Creative Goal Planning Tips How do you recommend planning for the upcoming year? Setting monthly goals? Mixing personal and professional goals each week? Creating quarterly pro t marks? These tips to goal planning help professionals get great at it. These steps for effective goal planning are rooted in the belief that without a destination in mind, we can't make a map to get where we want to go and end up meandering aimlessly. For this reason, experts advocate goal planning and visioning (mixed with holding their outcomes loosely and not forcing them). Once you have the high-level laid out, you can then break these into smaller objectives and action steps. Using these techniques will take planners from that place to one where they feel that they are truly successful (which is de ne as freedom of how to spend time and use a unique combination of gifts full-out in service to others).

Step 1: Brainstorm

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Jot down all of your goals, dreams, and desires with no judgment.

Step 2: Edit Your Notes What goals do you really want to pursue and accomplish (versus which are imposed on you by external factors? Which don't excite you to tackle? etc.) While there is no 'rule' for how many goals you should work towards at one time, say this: It's easier to focus and direct your energy when you have fewer at once. As counter-intuitive as it may seem to do less to achieve more, it works, and it also speeds you up to get momentum on your goal and invite in a new one (rather than watering down your efforts on many at the same time). Once decided, write down every step which you can think of that will move you from where you are to where you want to be. If you don't know: Steps can include research and/or bringing in support or council.

Step 3: Find Your Mantra

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Begin by brainstorming a list of words that describe the way you want to feel both during the pursuit of your goal(s) as well as when it's achieved. For example: Ful lled, joyful, connected. Edit your initial brainstorm and pick 1-3 words. These words will buoy you to the feeling(s) behind the goal which helps you attract it and stay motivated.

Step 4: Write A Narrative Visualize the process and the outcome you're seeking and write it out in narrative format, incorporating it into the fullness of your life. Since your goals don't exist in a silo, personal and professional can blend because you're a whole person in every environment who can't be split apart.

Step 5: Vision Board You can either get a large stack of magazines and cut and paste them the old-fashioned way, gathering words and images that resonate with your goals and mantras or create a digital board. Once complete, keep the vision board somewhere you'll see it often. It’s amazing when you look closely after some time has passed and see things come to life.

Step 6: Take Action Small daily steps towards your goal(s) are what take something that seems out of reach and makes it your reality. Never underestimate the power of small, consistent, intentional, and strategic steps to add up over time and to create inertia and momentum to move you toward your visio

Document Objectives Now you are ready to document smart objects for the target planning period as follows (speci c, measurable, action oriented, relevant, time bounded): Goal Maximize pro tability Objectives

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Launch product xyz which meets market requirements to increase revenue x% and within speci ed pro t and budget targets by November, 2023.

Action Steps A…….(6/23) B…….(8/23) C…….(9/23) D…….(10/23) When all objectives have been completed and reviewed with other relevant managers and personnel, schedule quarterly review meetings to track results.