Goal Setting Ideas

21 Extraordinary Questions and Gratifying Ideas

GREAT Goal Setting Ideas are:

1. Outcome focused. Once your WHY is understood (AND it’s a good & enthusiastic WHY) you’re 90% there!
2. In line with your values. The more a goal aligns with your inner or core values – the EASIER it will be to achieve. Note: You can achieve goals that don’t align with your values but it’s usually harder and less satisfying.
3. Stated in the positive. Ie. “I want healthy fingernails” rather than “I want to stop biting my nails.”

And SMART Goal Setting Ideas are:

Specific (so you know exactly what you are trying to achieve)
Measurable (so you know when you have achieved it!)
Action-oriented (so you can DO something about it!)
Realistic (so it IS achievable) and
Time-Bound (has a deadline)

Focusing on the Outcome:

1. What is it that you REALLY want here? Dig deep…
2. What is the SPECIFIC OUTCOME that you are looking for?
3. What is the PAIN for you of NOT achieving your goal?

Aligning with your Values:

1. Is this goal in line with your life vision/overall life-plan? If you don’t know, what’s your gut-feel?
2. Is this goal in line with your values? Ask yourself what’s REALLY important to you in life - will this goal help you achieve more of that?
3. Are the goals something YOU truly want, or are they something you think you SHOULD have or SHOULD be doing? If it’s a SHOULD, it may be someone else’s dream…
4. When you think about your goal does it give you a sense of deep contentment or rightness, happiness and/or excitement? These are good signs that it’s a healthy goal.
5. If you could have the goal RIGHT NOW – would you take it? Identifies potential issues.
6. How does this goal fit into your life/lifestyle? Think time/effort/commitments/who else might be impacted?

Identifying Obstacles:

1. Can YOU start & maintain this goal/outcome? Ie. Do you have complete control over achieving it?
2. How will making this change affect other aspects of your life? Ie. What else might you need to deal with?
3. What’s good about the CURRENT SITUATION? Ie. What’s the "secondary gain" for staying right where you are?
4. Then, how can you keep those good aspects while STILL making this change?
5. WHAT might you have to give up/stop doing to achieve this goal? Essentially, what’s the price of making this change – and are you willing to pay it?
6. If there was something important around achieving this goal (to help you succeed, or that could get in the way) that you haven’t mentioned yet, what would it be?
7. WHO WILL YOU HAVE TO BE to achieve this goal?

Goal Sizing:

1. Is the goal the right size to be working on?
2. Too big? Break down into smaller goals. Too small? Fit into a larger goal.
3. What would be the MINIMUM/Super-Easy level of goal to achieve?
4. What would be your TARGET level of goal to achieve?
5. What would be your EXTRAORDINARY level of goal to achieve?

Give yourself a goal range so you can’t fail to achieve!

Resources – get moving:

1. What RESOURCES do you already have to help you achieve your goal? (things, people, contacts, personal qualities, skills, info, finance etc). Create a list!
2. What RESOURCES do you NEED to help you achieve your goal? Create a list!

Download the complete 21 Questions with Extraordinary Goal Setting Ideas in pdf form for your convenience.

AND REMEMBER – GOAL Setting Ideas are there to INSPIRE YOU not to beat yourself up with…