A Different Approach On Goal Setting

I want us to look at goal setting a little differently.

Start with a problem and turn that problem into a goal.

List the things in your life that bother you, the things you want to change, and the things that simply are not working anymore. If you have a problem, a want, a need, or a desire for something to be different, you have the beginning of a goal.

The problem shows you where change is needed. The goal gives that change direction.

Once you identify it, ask yourself:

What can I do daily, weekly, and monthly to begin changing this problem or moving toward what I want?

Some actions will be small. Others will require more time, energy, courage, or patience. What matters is that you keep moving in the direction of the change you want.

Keep a written checklist of the problems you are working to solve and the desires you are working toward. When something is resolved, check it off. That part is important. Take the time to recognize what has changed and what you have accomplished.

Then ask again:

What is the new problem I want to solve?
What is the new desire pulling me forward?
What needs to change now?

That becomes the next goal.

This process is never-ending. There is no final finish line where every problem has been solved and nothing else needs our attention. Problems arise. We work through them. Some get solved, and we check them off. New wants, needs, and desires emerge, and they give us a new direction.

Some goals take longer than we want them to. Keep them on the list.

If something has not happened yet, it does not automatically mean it will never happen. It might need more work, a different approach, better timing, or simply more time.

Yet is the key word.

You have not solved it yet.
You have not reached it yet.
You have not created the change yet.

Time can be your friend. Something you did not accomplish today can remain a goal for tomorrow, next year, or even two years from now. Keep taking the daily, weekly, and monthly actions available to you, and keep the goal on your list until it is completed—or until you consciously decide that it no longer belongs there.

Turn the problem into a goal. Turn the goal into action. Check off what changes, and then look honestly at what comes next.