Five Effortless Strategies for 2016

1. Write Down Your Goals

Youre probably like so many people who like to keep everything in their mind instead of on paper. Let me tell you a little secret about these folks they are the same people who rarely follow through on their goals.

When you write down your goals, you start to see where you want to go and its easier to make decisions because you have a destination. Consider taking 15 minutes to write down your goals in each part of your life (i.e. Career, Relationships, Healthy Living, Fun & Creativity, Finances, and Personal Growth).

2. Craft Clear-Cut Goals That Add Meaning to Your Life

Many of us think vague goals are our friends but actually they just derail us in our mission. If youre planning to get better at golf, be a better leader, or stretch more in the new year, you will need to be much more specific.

Say your goal out loud and honestly ask yourself if its clear what you are trying to do. Its also helpful to share your goal(s) with a trusted friend. Once you have a clear goal, you need to double check that its something you really care about.

Many goals are clear. The question is will you feel a sense of accomplishment and meaning when you achieve the goal? If not, its not the right goal. For example, you may have a very clear goal to be the market leader in your business. But if you really want to be connected to your daughter and coach her soccer team then achieving your business goal may or may not leave you feeling fulfilled.

Examples of vague to specific goals:

1. Get in shape = does this mean lower your blood pressure, have consistent energy throughout the day, lose 15 pounds by your college reunion, or run your first 5k race?

2. Build my business = do you mean open a second store, increase revenue by 20%, or hire five new employees?

3. Spend more time with friends = do you mean have dinner once a week or schedule a four-day ski trip?

3. Pursue a Goal that is a Tier One Priority

Your tier one goals are the ones that will make the biggest impact in your life. They are the most important goals. They are not necessarily the goals that help you make the most money or get you promoted but rather the goals that add a deeper sense of fulfillment to your life.

You probably have many things that are important in your life. Write down all of your goals above and then check the ones that are most important to you. Perhaps you want to finish your degree, get out of debt, or change jobs. Whatever is meaningful to you is what you need to pursue.

4. Take Small Steps

Once you have a great goal, break it down into small steps. Too many people think the goal setting process is over once you declare your goalthats when the fun starts.

Train your mind to take one small step a day and you will make amazing progress. Its a process, not magic. We dont have control over many things in life but you do have control over setting a great goal. Why give up this option for no reason? Theres no excuse to leave your potential on the table because you did not even try. Please dont let this year pass you by, step up to the plate and see what you can do. Small steps = big results.

5. Set a Target Date

This is a tough one but it needs to be done. Just saying that you are going to write a book or lose weight is not really saying anything. Does that mean you are going to write a book in the next five years or lose weight sometime in your lifetime?

If you just started working at a new company, its probably not realistic to say that you will be promoted tomorrow but it might be reasonable to set a goal to be promoted within six months or a year. You will have to decide whats doable given everything else going on in your life. Either way, its helpful to have a date that you are working toward.

TOP 1% SUMMARY: One of the best ways to take yourself to the next level is to embrace the practice of goal setting. If youre going to put yourself on the line, you might as well use your time and efforts wisely. Having clear-cut goals that excite you and add meaning to your life is one of the best ways to excel in your passion of choice. Now is the time to move into your top 1%.

Coaches that have studies at The Life Coaching Academy are well equipped with the GROW model to set goals and achieve them, they are able to assist others in achieving the same.