In this article we would like to introduce the concept of setting goals in many aspects of your life. Within some of this process undertake it with your loved one and even your children if it applies to them. (A Florida holiday for example) When you sit down and set these goals with your family when you have to work the extra hour here or there they understand why you are doing this.

Building up the Why Power: Goal Setting Guideline

Before we begin at defining your goals we first need to remind you how you are going to write them. Here are a couple of examples:

“It is 1st May 2018 and I am delighted that I now own a Trek Speed Concept Tri bike. Customized in my blue and orange colours and I feel absolutely fantastic because I worked hard to achieve this little treat.”

“It is 25th May 2018 and I am absolutely delighted because I am now at my target weight of 80 kg. I know I am fit and ready for Ironman Lanzarote.”

There are certain key elements within it:

• Personal (I am / I have)
• In the present tense (as though you have already achieved it)
• Positive (target weight of 80kgs not to lose 5kgs)
• Brief (a couple of lines)
• Specific (include a date)
• Put in the emotion that you feel for achieving your goal (absolutely fantastic)
• If it is a financial/ business goal include “or something better”

An example of a business goal would be:

“It is 31st June 2018 and I am delighted that I have now acquired 100 new clients or better within my 13 week Massive Action plan. I feel awesome.”

Reading through your goals will form part of your daily routine, through the miracle morning.

You can also use a vision board to further illustrate your goals, placed somewhere prominent, where you will see it every day. This will keep you motivated and focused.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill.

Developing your Why Power: Your Ideal Lifestyle

Make sure that you are on your own, somewhere quiet and away from distractions. Have a glass of water with you and be in a calm, relaxed state.

If you can, close your eyes. Now think about your current lifestyle and ask your-self:

• What do you like about it?
• What don’t you like about it?
• What would you change?

Then think about what your ideal lifestyle would look like if there were no limits and no restrictions in terms of finance, geography etc. Let your imagination and your emotions take you through this process. Describe what your ideal lifestyle would look like. Complete the following sentence:

I have a wonderful life because ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

The purpose of this exercise is to allow yourself to believe that your ideal lifestyle is attainable. That your present reality is the accumulation of your past decisions, so in-order for you to achieve your future, you must make different decisions. Decisions that will enable you to achieve your ideal lifestyle.

“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.” – Napoleon Hill.

Building up your Why Power: Places to Visit

Continuing with our exploration of your ideal lifestyle, think about the places that you have been on holiday to. Go right back to your memories as a child and then through your adult hood.

• What has been your best holiday?
• What made it so good?

Now think about how you would like your future holidays to be like.

• Where would you go?
• How would you get there?
• Who with?
• What would you do there?

Include any places that you have always wanted to visit but have yet to.

Describe the places where you would visit in as much detail as you can:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ……………………….. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

5. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

6. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Developing your Why Power: Places to Live

Continuing with our exploration of your ideal lifestyle, think about the places that you would like to live. It may be somewhere that you visited as a child, where you grew up, a famous city, a place that you have always wanted to go to. Maybe even somewhere that you have seen on a TV programme or a friend has talked you to about.

Your ideal place to live may be one place or it may be more than one place. It could be three or four different locations for different reasons. Think beyond your current perception. If you could live anywhere in this vast and wondrous planet, where would you choose to live?

Once you have a location in mind, picture the house or dwelling.

• Does it have a drive?
• How many bedrooms does it have?
• Who will live there with you? Family? Pets? Visitors?

Describe the places where you would live in as much detail as you can:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ……………………….. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

5. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

6. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Building up your Why Power: Things to Own

Continuing with our exploration of your ideal lifestyle, think about the materialistic things that you would like to own. These may be linked to a hobby that you love, would like to have or that you maybe did in the past and would like to do again.

Also explore your preferred means of transportation. Is there a specific car that you have always wanted to have? What model is it? Colour? Specification? You can extend this to your partner and family too. You can also include other types of transportation such as caravans, boats, helicopters, planes!

Another area to think about is your wardrobe. What style of clothes and shoes you would like to have? This can also be linked to your hobby, your career and leisure time.

