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Susan Bachelder

Strategic Goal Planning … Are You Ready for the New Year?

This strategic goal planning article has some strategies that will improve your goal planning. It is a bit lengthy…. incase you consume information better with audio…. here it is

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Goal planning is so essentially important for any growth, development, progress and forward motion in our personallives and all aspects of it. I take goal planning very seriously. For this reason I’ve developed a very detailed strategicprocess of putting goal planning in place. I use this model for my own purposes as well as for working with friends,colleagues, business partners, team members and clients

I’m going to share with you some highlights that I use to frame goal planning . Throughout the year my Goalplanning is a constant evolving process. It’s very important to note, my plan is always very adaptable and openfor improvisation. I believe that even the best and greatest written plan is essentially outdated by the time it’s onpaper. All plans should be open to adapting and improvisation as things change and progress through the process.That’s how I face goal planning.

As the end of the year approaches, essentially the entire last quarter of each year, my mindset is already into ormoving into planning and adjusting the goals. The whole bigger picture of the goal planning for the next year andonwards.

Therefore, by the time it comes to the end of the year, I’m putting the finishing touches on my goal planning. I’mentering the new year always with the mindset “I’m ready”. Forward momentum is created when the New Year isstarted with “readiness”. This process is foundational for setting a clear intention of what next year is going to start offwith. The well laid out plan with a forward motion of fresh ideas and excitement. To do goal planning very much onpurpose will start a new year with new goals and all the existing goals have been re-evaluated. As I mentioned before,it’s an ongoing process so it’s tweaking, adjusting and adapting and being in the mindset throughout the year. Thelarger, more intense overlooking and evaluation of the big picture as well as drilling down into the details happens atthe end of the year.

The image below is a sneak peek of the scribbles I use for guidance in my own goal planning and with friends,partners, team members and clients…

So not to get into too much detail… but I do want to mention some of the highlights of what I use for goal planning. Iwant to really share some value that you can take away from this.

Setting Rules for Effective Goal Planning

The creator focuses of the entire process of goal planning. Setting and following a few simple rules will dramaticallyincrease your follow through and therefore results. Amongst the rules that my goal planning process has in placeamongst these SMART rules….

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time bound

It is very important to keep positive, precise, realistic. Write your goals down, it increases and engagesaccountability and responsibility. Writing your goals down makes them more real and more intended. Goals shouldalso be challenging, meaningful, exciting and progressive. Set goals that are going to create growth. They should befocused. You should be ready and willing to engage these rules, as well as the plan that you are putting in place withthe goals.

…. Next, you want to work into operational goals, also some smaller functional goals that are going to be essentiallystepping stones that will create progress for the greater goal/goals.

Clarify

It’s very important to clarify your process. Clarify what you’ve achieved. Clarify what skills you have, your strengthsand your weaknesses. Clarify your struggles in the present and where you want to go. Clarify the sacrifices that youhave to make to allow you to the achieve these goals you are doing the goal planning for. Have a look at your pastachievements, tasks, goals and previous projects. Keep those in mind when you’re making new ones or adapting andworking through your goals. Awareness will shine bright light on your goal planning process. Be very honest withyourself during this entire goal planing process.

Make a list of your successes, your special moments, memorable moments, powerful moments. Power moments arereally important to tap into when you’re goal planning. They are valuable to utilize as fuel to maintain motivation.Motivation To attain these challenging meaningful exciting progressive and focused goals is essential.

I like to separate goals into different areas of your life. For example: financial, career, soul care /soul food, relationships, as well as health, self growth, self knowledge, mindset whatever works for you …but definitelyseparate goals to cover all areas of your life. It is important to have a balance and not just work on the one area.Many of us tend to just work on career or just work on financial. we have to work on all of us to really be able to moveforward and take ourselves to the next level. Separating your goals into areas of focus in your life will help clarifymany details.

Process

There needs to be a process that you utilize to create a flow …that creates momentum. A process that makes senseto you in how you think. Set yourself up with a process that helps youwith planning implementing evaluating and improvising or adapting these goals. Hence …those words beingsaid that’s part of the process that I use. This is a circular Process … These four key elements are ongoing. I oftendescribed them as the four wheels of the magic bus that creates all of my achievements, success, growth.

