I just started doing this so I'm not sure if it will be effective, but I have high hopes. Every year I list my goals in various areas of my life (I call these areas LifeZones). This year I decided listing them wasn't enough. I needed to take it up a notch. So, I created a very simple Word doc goal template that I use for each goal (i.e., each goal has it's own page dedicated to it). In addition to the goal and the goal date, I have sections called "The Big Picture" where I write why I want to achieve the goal, "Action Steps" where I get detailed in what needs to happen to achieve the goal, "Daily Actions," and "Related Goals."

I'm not sure it will work, but I think it will. I wanted an easy format to enter goals and, even more importantly, an easy format to review my goals. This is a great way for each goal to get connected to something deeper (Big Picture) and also provides a step-by-step action plan on how to reach it (Action Steps). If you want a copy of the Word doc, just shoot me an email and I will send it to you. Good luck!