Setting goals is a necessary part of life and we do it every day without thinking about it.   We make mental notes to pick up this or that on the way home and if we don’t then we miss out on what ever it was we were meant to collect.  For example, you want to make cupcakes and they have to have chocolate frosting (goal set), but you forget to buy the cocoa!  Immediately you set a goal and then your goal was not met leading to dissapointment because you really wanted to make chocolate cupcakes.

Goal setting is not just about the office and 9 to 5.  Goal setting is in everything we do, we just have different names for it in our private lives.  It might be called the shopping list, the to-do list, the wishlist no matter how you look at it, one way or another we set goals for ourselves continually.  However we tend to beat ourselves up over the 9-5 goals if we don’t achieve them and measure our lives on what we do or don’t achieve in the office.

If you use a smart phone, make sure you get some great ‘free’ apps to help you in recording, and managing your goals.  I am sure you might remember I love to use Remember the Milk, RTM.  If you haven’t already checked it out do so, it’s fun and great to use.

Some tips on how to set and track your goals

  1. Spend 15 minutes a day reviewing your goals
  2. Utilise your down time while on the train or tram or waiting at the stops
  3. Set email, calendar or SMS reminders
  4. Don’t hit the snooze button on your reminders
  5. Set realistic time frames
  6. Check your goals off your list
  7. If you need to move a time, do it before the time is due to lapse