Goal Setting Guidelines

You have goals to set and plan, all those awesome things to achieve, but you want to be sure your goal will be the right one to choose and focus on, right?…

So let’s get straight to the point!

(because it doesn’t make sense to spend your time on things that are insignificant in your life…)

Aligning your goal with yourself is the first step to do if you want to set a (good) goal.

But (there is always a catch!) the first-first thing you need to do is to unravel the eternal mystery which even ancient philosophers considered to be one of the hardest!

Want to know what that is?

… anticipation moment… insert here any dramatic sound you’d like …

KNOW YOURSELF (and your goals thereafter)!

It doesn’t sound epochal, right?

But, actually, it’s quite tricky.

You may wonder what this has to do with goal setting?

Well, by understanding yourself, when defining a goal, you will:

• know whether something’s worthy of your time and effort,
• use your strengths better,
• get an overview of what you might need help with,
• see what you focused on in the past (and should you continue with it or not),
• make a goal in line with the life path you want to have.

Pretty good for a start, eh? 😉

Even though this mental exercise does require a certain amount of time and effort, it doesn’t have to be a hard task for you to accomplish.

To make things a little bit easier for you, I’ve made a list of goal-setting guidelines – questions that will guide you through this know-yourself-so-you-could-set-a-good-goal process.

Perhaps you’ll find the questions sound quite simple, but be aware!

(gazing my eyes and using a deeper voice to make it sound more dramatic! 😀 )

Get into their meaning seriously, and answer them not just with your mind, but also with your heart.

Ready?

Let’s go!

Goal setting guideline #1: What am I passionate about?

Answer yourself this one question first – what are the things you love to do the most?

(watching TV, endlessly stretching in a bed, staring at a ceiling, or similar answers are not allowed here!)

You know the feeling when you can’t wait to wake up & get out of the bed ’cause that’s the day when you’ll do the thing you really like?

That’s what I’m talking about!

So make a list and name all of that stuff!

(the more, the merrier!)

The answer to this question will give you an insight into your internal fuel.

It points you to the things that are enough by themselves to inspire, motivate, and drive you – so the work you do doesn’t feel like work at all.

(sure a useful thing to have when setting out to achieve a goal)

Goal setting guideline #2: What are my values and beliefs?

For what beliefs do you stand up for, what values do you guard with your life and what are the ones that lie at the very core of you as a person?

And be REALLY honest with yourself about this one -hey, nobody’s looking!

(because let’s be real. The one thing almost everyone would say would be “Being honest”. And then again, how many people do quite the opposite?…)

The important thing is to note these because they represent your most beautiful side.

And yes, this implies we also have the not-so-favorable side as well, but it’s usually not a thing that should be a matter of focus, right?

(unless you want to deal with it in order to eliminate it – so you could be a step closer to perfection 😉 )

Therefore, let the answers to this question serve you as a guide on what you should focus on and where you should put your efforts into.

The 7 Questions That Will Help You Uncover Whether Your Goal Is The Right One To Choose & Focus On Share on X

Goal setting guideline #3: What are my personal strengths?

Maybe you are patient, a good listener, a thinker, or full of energy & action, a fast learner…

Whatever you think your personal strengths are should be noted here.

And please, once acknowledged, don’t hesitate with them – feel free to use and grow them whenever and wherever you can.

(now you have my permission to do so! ha, ha, ha… like you needed it! 😀 )

Because your personal strengths are actually your superpowers.

They are the things that make you stand out from the crowd, the ones which are giving a special value to your work, and those which will help you be unique, known, and remembered.

If you use them right, they can also serve as “shortcuts” to achieving your goal.

Goal setting guideline #4: What am I good at (both manually and intellectually)?

Do you know how to repair things?

Or maybe you can craft an item, sew, knit or draw, decorate rooms, cakes?

Are you good at numbers or the social sciences are your thing?

List it all!

These will help you know your skills better.

You could then use them for your goal achievement plan. (so you’ll know which things would be best to do on your own and what tasks would maybe be better to delegate and outsource)

Alternatively, they can serve you as a guide to what you want to learn or improve further.

Goal setting guideline #5: What are the things in my life I’m the proudest of?

Name the most important ones.

Usually, those are your main accomplishments in various life spheres.

Take a moment to think about them.

Why did you choose those above any others?

Are there any connections between them? (besides that they all relate to you, of course!)

The answer to this question gives you an overview of what brings you joy and satisfaction in your life.

They are also your private (or maybe even public) showcase and proof of your abilities and efforts.

The things you are proudest of are the place to turn to when you start doubting yourself, or when your motivation drops and think you are not good or strong enough for the task ahead of you.

(pssst… they’ll prove you’re wrong on this one! 😉 )

Goal setting guideline #6: How do I rank different life aspects according to importance?

Family, work, friends, home, money, health…

Those (and many others as well) are life aspects we all share.

(you can take a look at different life aspects in a post about the Level 10 Life – it can help you with goal setting as well)

However, different people rank them differently.

What aspect is the most important to you, and what is the one you wouldn’t miss at all (or maybe, just a little bit)?

Define as many life aspects and rank them accordingly.

Your answers show the areas of your life where it would be wise to spend your time – either to enhance a certain life aspect or to improve it.

Whatever you decide to do with it – you certainly won’t regret it.

(of course, I’m talking about those that are ranked high on your list)

Goal setting guideline #7: How much time do I spend on each life aspect?

This is the last question I have for you here.

You should determine how much time do you spend on each life aspect you previously defined. (you know, the ones from the previous question…)

Next, rank them according to time spent.

But, for real!

It should be – the more important life aspect – the more time spent on it.

But there are times when life aspects and the time spent on them don’t match.

Or to put it differently, there could be a discrepancy between what you say and what you do.

You see, many people claim a certain life aspect is important to them, but it turns out they don’t spend even the smallest fraction of their time on it.

What does that tell?

Either they’re not good at managing their time or that life aspect is actually not of high importance to them.

(I don’t want or like to spread the negativity, so it could be it’s only my surroundings, but I had to point this out)

So if you’ve found yourself in the above-described situation -it’s good!

What’s more – it’s GREAT!

(yes, believe it or not!)

“How?” you may ask.

I’ll explain straight away.

Maximize The Impact Of Your Goal And The Speed Of Its Achievement By Answering These 7 Questions First. Share on X

What should you do?

Well, after acknowledging this fact, you have two options.

• Option #1: accept yourself the way you are.

Not everyone has to place -let’s say- family as their number one priority, even if the whole society insists on it.

So let go of the guilt you might feel from not fitting in with the rest – because, at this moment in time, this is the way you are.

Own it.

• Option #2: make a change.

Not spending enough time on what’s important to you?

It’s time to change something, then.

This way you’ve instantly found a goal (or a few) to work on it from this day forward. 😉

And there you go!

Those are some of the basic questions needed to be answered, so you could move on and define a goal, the one which you will accomplish. (I have no doubt about it 😉 )

(I also have a list of 100 goals you can set, so check it out if you need some inspiration)

All that is left is to tie these questions altogether, and you’ll get a pretty good picture of yourself at the present moment along with the direction where you should be heading next.

Keep in mind, the answers to these questions are quite handy for any other life aspect.

Even if you don’t plan to go into the goal-setting phase, it wouldn’t be a waste of time for you to answer them.

I’m curious, did you discover something new about yourself throughout these questions? Were the questions easy or difficult to answer? Did anything surprise you?

Drop a few lines about your experience!

Until the next time,