Goal Setting

A writer recently asked me for advice on goal setting and I
thought that my answer might be helpful to others, not just writers. So here’s
my reply.

I have a number of clients who have been with me for a
couple of years and we're still working on goals. Goals change as we learn more
about ourselves and it can be difficult to pin down these rascals. So I gave my
answer to your question a lot of thought. Here's what I came up with.

1) Often what we think of as a list of goals is really a To-do list.

What's the difference? So glad you asked.

A To-do list comes from the place of "I should" while a goal feeds
something deeper. It satisfies a value you hold, something core to who you
are. Now, there's nothing wrong with a
To-do list. Heck, I wouldn't get through my day without one. But you don't want to make the things on that list the
major milestones of your life.

2) Milestones.

Now there's an interesting word. Because what we're talking
about really is the journey of your life. So start with your destination in
mind. Ask yourself - What do I want to
feel in a year? In two years? Five? What would success look like to me (and no
one else) at the end of the time period I'm looking at?

When you know where you're going, then you know what your real goals are. Trust
that knowing.

3) Setting goals, real goals, takes time and introspection.

Set aside time and turn off the computer, the pager, the
phone and the fax. Put away the books and television. Even the radio and Ipod.
Give yourself some uninterrupted, solid time to go deep and ask yourself, Where
am I headed? And what do I need to get there?

4) Suit yourself.

That’s not meant to be cheeky. Rather I want to point out
that there are no hard and fast rules about goal setting because every one of us needs something different. So make
the process fit you, not the other way around.

It really is all about you.

Warmly,

Aprille Janes

http://www.creativelightandpower.com/