Goal setting is a powerful way to clarify where you should spend your time and energy, especially at the start of a new year. Whether you love goals, hate them, set and then forget them, or fully embrace them, done correctly they can be a game-changer.

While I think it’s wise to keep your goal writing process simple, there are a few things to consider if you want to create goals that aren’t merely ‘set and forget’. As you sit down to craft your goals, consider these five facets of great goals:

#1 Ditch the Calendar

While it’s great to start the new year by setting goals for change, don’t rush the process. Take a week or two to think, strategize, and get really clear about what you want to accomplish in the months ahead.

And, ditch December 31st as the ultimate completion date. Goals aren’t that cut and dry, because life isn’t. Consistency is key. If you’re moving forward on your goals you’re doing it right. Which is why facet #2 is important…

#2 Size Matters

It’s great to dream big, but when it comes to execution it’s OK to start small. If the goal is so big you can’t comprehend how or when you’ll achieve it, don’t ditch the goal.

Instead, break it down into manageable chunks that can be accomplished in shorter time frames. When you reach that goal, set your sights on the next phase. Facet #3 will help you stay focused…

#3 Put it in Writing

When you think about what you want and visualize success your brain lights up because it’s been alerted that it has a job to do – which is to help you realize that goal.

When you write down your goal it further embeds that info for ongoing access, and you’ll increase awareness to the things that will help you move forward with your goals.

If you post those goals where you can see them, and take even small steps toward them, success will come… but not without facet #4…

#4 Do the Freakin’ Work

Even when we set goals that we’re excited about, we don’t always crush them. It’s like we forget that goal success requires work, and we don’t factor in the how and when of it. Add goal work to your schedule and be specific about what you’ll do, when, and even for how long.

Here’s the clincher…

Remind yourself that success comes from action, and action can happen in small steps. Do the freakin’ work consistently (even microscopically), and you’ll make progress. Now, note facet #5…

#5 Consider Key Dependencies

Key dependencies are all the people you’ll need to rely on (or watch out for) to achieve your goals. It’s the accountability partner you exercise with, or the work colleague or family member who’s help you’ll need. It’s the service provider you hire to make success more likely.

And, it’s also those people who might confound your efforts if you don’t get them onside. Key dependencies add vital accountability that will keep you going, even on ‘off’ days. Identify your people, communicate with them, and let them know your plan.

We set goals because we ultimately want to achieve them. Implement these five facets of great goals and you will increase the likelihood of great goal achievement.

And, for more information on great goals and driving your success, buy my book The Success-Energy Equation. It’s the ideal new year’s guide to help you regain focus, recharge your life, and really get sh!t done in 2023 and beyond! Available on Amazon & Audible, or for a signed copy via www.successenergybook.com

Michelle Cederberg is a Calgary-based Certified Speaking Professional who captivates audiences across North America with her empowering and humorous messages about how to set worthwhile goals and get energized for success—in business and in life. An in-demand speaker, author, coach, and consultant, she believes that personal and professional success are directly influenced by how well we harness the physical, mental, and emotional capacity we each have within us. She holds a master’s in kinesiology, a BA in psychology, and a specialization in health and exercise psychology. She is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and Certified Professional Co-Active Life Coach. She truly combines mind, body, and practicality to inspire change. Michelle will be speaking at the HR Conference & Expo, May 2-3, 2023 in Vancouver. 

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