There are a lot of different ways to track your goals and I am going to show you the right way method I use to track my goals. Whether goal tracking is new to you or you’re already a daily goal slayer, this article is for you.
Goals connect you to your future. Without them, you are just drifting and hoping for the best. You may feel lost and your direction changes frequently. You don’t want your future to be a lotto ticket, because the odds of winning a lottery are not good. What if I told you that you can achieve the big things you want to achieve if you break those big things down into small steps and chip away towards them every day? Let’s learn how to do that right now.
THE TOOLS
I use the Apple Notes app on my iPhone. It is perfect for me, because it’s free and it’s digital. I can also add new goals and remove completed ones as I need to. Once a goal is complete, I check it off. I then usually let it sit there checked off for a week or so because it makes me feel good to see a bunch of achieved goals.
You can use a notepad, the Apple Notes app, One Note, EverNote, an email draft… whatever you want. Your goal list should be one of the last things you look at each night and one of the first things you look at each morning. Choose a tool that will make that ritual easy and painless for you.
THE STRUCTURE
In the picture below you can see an example goal list that I built for this article. This is identical to the real model that I use every day. There should be a section for things you want to achieve this week, this month, this year and the following year. If you want to tack on additional years, go for it!
Take a minute to really study each section in the example list and the goals within. You will see how the current goals connect to future goals. For example, under “This Week Goals” you see a goal titled “exercise four weekday mornings.” Under “Year One Goals” you can see a goal to “bike for 25 miles”. That took some work to build up to that point and, in this example, achieve that goal. Under “Year Two Goals” there is a goal to be a member of a team sport. The point is to have the “this week” and “30 day” goals be baby steps towards your larger goals.
The owner of this goal list is working to reach health, relationship and financial goals. You may be coming from a completely different place and that is completely cool. We’re all at different stages of life’s journey and, whether you’re 16 or 100 years-old, this system still applies.
GOAL LIST VS. TO DO LIST
A goal list is not the same as a personal “to do” list or a “to do” list that you should definitely might have for your work. Do not add your doctor appointments to it. Do not add chores or things to buy at the grocery store. Your goal list is your mentor and you would not tell your mentor to buy you White Claws at the grocery store.
Your goal list is purely for pieces of activity that connect you to your end goals. In this example, that means that anything not directly leading to your health, relationship or financial improvement goals should not be on the list.
TRACK MY GOALS
It’s one thing to learn about something and think that it’s a good idea. It’s another thing to take action and execute. So do this right now… pick a tool and make your own goal list. List a step you can do this week, this month and this year to achieve your ultimate goal. Then repeat for each additional goal! Want to be a star on Cameo? List it.
Be a realistic, but don’t be afraid to go big so long as you’re ready to work for it. When you get the first baby step done, delete the step you accomplished and add the next baby step. Update your list every night before bed and review it every morning when you wake up. You will sleep better and wake up less stressed, because you have your goals for that day planned.
Instead of looking at social media sporadically all day, look at your goal list instead and learn to mark things off as you go. Stop playing the lotto with your life, build momentum and get started now!
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