How to Write Goals - Intention

So it seems everyone is talking about having goals. What is a “goal”? What do I have to do to achieve my goal? How do I create a goal?

The dictionary has the meaning “The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.” It also states a synonym as “intention”. By using the word intention, a goal may not seem as ominous. When we take a look at our intentions, we can determine what it is that we want in a simple manner. I ask myself, “What do I intend to happen by the end of the day?” An answer could be, “I want to pick up my clothes at the cleaner’s”. Presto; I just created a goal. I know this is a very simplistic way to look at it, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

So here is the exercise: Sit down in a quiet spot and relax. Take this time to daydream. Just like when you were young and you used to stare off into space and think about the things that you wanted that may not have been in your reach. Do this for about a half an hour or so. (You may want to stay for longer because it’s so much fun, feel free to do so) This is a very important part of the process. We get so caught up in the “have-to” that we brush over the “want-to” or desires. What was the main thing that came to your mind when you were daydreaming? A vacation? A car? A relationship? Wealth? Health? It could be just about anything. Please understand that if you are a 73 year old person and you were dreaming about playing as a starting quarter-back in the NFL, this may not be feasible. If all you thought about was the daily grind you may want to go back and try again.

Start simple. You don’t have know HOW you are going to achieve this, you just have to know that you WANT this. I wrote an article about thoughts, beliefs and actions, it covers the programs that we run in our head and how they keep us from achieving our desires and/or goals. Our mind is an amazing thing; it tells us not to step in front of a moving bus, which could be a very loud internal voice and it also tells us what we think about ourselves, which could be a much quieter whisper. Which one do you think is more continuous and persistent and a whole lot less noticeable? That’s why the WAY write the goal is so important.

We now have the goal and we are ready to write our intention. You may have heard of the SMART format. SMART stands for: Specific Measurable Attainable Risky Time.

Let’s take them one at a time:

Specific: Make sure that you write down exactly what you expect in the end result. Picture yourself after you have achieved the goal (this may require more daydreaming). What do you look like? What do you feel like? Is it something that you hold? Is it a specific location?

Measurable: How do you know that you achieved it? What is the end result? Compare it to right now. What is different in your life? How would you measure the success?

Attainable: Here is where I refer back to the 73 year old playing football. Or someone visiting Venus in the next 6 or 7 months. Make sure you don’t set yourself up for a disappointment. We can achieve amazing things. Find someone; anyone who has what you want and you’ll know that it is attainable. Even if it is creating a new vaccine or solving world hunger, there are people who have done something close to that. You can even set your target a little higher than the person you find.

Risky: I am going to talk about risky rather than realistic because our personal view of realistic could be what holds us back. What is risky to you? Something that you probably wouldn’t do on a daily basis. Will your friends and family smother you with negativity? Is it something that you tried in the past and failed? Does it require you to step out of the comfort zone? You’ll know if it is risky if it makes your stomach do flip=flops when you imagine yourself having or doing that particular thing.

Time: You want to have a time limit on achieving your goal. Without a time limit, you never have completion. It’s always “some day”. Be specific. Chances are you have a calendar and know how to read it. Pick a specific day that you intend to have this desire.

Now, let’s put it all together. You’ll want to write the goal as a statement as if you have already achieved it. Put some emotion in it! Like I said before, you don’t have to know how you are going to achieve the goal.

Here are a couple examples of goals written by my coaching clients:

As of August 30, 2006, I am so very excited now that I am gainfully employed in an exciting, challenging position with a financial corporation, earning a minimum of $250,000 per year.

By October 4, 2005 I am now at peace with my inner self now that I have found a spiritual organization that has the same beliefs in the universe as I do and I attend regularly.

I feel energized and extremely healthy because I have exercised 28 times, thinning my stomach to a measurable 23 inches by June 1, 2006.

*** All of these goals were achieved in less than 90 days!

You can see that a goal can go whatever direction you desire. It’s about what YOU want!

Remember: It is a proven fact that people who write their goals have a much better chance of achieving them than people who don’t write them. When the intention is clear, the solution will appear.

Until next time…