What’s your goal? Are you moving forward?

Are you focused on your goals? We all do the New Year’s Resolutions … even if just in our head, if nowhere else. We often set goals so far out there, they are almost impossible to achieve – and we have no real plan to get from here to there.

“I’m going to lose 35lbs this year. I’ll start right after that dinner out with friends. Oh – and then after the fundraiser. Hmmmm…better wait until after the company luncheon, as well. Are those jelly donuts?”

Or business goals without clarity of steps. It’s great to set a goal that pushes you, But, set a goal that you are not sure you can achieve, and well, you’ve already determined you’ll fail. At least it’s a 50/50 chance.

Or, we set goals that take little or minimal effort. We set goals like we are writing a to-do list, knowing we will accomplish it, so we’ll add it to the list just to cross it off!

Goals and dreams are two different things. Goals are attainable and actionable and you are in control of the results. Dreams are just that – fantasy, wonderment, what-ifs. Yes, we can certainly attain our dreams, but there must be identified goals within the dreams.

Tim Ferriss, author of Tools of Titans said, “I would say that you can have unrealistic goals — according to other people — as long as they are specific, measurable, and you have timelines.”

Here are a few goal-setting tips:

• Set a goal that makes you say WOW! A goal that makes you excited as you complete the small steps that ultimately bring you closer and closer to accomplishing the BIG goal. If it’s not exciting to you, it’s not big enough.
• Write down your goals and share them with others. Lock in accountability and consequences. Make it fun. “If I don’t accomplish this step of the goal by this date, I’ll wear a frilly apron to the manager’s meeting and serve coffee and donuts to the team.” The consequence has to be uncomfortable enough, that you go to every length to meet the deadline. Of course, you may not want to be serving donuts if the goal is a 35lbs loss.
• Consider making part of that management meeting a goal-setting session. Set goals. Set timelines. Be specific. Set consequences. Write it down and send it out. Team up with other individuals who also think BIG, and have BIG goals. Accountability is key.
• All Goals must be measurable. I will lose 35 pounds by Dec. 31, 2017.

Not every day is going to be easy. You may fail but fail forward. Sometimes you have to go backward, to go forward. If you haven’t heard the phrase, “Fail Forward, Fail Fast” … think about it.

“The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run. It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact… those people have goals.” —Seth Godin

Good luck, you’ve got this!