Describe the things that you would like to own in as much detail as you can:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

5. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

6. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

7. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

8. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

9. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

10. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Ideal Position & Income – adding to your Why Power

Your current career position is a result of many factors. These could have been due to:

• Your school and/or university grades
• Parental influence and/or coercion
• Impromptu opportunities
• Childhood dream
• Dictated by life’s’ unexpected circumstances
• Planed and pursued with ambition and desire

If you could hold any position, whether it exists or not, what would it be? What industry would it be in? What would your role entail? Maybe it is more than one position in 2 different industries.

Describe your ideal position(s) in as much detail as you can:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Now think about how much money you would like to earn per year.

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

“To believe in the things you can see and touch, is no belief at all. But to believe in the unseen, is a triumph and a blessing.” – Abraham Lincoln.

Turning your desires into Why Power: Step 1: Long Term Goals: 3 Years

Now that you have placed your ideas on paper about what you would like your future to look at, read through them and identify those that will become your long-term goals. These are goals that you will achieve in 3 years’ time.

These should be a combination of personal and business goals. Keeping these goals at the forefront of your mind will ensure that you stay focused and committed during your initial goal getting phase.

Be specific about what it is that you want most. This means experiencing the pain of not having it, as well as the desire for wanting to achieve it. You need to look at your present reality and accept the uncomfortable feeling of where you are now. Then generate a desire for your long-term goals.

Be clear about where you are right now and be even clearer of what you want to become. Here is an example:

“It is 24th May 2023, and I am sitting on the patio of my new villa in Adeje, Tenerife overlooking the golf course. The Villa has 4 bedrooms, a swimming pool, a large BBQ and patio where we are going to have lots of socials. I am so proud of myself because I worked hard implementing my plans and this is the result of my focus.”

List your long-term goals below using a format as above – you have already achieved it!

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

5. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

6. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Turning your desires into Why Power: Step 2: Medium Term Goals: 1 Year

Looking at your long-term goals, step back and ascertain what you would like to achieve in the next 12 months, in-order to be on track towards them.

These will become your medium-term goals. They must be linked to your long-term goals and you may find that they will fulfil some of your wants and desires identified in the earlier activities. Think of them as stepping stones towards your long terms goals.

Remember to make them SMART and add your “to be achieved by” dates.

These do not have to all be completed by the end of the year. Some may be achievable in 6 months but do make them challenging. Think about what you want to achieve rather than what you think you can achieve in that time. When looking through these there must be an element of time pressure.

Also, at this point focus on the “what” instead of the “how”. We will deal with the how soon. Here’s an example:

“It is 24th May 2019, and I am sitting at the airport with my family. I am treating them to a wonderful summer holiday in Florida. I am so proud of myself because I worked hard implementing my plan and this is the result of my focus.”

List your medium-term goals, include dates by when you will have achieved them:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

5. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

6. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Turning your desires into Why Power: Step 3: Short Term Goals: 3 Months

The next step is to then select about 3 of your medium-term goals that you will achieve over the next 90 days or 13 weeks. By keeping the number of goals restrictive, it will be easier for you to monitor and complete.

These could be one of your medium-term goals in its entirety or a half way point to it. Again, make them challenging. If in your medium-term plan you gave it 6 months to achieve. Select it. Imagine if you achieved it in 13 weeks instead? How awesome would you feel?

These will keep you motivated and drive you to achieve more than you have ever achieved in 90 days. These will keep you focused and motivate you to do the goal directed activity.

Your short-term goals will become part of your daily routine, through your miracle morning. By reviewing them daily you will increase your belief and keep your-self on track. They will form the basis of your action plan.

List your short-term goals, include dates by when you will have achieved them:

1. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

2. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

3. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

4. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Before we move on to how you will achieve your short-term goals, take a moment to think about how you will feel when you do achieve them. How will you celebrate? What will it mean to you personally? To your family?

………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ………………………. ……………………….

Remember this feeling and include it in your affirmations. Keep your eye on the prize but don’t step over the pennies to get to the pounds. Your small wins along the way will boost you and make the small sacrifices that you have had to make along the way be worth-while.

These short-term goals will inform your daily activities.

Establishing your goals and ambitions is an often overlooked activity in business planning – and it’s potentially a time consuming, self-indulgent activity. Yet, the genuine business benefits of taking this strategic approach to your vision can give you the clarity and determination to continue. Seek expert help from an experienced coach or mentor who can help you elect, plan and work towards your goals.

Blunt thinking on goal setting from Yorkshire Powerhouse