Six Powerful Steps to Effective Goal Setting

Today I am going to share six powerful steps to effective goal setting with you. These six steps, purpose, passion, priority, partition, process and partner have helped me get focused and organized. Recently, I came to the realization that goals help me identify the things that are most important to me. I came to a point where I felt the freedom to actually cut things out. I was saying yes to too many things and feeling burnt out all the time.

So instead of using goals as some sort of to do list, I use goals to help me create action steps in work, blogging and in my personal life. So I figured out six powerful steps to effective goal setting to get me organized. Now I can do more of what matters most and not just “do” more.

“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.”

Walt Disney

What excites me about goal setting is that it’s a great tool to help you prioritize things. When I start to set goals I think about exactly that, priorities. I ask myself what am I passionate about and what’s really important to me?

I find that goals are key in helping you identify what your actual priorities are, as well as how to set healthy boundaries and build margin into your life. Goals help you live intentionally, with purpose and with passion. Goal help us stay organized, on track and give us check in points as well as direction.

Six Powerful Steps to Effective Goal Setting

Purpose:

A key component of goal setting is to first answer your WHY. Look at your motivation, what’s driving you, and whatever end result you’re hoping to achieve. Goals are tools to get you there. When you identify and know your why, you understand what’s important to you and your underlying motivations. This a first big step in effective goal setting.

As you focus on the important things you’ll identify what you’re working towards. This will help you make better informed choices to meet your goals. Living a life with purpose means figuring out the things that mean the most to you. Pursue those things. If I know what I’m meeting my goals for I maintain motivation. The steps to achieving goals are not always motivating for us. We will feel tired, we will get bored, we won’t feel like it. But, if we are working with purpose we can find focus even when it isn’t fun.

Passion and Priority:

What are you passionate about? Identify your objectives and what you hope to accomplish. Look at how you’ve done things before. Ask yourself questions. Did you get the result you were looking for? What worked well? What didn’t work? When you set goals be willing to do things differently or find a new angle to come at things.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs

Coming up with goals means narrowing in not only on what you want to accomplish, but how you want to live. Think of goals as a way to organize your life priorities. What is of greatest importance to you? Start there. Hone in on what you care deeply about and let that influence your goals.

I like to look at the big picture. Take a look at everything that I have going on and as I do ask myself what the most important things are. How do they fit into my schedule, taking into account all my responsibilities in life and what am I really trying to achieve?

Use goals to prioritize direction.

• Make a list of everything you hope to accomplish
• Make a list of all the potential opportunities before you
• Ask key questions, like:
  • How much time do I have to devote to this?
  • What are priority expectations I should be pursuing first?
  • What am I working towards?
  • What end result am I trying to achieve?
  • How can my goals help me grow?

“Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.”

J.K. Rowling

Partition:

Break your goals down into mini goals. This will keep you from becoming overwhelmed. I like to get really specific by outlining how I’m going to do something. Creating an action plan and action steps gives me a concrete way to work towards my goals.

In his article, Micro-Progress and the Magic of Just Getting Started, written for New York Times, Tim Herrera shares,

For any task you have to complete, break it down into the smallest possible units of progress and attack them one at a time.

To define and expand your goals dive into the details. If your goals are too broad or vague you’ll lose sight of them. When writing goals identify what your end result will be and what steps you will take to get there. When identifying the end result you want to outline your goals as clearly as possible. The more detailed your end result can be the better.

Process:

Gage how things are going. Continually check in on your goals. Goals do not get accomplished by themselves. Take the time to review your goals and remind yourself consistently of that desired end result. That end result is a double reward so keep it in sight. How is your goal progressing?

Following up allows us to make adjustments as we go. Goals also evolve. The direction you start out in may change and you will need to make adjustments as you go. Goals are fluid. If a goal isn’t working for you, reevaluate it, modify it, change it for a better goal.

Partner:

Have accountability and support. Don’t do it alone. Especially in ministry. Work together as a team on creating ministry objectives and goals.

Sharing your goals is a great way to get fired up about them. I love to brainstorm and I love working with a team. When we invite others into our goals we have someone to bounce ideas off of, to support and encourage us and to keep us accountable. Find accountability with people you know are going to cheer you on and be supportive of your goals.

Here’s an example of the impact of goals:

Let’s say I identify for myself that people are a priority in life. Out of that priority I want to build some goals. What does that mean for me? I want to host people more in my home, I want more one on one time with friends or I want to lead a Women’s bible study? As I answer those questions I take into account everything I have on my plate and how I have currently committed myself.

In this aspect of goal setting I’m evaluating my schedule, my responsibilities, and my margin. I’m evaluating what’s working and isn’t working when it comes to this priority. For people to be a priority it may mean a series of action steps, letting some things go so I can focus on people, setting aside certain times of the day or week to meet with people or have people over, cultivating specific relationships I want to grow in by spending more time with them.

Do I want to focus on a life of prioritizing people in general or do I mean that I want to prioritize certain relationships in my life more than I have been? As I ask myself questions and answer them I can form my goals and then I can create a plan with action steps to go after those goals.

Goals are about breaking it down, identifying needs and what steps to take. If we’ve answered our WHY we can weigh things against it. We can see clearly what we want to say yes to and where we have the freedom to say no, because it doesn’t fit with our priorities.

Let’s recap our six powerful steps to effective goal setting. Start with purpose. As you focus on the important things you’ll identify what you’re working towards. Secondly identify your passion and priorities. Think of goals as a way to organize your life priorities. What is of greatest importance to you? Next partition your goals. Creating an action plan and action steps gives me a concrete way to work towards my goals. Then process by continually check in on your goals. And lastly partner by having accountability and support. Sharing your goals is a great way to get fired up about them. That’s our six powerful steps to effective goal setting! How will you use these tips today?

xoxo Naomi

For more about goal setting read this post: How to set and accomplish goals that stick all year round.