Goal Setting for Personal and Professional Excellence (Part 3)
Step 4: Make a plan for steady improvement.
Actions
Once you have figured out your priorities, you will need to figure out what needs to be accomplished daily and weekly. It is important to consider both the actions for each priority and the attitude that you want to have, which are affirmations (covered below). Figure out what you need to do and how you want to be in order to reach your goals.
For instance, the priority of improving your diet under Actions might be: 1. Keep a daily food journal. 2. Make an appointment with a nutritionist by Thursday. 3. I will reduce my junk food intake to once a week.
Actions: What do you need to do on a regular basis (daily or weekly) to address each of your chosen priorities (from Step 3)?
Priority 1: ________________________________
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Priority 2: ________________________________
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Priority 3: ________________________________
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Priority 4: ________________________________
- _______________________________________
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Key Points
Make actions SMART:
- Specific (who, what, where?)
- Measurable (how much, how often?)
- Action-oriented/Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely (When does it need to be accomplished?)
Affirmations
Typical goal setting has focused solely on actions, but this is a mistake. You have to do the right things, but you also have to think the right way. Affirmations are self-talk statements about something you want, phrased as if you already have it. If you attempt the right actions but have a worrisome, doubtful, or hesitant attitude, you won't perform those actions to the best of your ability or with full commitment. Having the right attitude helps keep you motivated.
Once you have written your actions, write out powerful belief or attitude statements that describe how you want to be as a results of your actions. For instance, the affirmations for improving your diet might be: 1. "The better I eat, the better I feel." 2. "I am the master of my diet."
Instructions: How do you need to think about yourself and your performance while working on your actions? Create one or two powerful affirmations for each priority.
Priority 1: ________________________________
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- _______________________________________
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Priority 2: ________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
Priority 3: ________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
Priority 4: ________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
- _______________________________________
Key Points
- Affirmations should be powerful, positive, present tense, and first person.
- Affirmations reflect how you think when you are at your best. They are not statements you speak aloud.
- They are thoughts you practice daily.
- They should be meaningful and express your personality.
Action Plan
Instructions: Take a look at your calendar and planner and begin to backward plan your goal. Start with the date you wish to have the goal completed and work backward, marking important events as you go. Identify several critical tasks or priorities you'll need to successfully complete your outcome goal. After you've answered the following questions, put the date and the task on the time line. Creating an action plan breaks goals down so they're not so overwhelming.
| Plan milestones toward your goal here: |
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| What are the critical tasks (i.e., priorities)? |
| What is the completion date for each critical task? |
| What actions or routines will you use to get results for each critical task? |
| How do you measure effectiveness for each critical task? |
Step 5: Set and pursue short-term goals.
Daily To-Dos
There is no short-term goal more important than the one you make for today. The present moment is the only place where you have any true control, which means that your personal life and your career are nothing more than the sum of all your "todays." If you can accomplish a small mission today and every day that follows, you can't help but move toward your dreams.
Key Points
- Short-term goals answer the question, "What will I do TODAY or THIS WEEK to accomplish my actions and affirmations?"
- Set at least one daily action and attitude goal for each day.
- Write them in your personal organizer, planner, or other tracking form.
- Check when complete.
- Take time daily to celebrate even your smallest goal victories.
U.S. Army, Joint Base Lewis-McChord. (2013, July). Goal setting for personal and professional excellence (pp. 12–20). Retrieved October 8, 2020, from https://www.lewis-mcchord.army.mil