A Simple Goal Setting Template Makes Goal Setting Easy

Why work with a goal setting template?

When you know who you are and what you want you can accomplish things.

Specifically, setting goals allow you to create the future of your personal design.

A goal setting template is the shortest path to answering the two key questions:

• who are you; and
• what do you want?

It supports you in working with goals in many different ways.

First, by providing a format, a goal setting template wrestles the big question of “what you want out of life” into something much smaller and more manageable.

You’re not left to answer an open ended question with no apparent limits. Instead, you can follow along on a model that covers the same ground in an organized, orderly way.

A goal setting template also provides a context for your answers. In our one existence each of us fulfills many roles and has many passions.

What you want out of the future in terms of your professional life will differ in some crucial ways from what you want personally. Delving more deeply, the future you envision for yourself as a parent and grandparent will differ in some respects (or perhaps many) from your future as a traveler or philanthropist.

A goal setting template frees you to identify your goals in whatever context makes the most sense to you.

When you’ve set them down you can coordinate, combine and manage your goals according to your individual values and priorities.

Ready to get started?

Here is a Goal Setting Template. for you to work with.

Step 1 – Defining Who You Are

Working with a goal setting template begins with acknowledging who you are. On one level, of course, that is not a great mystery since you can reel off your name, address, phone number and other identifying information with ease.

But for goal setting purposes the task is to look at your different identities, passions and interests.

For example, if you are a parent then you are going to be a part of your child’s life over the years. Identifying yourself as a parent lets you look at what specific goals are important to you in that role.

Similarly, if you are a company executive than you will have that position for some finite period of time. Identifying yourself as a key company player lets you look at what you want your accomplishments in that position to be.

Begin by looking at the many different roles in your life. Some possibilities are included in the following list: mother, father, daughter, son, grandparent, husband, wife, partner, entrepreneur, executive, salesperson, store manager, owner, colleague, friend, church member, fitness enthusiast, avid hiker, passionate reader. . .

Step 2 – Stating Your Goals

The next question on the goal setting template is “what do you want?”

To answer take a second look at the list of roles you’ve created.

As you look at each one think about what feels pressing or unfinished in that particular area.

What fits into that category will differ depending on what area you’re contemplating.

• In your role as an employee, a professional or as a business owner your thoughts may turn to important projects that are about to start or nearing an end.
• Maybe there are work relationships that you feel you’d like to improve, or new ones you would like to develop.
• Perhaps in your role as husband, wife or partner you want to have a big adventure to celebrate an upcoming anniversary. Maybe you want to plan a trip just to get away together. Or perhaps you would like to focus on your day to day experience at home – making it more peaceful or more eventful or just different in some way.
• You may have a completely personal goal related to your passion for physical fitness and exercise or your desire to get in shape.

The answer to the question “what do you want” is different for each of us. Even when we want similar things – financial security or a strong emotional relationship – how we define them still varies a great deal from person to person.

The goal setting template takes that variation into account. Fill in this section by listing what is important to you.

Remember, it is particularly important here not to edit. When you're filling out the goal setting template. List your ideas freely. Don't worry about using full sentences or proper grammar or jotting down every last detail. You can clean up and edit your goals at a later step. For now, just get them down on paper.

You can have one goal or more than one goal for each area. It doesn’t matter. Again, for the moment, just list what you think that you want.

Step 3: Rewrite, Sort and Finalize Your List of Goals

The final step of the goal setting template is really three steps in one that lead to a polished and final list of goals.

Add Important Details

To wrap up this process spend a few minutes massaging the goals you wrote down so they reflect what you really want. Sometimes adding details is important.

Perhaps you wrote down that you want to be thin. Does that mean hitting a specific weight or size or just adopting healthier eating and exercise habits. If it is one or the other of these then say that.

Maybe you wanted to spend more time with your sweetheart. Do you want to put in a specific amount of time – perhaps, making it home for dinner together a few nights a week? Or maybe you want to put the kinds of activities you would like to make time to pursue as a couple.

Use this second visit to your list to make your goals really reflect what you want to have happen as specifically as you can.

When you’ve done that it’s time to sort the list into two categories.

Do a Rough Sort

At this point your work with through the goal setting template is almost done.

Your second to last task is to sort the list of more specific goals you created in the last step into two categories.

Goals that are your top, immediate priority go into one group. This doesn’t mean that you’ll reach the goals in an instant. It does mean that you will start working on them right away. Label this group of goals Category 1 Goals.

All the goals that aren’t Category 1 fall into Category 2. They are still important but you they’re not going to be your first target for action. Some category 2 goals may be really long term goals – ones you want to reach someday. Others will be things you want to get to when you can but after the goals that you’ve put in Category 1.

As you divide your list into these two groups don’t worry too much about whether a goal belongs in one category or the other.

The list isn’t written in stone or final in that sense. You can, and will, be able to move goals back and forth between categories. Sometimes your priorities will change. Or you may meet one goal and be ready for more. Just create a grouping your relatively comfortable with.

Polish Your Goals

To complete the goal setting template take one last look at your list of category 1 goals.

Do they say what you want them to say? Do they need any revision to reflect what you really mean – what you intend to accomplish? Take one last cut at rewriting the Category 1 goals if they need any attention.

When you are done with that revision your work with the goal setting template is done.

Well done so far!

Take your list of Category 1 goals and move into the action phase.

And good luck!

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