What's your goal?

To make the most of your efforts, select a goal that is inspiring and important to you. Here are several characteristics of a good goal:

• Goals should be meaningful and inspiring! This is not the time to wimp out or get conservative. Achieving a goal takes work, so it should be something that you can get excited about and which will make a big difference in your life.
• Your goal should apply to YOU.  For example, a parent might adopt a goal for her son to improve his grades in school. This is not a desirable goal because it is not clear who should be taking action. A better way to express this goal would be this: I want to provide the coaching, support, and ideas that will help my son improve his grades. 
• Your goal should be something you want to achieve even if the work will be hard, uncomfortable, or require life changes. More money or promotions are rarely compelling enough on their own. We all want achievement and we want money. What drives you to be at your best? Tie that into your desire for fortune and fame.
• Your goal should be challenging, but achievable. Going from GED to PhD in a year is unrealistic. Going from no business to comfortable retirement in one year is also unrealistic (unless Oprah features your product!). Your goal should define what a home run would look like. For the program, I would like you to think about what a home run would look like with regard to the two-week time frame.
• The best goals will provide your life with greater meaning while allowing you to contribute to others more fully.
• You should be able to explain your goal in a sentence or two.
• Your goal needs to be measurable. You should be able to define success.

What’s your goal? Describe it to a few friends or family members. Is your goal clear and compelling? Do your friends and family understand what you are trying to accomplish? If you are having a hard time explaining your goal, you likely do not have it adequately defined. Start by describing what success looks like. Be specific Ask yourself how will you know when you have achieved your goal.

The next 2 Weeks to a Breakthough Program begins next Monday. Why not polish off your goals and follow along?