Achieving Personal Goals

Action Plan Checklist Summary

Here’s a quick summary of each step in the Action Plan Checklist:

1. Select the one primary goal that will provide the most important results (benefits) you seek first. You may have several things on your agenda, but you should avoid chasing more than one thing at a time. (SET A TARGET)
2. Get completely, perfectly clear about precisely what the goal is and what achieving it will look like, and write it down in detail (DRAW THE BULLSEYE)
3. Develop recurring daily habits that encourage planning the weekly milestones and doing the daily activities you will consistently follow to reach your goal (USE A REPEATABLE BEHAVIOR)
4. Create a plan to reach your goal with major milestones, specific activities, and DEADLINES, to achieve your goal (CREATE AN ACTION PLAN)
5. All the work that’s done up to this point is meaningless if we don’t do a good job of following through, on a consistent basis, with the steps of the plan. There are plenty of great ideas in the world, but without the discipline to execute them well they don’t have much value. (EXECUTE THE PLAN)
6. The motivation, drive and energy to achieve a goal starts and ends with one thing: The benefits you will realize from reaching your goal. If you fail to stay focused on the benefits, you diminish your chances of reaching your goal. Don’t lose sight of the benefits! (BENEFITS)
7. Few plans are perfect from the start. By recording, tracking and reviewing our progress, we get the feedback necessary to determine if mid-course corrections are necessary. Track your progress (MEASURE RESULTS)
8. Sometimes goals and resolutions fail because no one is holding us accountable. You can take control of this by telling one or more people you trust about your goal (BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE)

This is not a mysterious process. As they say, “success leaves clues”, and one of those clues is that following a plan like this will consistently lead to results.

One of the great things about achieving your first goal is that it will begin to affect your BELIEF about what you are capable of, and can empower you to start setting the goals that will allow you to realize your potential and develop the gifts and talents you have been given. This can become a very productive habit.  Realizing the power of setting goals and methodically checking them off can become addictive – in the best sense of the word.

Word of caution though – be prepared to do the work! There is plenty of great information here about setting and reaching goals, but the truth is that information alone is simply not enough. If it were, we’d all read a good book on setting goals and our lives would flourish. The secret ingredient to the process of achieving goals is regular, consistent action.

Just give it a try
If you’re a little skeptical, that’s OK. Just start with the Action Plan Checklist, or browse the site and determine for yourself if this makes sense. I’ll make it my job to show you through research, real life examples, and testimonial that it’s possible to make meaningful changes in your life when you do the right things, the right way.

So there you go. Start here if you’d like to begin a journey that can change your life.

Good luck, and get started!