Once you have set your goals and brainstormed how you will work to plan and prepare for success you can benefit greatly from using planning tools, resources and strategies to take your goal setting to another level.
Online goal worksheets: (use link to get to original source for download)
Life Your Way: Goals Worksheet including talking through your purpose and vision.
The Project Girl: Jen has both a blank goal sheet and one filled in with categories ranging from diet to saving to hobby information. She has spaces for 3 goals per category.
Life As Mom: Jessica shared her goal planning tool last year (I don’t see one for 2012) so I included it for you to see how she focuses on 4 areas (personal, family, home and financial) and then breaks them down.
Julie Ann Art has a monthly goal sheet for you to make your plans to move your goals forward month by month.
Great ideas and programmes found online to support typical goals:
A change/progress Jar – (Note: I found this image on pinterest and cannot trace it to the original source nor can google help me so if you know where the original idea came from please share)
I decided to call it a change or progress jar as I can see how you can apply the idea to any goal you are setting – use it to track weight lost, money saved, items decluttered from your home, words/pages written of your book or paper and so on. Simply work out value points for the stones / buttons/ beans/counters and load the full amount in one jar. As you do/use/lose/complete your set task you move the pieces to the other jar. A great visual tracking tool.
Six Sisters’ Stuff has this fantastic 8 week weight loss / get healthy challenge that you can follow alone or form a group. Working on a point system with a cash prize you all contribute to you are competing with your group to be the winner. This idea could easily be adapted to any goal and you could devise your own points and challenges.
Eighteen25 have a fantastic free download for this year’s to do list printable. You can frame it and use a whiteboard or permanent marker to write on the glass of the frame. List all your goals and tick them off as you go. Keep it centrally located so your goals are top of mind!
Oh my! handmade goodness has an amazing post and download for dealing with your fears and insecurities and other issues that might hold you back from your goals and dreams.
If you need affirmations to use in the OMHG printable above or just want that extra motivation here is a printable full of affirmations or positive and strong statements to push yourself.
Online sites and methods to help build a new habit
(note it can take longer than 21 or 28 days to build a habit depending on frequency – if it is a non daily habit like exercising 3 days a week it can take longer)
Habit Forge will send you a daily email
Dont break the chain - you can simply mark your days on a calendar or do it digitally
Pick a goal.
Mark off the days on which you work toward that goal.
Use your chain of marked off days as a motivator.
The bottom line is there are a ton of resources out there to help you along your journey to reach your goals. Search with our friend Google or ask friends for recommendations. Just considering one common goal of losing weight you could join Weight Watchers or a 12 week challenge or go solo and simply track your food intake and workouts in a little notebook. What you choose depends on your style, resources and needs. Stop and think about what may work for you and dive in – try it and re-asses if it does not work. Just because you never make it to the gym does not mean you will forever be unfit. You may prefer a Zumba class or hiking or playing Just Dance for 20 minutes on the wii (I know I work up a sweat with that last one).
As always – find what works for you!
Do you have any resources that have helped you with reaching a goal? Please share so others may benefit!
Find your simple,
Deb
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Love this Deb – thank you so much for all your hard work x
Lyndal recently posted..To be yourself is all that you can do
Thanks Lyndal – and thank you for your wonderful support this year – it is appreciated!
Debra Dane recently posted..How to finally get organised – 5 key secrets to finding your way
Thanks Deb, while I am not officially part of your challenge, I have found your goal setting support helpful this week. I have just blogged about this realisation and my goals: http://mypaperlessphd.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/goal-worksheet-round-up-and-other-goal-and-habit-changing-resources/
Thanks for the resources and support, I am in awe of this project you have started and wish you all the best as it progresses.
Fiona T recently posted..Goal setting for the year ahead
Thanks Fiona – just saw your post and think you are doing a great job with your goals and being realistic, looking to manage your family time along with your phD etc.
Thanks Deb. I use sheets like these in my work (as a social worker). They are such a great reminder to keep us on task.
Lee recently posted..Week 21. 52 week project. Jigsaw edition
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