Are You a Goal Setter?

Wow! It is amazing how fast the years go by and here we are already at the end of another year. This was a really big year for my family. Two of my “kids” got married and a third one finished up his college education.

I am excited about next year and the opportunities it will bring. It is this time of the year I start to think about my goals for next year. I am sort of a nerd about this. I like to set goals in multiple areas of my life. I do not think I have ever hit 100% of them, but sometimes I get pretty close. I nailed about 75% this year and I actually feel really pretty good about it.

I break my goals down into four separate areas. There is often some overlap between the different areas, but usually a goal seems to fit better in one than the other. My four areas are spiritual, relational, work/finance, and personal/health.

I try to have 3–5 goals for each area and I write them down. Studies have shown simply writing down your goals improves your success tremendously.

I do think the secret to meeting the goals is to review them—often! I try to look at my goals once a week and strategize what my next steps are for the coming week. It usually only takes 5–10 minutes. I have found Fridays work best for me. I am not sure why, but it works for me.

Once a month, I try to take an afternoon off and really look at my goals and my progress. I also use the time to get some thinking done. As crazy as it may sound, I usually go to one of the public libraries and find a corner.  Oklahoma City has an amazing new library on the NW side. I stop at Starbucks for a cup of coffee, and then I am ready to go!

About midyear, I often adjust some of my goals. Life has a way of changing and I try to be realistic and flexible. Some goals are not always possible when life throws you a curve. One year, I had an injury and couldn’t get my miles in. I had to make some adjustments to my goals and my expectations. I do try to be realistic but not to let that be an excuse for not reaching a goal. I try to make my goals hard but not impossible.

Another thing I like to do is to come up with one or two BHAGs. BHAGs are Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goals that really move me out of my comfort zone. I try to come up with one BHAG for each of my four areas. One of the four becomes my primary goal of the year. It is usually the hardest, the one that stretches me the most. The crazy thing is, I almost always get my BHAG.

The New Year is coming. It is going to be filled with opportunities and challenges. I believe we can do some amazing things and even more so when we actually plan for an amazing life!

Wishing You an Amazing Life,

Dr. Curtis Brown

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