Goal-Setting: Hype or Hurrah?

Great idea for storing your letter-writing supplies.

Click here: Tight for space?

I ran my own business for almost 20 years, so it won't surprise you to hear that I read lots of books on setting goals. I have to confess, however, that I still haven't figured out if goal-setting is all that it is hyped to be.

Actually, I'm a pretty good goal-setter. Any time I have an excuse to sit down with a pen and paper I'm a happy woman.

So, yay for goal setting.

In my latest too-cute--to--resist notebook.

With my latest I-think-I-have-found-my-favorite-pen-of-all-time.

The problem for me comes with doing the necessary work to achieve the goals that I wrote with such enthusiasm between sips of a steaming cup of joe.

Research, however, does show that setting goals on paper greatly increases the chances of actually achieving the goals. Brett Blair, in How to Set Goals and Stick to Them, says: "It became clear to me, with tons of evidence, that people who set specific goals and write them down are dramatically more likely to achieve their goals and be high performers." http://www.fordyceletter.com/2010/09/07/how-to-set-goals-and-stick-to-them/

Well, there ya go.

I think a key for me in actually achieving the Hurrah! is to add the fun-factor and the focus-factor. If I have a passion for the project I'm setting the goals for and then add focus and fun--hey, I'm on the road to the Hurrah!

So, yes, I have to agree that goal-setting isn't just hype.

It can indeed be a powerful source of motivation.

Which will then lead to the Hurrah!

All of this to say, February is the month to set your goals. Stretch yourself, but be realistic--don’t set yourself up for disappointment. 

["Disappointment is so disappointing."--Nancy G. Hill. You can quote me on that.] 

If you already write several letters a week, decide how many more you can write now that you’re all motivated and getting organized. If writing even one letter a week is going to be a challenge, then don’t set a goal of writing a letter a day.

So pull out your latest too-cute-to-resist notebook--or whatever system works for you--and write your goals for the number of letters you'd like to write each day/week during the month of March.

I'll be back to share my own goals with you.

BTW--it's COLD and RAINY in Austin. Small frowny face...:-(