I found a great article by Jennifer Herdon on setting goals. This subject has been getting a lot of attention over the years. There’s lots of information on goal setting.

But are you setting goals? Or just making “to do” lists? If your objectives aren’t written down, with a deadline, and reviewed and updated periodically, they’re not goals. They’re just wishes and hopes.

I have reviewed and summarized the first two parts of Jennifer’s article here. The full article, along with part three, is available here.

Goal setting is the backbone of your success, in life and in business. You need a goal setting routine in place before you get too far along in your action plan. How can you plan to take action on something if you don’t first have a clear goal of what it is you actually want to accomplish?

The common attitude I hear when I ask people about goal setting is “I’ve already done that awhile ago, let’s get to making money,” or “Okay, my goal is to make $10,000 a month, let’s get started.” If that is your attitude, you get a big “F” in goal setting. The good news is, if you do what I’m outlining, you can quickly turn that around.

There are 3 big things you need to understand about applying goal setting to your daily living (and working). The first two are:

1. You Can’t “Set it and Forget it”

You may have written some goals down in the past – perhaps you did it as part of an exercise during a seminar you attended. Some goals may still actually be applicable.

But goals change. New goals arise and former goals become less important.

For goals to continue to motivate and inspire you, they have to be what’s getting you going each and every day. And only current goals can do that.

Goals, as discussed here, are all about the “Prize” you’re going after, not the “Process.” A goals list is made up of Prizes. The plan you devise to achieve that prize is the process. The realization of the prizes is what motivates people. No one is motivated by a process.

So review your goals (or Prizes) list once a month. Really think about whether each item on your list continues to serve you. If not, take it off. Add new things as they become important in your life.

2. All of Your Actions Need to be Goal-Driven

As you plan your day and week, every action you take should be tied to one of your goals – the “Process” and “Prize” metaphor discussed above.

The action you are taking is the Process, and the outcome you are looking for is the Prize. Goals then become the accomplishments achieved in the Process of winning the Prize.

If your Prize is to become THE go-to authority in your market, then part of your Process is to become a published author on a relevant topic. And writing the chapters of your book are the goals in that process. Your “goals” list for the day then could have three columns like this:

You’ll be far more likely to complete your goals list for the day if you are inspired by what the ultimate Prize will be for your work.