Plan constantly and consistently. Implement that plan with massive focused action. Always be evaluating how theplan is working, how your actions are working, how you feel about it. Evaluate if your goals are creating forwardmomentum. All of these questions should be asked constantly evaluating them. Results from the evaluation goes intothat improvise and adapting of the plan. Always be switching up changes that you think might work and then loop itback to the “plan” portion of the process again. Once you have made the changes, improvised and adjusted yourplan… add to the goal plan, switch it up or whatever you decide. Then implement those changes with action andconstantly be evaluating how it is working.

Create

… always be creating. Be clear when you creating. Create with intention. Be visual. For myself, notes and lists writtendown help me get a clear picture of what I am planning. Once I have a start I create a mind map. A mind map is onemethod of creating crystal clear content for your goal planning.

Create motivation and as you create motivation you will be motivated to continue to create …it’s all a process.

Identify

Identify your life purpose and then branch off from there. What is your greater purpose? Take a step back, look atyour 10,000 foot view…the greater picture. What do you want to be? Who do you want to be? where do you want tobe? what do you want to do? …and who do you want to help? What do you love to do? What makes your heart beatfaster and harder when you think of accomplishing it?

In the process of identifying your greater purpose… then zoom in and have a look at what smaller goals you have toachieve to achieve the answers to the questions I just mentioned.

(if this part overwhelms you or you are still not crystal clear on your greater purpose feel free to get in touch with me. Ilove utilizing my purpose strategy strengths to help people identify their greater purpose, otherwise related to as your“Why”)

Stepping Stone Goals

Once you have chosen some smaller goals… look at those smaller goals and zoom in a little more yet and what inbetween stepping stone goals do you need to achieve to get each of those. Meeting these smaller stepping stonegoals, will then get you to your greater picture.

Achieving or “meeting” smaller, stepping stone goals will help with your motivation, your fuel, why were you doing thisall in the first place. Every small goal met should be something you celebrate, cheer yourself on. Ask yourself somereally deep questions at this point and be consistent.

Goal Planning Collaboration or Mastermind

Something… I do as a part of my goal planning process is collaboration. I really like to mastermind with other peopleof like mind people that I value their opinion. People that have either similar strengths or strengths that willcomplement my strengths. If you choose this part of the process, really mastermind and discuss goal planning.Challenge each other in the goal setting and planning process. Not necessarily… An accountability partner, Yetsomebody who just really increases your excitement. You can have some thought provoking conversation about thistopic. Goal planning is a great topic to discuss.

Speaking of Thought Provoking conversations…. this video with Steve Didier and myself is powerful!

Reflection

While you’re planning your goals, make sure to use lots of reflection. Write things down. Get a clear visualization ofwhat this means to you.

Benefits of Goal Planning

Consider the benefits of goal planning. If you really feel and know where the benefits of putting a great deal of effortand energy into your goal planning that will be a huge reward. It will be part of your fuel to keep your momentum and

keep you working towards these goals.

Some of the benefits are control. You will have more control if you have a good plan. A good goal plan will give youdirection and your development growth and skills enhancing etc…. all of these will be much much more muchgreater if you have a good plan. You be able to follow it, if you could plan. You will be excited to follow the goalplan you have created if you do it well. Goal planning encourages growth and personal achievement in businessand life.

Another benefit is responsibility. When you put a lot of effort and energy into planning your goals, You will be morelikely to follow through and do them. You increase your knowledge. It’s going to increase all aspects that you’vecreated in your goals.

Goal planning improves your mindset. Just simply in the planning of the goals increases your self-esteem. Theprocess of goal planning described here in this article increases you’re awareness of what you’re doing, whatyou’re not doing what you’re accomplishing and what you are not accomplishing.

Another valuable benefit of detailed goal planning on purpose is organization. Once you work through the process itwill be more simple to apply each time, improving your organization as you go.

So that’s kind of just a very simple summary of what I consider when I’m doing my own goal planning. As I mentionedthe goal planning with friends, colleagues, and business clients.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this value and put some of it to use. If you have some great tips and/or strategies toadd, please feel free to share. I’d love to hear your feedback on the value I have shared here.

This website is under construction right now…. don’t judge hehe…

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Email me at susan@empoweredonpurpose.net

Bookmark this page, so you can refer back to it as you work through your Strategic Goal Planning. Also watch asmore content rolls out on this website as we start off 2015. It’s part of my strategic goal planning HAPpyDance…