1 week to go – now you know it can be done, what are your 3 tops goals for 2011

How did you go with your affirmations?

I know it seems to be taking a while to get to the actual goal setting bit, but believe me, if you don’t have the right mindset leading into goal setting, then you will find it a lot harder than if you go into it with the right attitude.

And that’s what we’ve been doing over the last few week (hopefully) – working on the ‘why’ and the positive build-up to the goal setting process. [If you’ve missed any of the newsletters in this series, you can find them here].

And now that’ we’ve worked through the why’s and the attitudes of effective goal setting, it’s time to start thinking about the exact goals that you’re going to tackle in 2011.

So reflect on the outcomes of the last few weeks and ask yourself, what are the top 3 things you would like to achieve in 2011. Think of things that:

• Fit into your description of your perfect life, or at least go in some way towards it.
• Are achievable, and you can start taking action on them straight away.
• Are compatible. Some goals help support others – like getting fit and eating healthier foods.

It’s important to remember that, no matter how enthusiastic about goal setting you are now, you will need to be able to keep up a level of enthusiasm to continue with your goal setting efforts. So it’s important not to bite off more than you can choose. That’s why it’s a good idea to start off with only a few good goals – or even one goal – as long as it is a goal that fits the above criteria. Remember you can always set more goals later!

The other key thing to remember with goal setting is to not expect too much too soon. Yes, you can achieve BIG goals, but not overnight. And even with strong Affirmations and a powerful dream, you still need to be able to walk before you can run. So identify the first stage in your journey.

For example, if your dream life involves you being a lead engineer on a world leading project, then you need to get your engineering qualifications first.

So for your 3 goals for 2011, think about:

• First steps – what are the first actions you will need to take to work towards achieving your goal. It may be doing some research or training, or purchasing some equipment.
• Small steps – what are the series of actions you need to take to keep working towards your goals. Make sure you take small, management steps in the beginning so you don’t get overwhelmed and give up before you even get going.
• NEXT STEP – what is the one thing you need to do TODAY to set this goal in motion. This is the most important step, because without it, you won’t make any progress.

And now that you know what your next step is, why not take that step – TODAY! What’s stopping you?

The exciting thing is that you now have 3 goals that you know you really want to achieve, because you have a personal and motivating reason to achieve them, you have the tools to give you the positive attitude to achieve these goals, and now you know what the first steps are that you need to take to achieve these goals.

And that is what goals setting, and New Year Resolutions, is all about.

Now early in the new year, we’ll go through how to take the above steps and turn them into an action plan for achieving your goals. But for now, you know what you want to achieve, and you what you need to do next to allow you to achieve them.

And don’t forget, you can try one or more of the following FREE resources to help you on your journey:

So until next week (more like next year!), enjoy the festivities of the Christmas and New Year holidays!