet your goals only if you take steps to plan for them as outlined in step 1.

And here now is the step you must take daily:

When you get out of bed in the morning, go and sit upright in a chair.

Close your eyes and run each goal through your head. SEE IT! FEEL IT! SMELL IT! See yourself as having already met the goal!

Now check out my chart where I share with you some example goals. Do you see how my steps are clearly laid out? Even my specific actions and date of completion appear on these examples.

Don’t miss out on this important piece of happiness!

I sincerely hope this helps.

Best

Neera
Only Happiness Counts

Would you like help setting goals for next year?

Click “CONTACT” in the lower right of this screen and schedule a time with me.