Do you set goals for yourself? If so, are you making progress on your goals? Setting and achieving your goals can be quite a challenge but it’s something I’m really working on.
Probably the most important step in achieving one’s goals is to write them down. There are any number of ways to do this but one fun way is to enter your goals on the Day Zero Project site. You select 101 goals to complete in 1001 days, enter them and then check them off as you do each one.
I did this back in 2008 and while I didn’t complete them all (quite frankly, I forgot all about it a few months into it) I did eventually do 32 of them.
Let’s take a closer look at setting and achieving your goals.
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Setting and Achieving Your Goals
One of the most important life skills I learned in nursing school was how to set goals. We learned this in regards to nursing goals and outcomes but it applies to any type of goal. You may well be familiar with SMART goals but if not, here’s a quick overview:
S – specific
M- measurable
A- attainable
R- realistic
T- time based
A goal, whether it be related to patient care or a personal goal, needs to be:
Specific – “I will go to bed by 11 p.m.” not “I want to go to bed earlier.”
Measurable – “I will decrease my diastolic blood pressure by 8 points” not “I will get healthier.”
Actionable – It needs to be something you can take action on.
Realistic – It’s probably not realistic to set a goal that you will lost 50 pounds in one month.
Time based – A goal should have a time frame in which to complete it.
It’s important to record your goals somewhere and that’s where Day Zero comes in. It’s free and not only does it allow you to record and keep track of your goals, you can also see other people’s goals which can inspire some of your own.
Here was my list in 2008:
Here is my current list:
Dee’s 101 Things in 1001 Days List
You may notice that you can only see 100 of the 101 goals. Day Zero allows you to make some of your goals private which is a nice feature. We all need a little something in our lives that no one else knows about. I debated about making a few other goals private but decided to be open and share them with you. Gulp.
Some of these goals don’t really fit the SMART goals guidelines. For instance, a few are blog-related number goals. Technically I can’t control the number of hits to my blog — the goal should be more along the lines of the actions I will take to reach those goals. But for the sake of this list I went with the outcome I desire.
You will also notice that there is no order to the list. I just filled them in as I thought of them over the course of a couple of days. I printed out a copy and my next task is to categorize them in a few ways.
- By topic (home, personal, relationship, etc.)
- Time required
- Priority
I will then make reminder cards for long term goals which require daily attention (writing a book, fitness, etc.) to place where I’ll see them often.
Then I’ll choose 3-5 goals to work on at a time and write those in my planner.
Here is a really good explanation of The Importance of Goal Setting In Your Planner.
I’m also going to put a reminder on the first day of each month in my planner to read my whole list, check off the ones I’ve done and evaluate my progress on the bigger goals.
Finally, I’ve teamed up with an accountability partner for my number one goal – writing a book. I highly recommend you find someone to share your goals with…someone who will help keep you accountable.
Now it’s your turn. You don’t have to come up with a list of 101 things, although it’s actually kind of fun to dream big. If that seems daunting to you, choose the number that feels right to you. Find someplace to record them, create a plan to work on them and if possible, find an accountability partner.
Before you know it you’ll be putting a checkmark by each one on your list and thinking of the next set of goals you’d like to tackle.
If you do decide to make a list on the Day Zero site I’d love to see it. The site is set up so you can follow people. Feel free to follow me and I’ll follow you back. Just leave me a comment with the link to your profile.
Extras:
50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
Other goal setting resources:
How To Change Your Life By Setting Goals by Crystal Paine
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This interesting! I love the idea of ‘smart’ goal setting ♥
summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com
I know it revolutionized my thinking when I learned this in nursing school many years ago. 🙂
About five years ago, I made a list of seven things I wanted to do before I turned 30. Someone I know – who is literally a week older than me – had done a “30 before 30” list, but I didn’t have that many things I wanted to do, so I made my list shorter. I had three years to achieve those seven things. I managed one of them. Five of the other six were technically in my power to control at the time I made the list, but not so realistic after circumstances beyond my control made my already-not-so-great health a little worse the following year. Those same circumstances put the final item on the list even further out of my control than it already had been.
If you’re curious, the one thing from my list that I achieved was to become a published author. Of the two things on the list that meant the most to me, this was the only one I had any control over.
Considering the circumstances I’d call that a success.