TIME TO TAKE STOCK
It’s a good idea to take stock of your goals as each year progresses.
There is no hard and fast rule for how to do this but I recommend serious goal-getters set aside time at least twice each year to review and evaluate progress towards goals.
This is not something to avoid. Rather, it is something that will likely create feelings of success and energy within you.
Here’s a simple decision-tree type of process you can use to check in with yourself and your goals by asking a few questions.
1. Is this goal still important to me?
No? – Set it aside.
Yes? – Go to next question.
2. Am I on track to reach this goal by its due date?
Yes? – Continue with planned tasks and actions as written.
No? – Go to next question.
3. What needs to occur for me to reach this goal by the due date?
List all the things – the activities, tasks, and resources needed.
Then, go to next question.
4. Can I commit to do all the things just listed in Question 3?
No? – set it aside
Yes – take action, today!
Now, for the goals set aside:
1. Discard the unimportant ones.
2. Keep unfinished goals that are still important to be able to revisit at some future date when your resources, such as time, energy, money, etc. free up for you to go after the goals again. Do this by creating a special folder in the Notes section of your phone or computer. Or, if you are old school (like me), create a physical folder and keep it someplace that you can see so that you remember to revisit it from time to time.
Goal setting is fun and creates a ton of positive energy. Goal getting though – well – it requires a lot of emotional energy as well as activity.
It is often less easy to take consistent action toward the goal than originally imagined.
This is why I cannot stress enough that the goals you set should excite, fulfill, energize or complete you in some way. Reimagine yourself already having achieved your goal.
Emotionalize it. Feel it. Hold onto the feeling anytime you are investing your energy on the goal.
Trust me, it will smooth the way.