Setting Personal Growth Goals
“Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not“ - John C. Maxwell
Setting goals is one of the first steps to creating a personal growth plan, which I hope to discuss more in future posts. We can discuss methodology around goals, but this post is more of finding how to create them. They come in many different forms depending on what you want to pursue. Here are some examples.
Losing weight
Exercising more
Reading more
Going to sleep at a specific time
Starting a side-hustle/business
Become better at a skill
and many more
There are tons of options. If you want to see more methodology for achieving goals, go read my 5 Steps to Never Break a New Year’s Resolution blog post on my website. Here are the key steps to deciding what goal you want to pursue.
Identify the Goal – What is the skill, activity, process, job, career change, etc. you want to achieve or improve in? This seems straightforward, but you will be best served by identifying 2-3 things you like to work towards and no more at any time. It is easy for high achievers to set 10+ goals. I want to, but I have to categorize them. 10+ personal, business, learning goals, etc., in any one of the categories alone is overwhelming. Work on 2-3, complete them, add 2-3 more, and go from there!
Determine the Why – Your why or the motivation behind what you are doing is what will keep you going when times get tough. When your energy is low, your motivation is failing, and you feel like no progress is being made… What is the why that got you started? Determine what this is related to your goal. A professional goal could be “If I do this, I will be in line for a promotion,” or a personal goal, “I want to do this for my family (spouse/kids, etc.). I’ve had goals related to my family, future family, wife, career, personal ambitions, etc. You need to be invested into whatever this why is. Suppose it’s a “just because” reason, you won’t stick to it when times get tough. You need a logical and emotional connection to this why, and it will drive you for success!
What Obstacles Will You Face – We don’t like to think about the negative here, but if you know of something that comes to mind right away. How can you remove it or change it? Here is a great example. If you are trying to lose weight, but you know there will be desserts of some kind at an event. How can you avoid or replace them? You can avoid the dessert area of the event. You can ask someone to hold you accountable not to take anything. Or you can be honest and anytime it’s offered, say, “I don’t really eat sweets.” You don’t want to put your identity in “I’m watching what I eat” or something that can be in flux. Be determined in what you say because it reinforces it to you as your new identity.
Start a Plan – From here, get a coach, like myself, or an accountability partner to work with you on the goals. Write down what these goals are. Physically write them down! Then, start to work on an action plan. How are you going to tackle the goals? What milestones can you celebrate, and can you break a larger goal into smaller steps? Accountability is no fund, but it’s one of, if not the most important thing in goals. Communicate them to someone else, and ask for their help in achieving them! Just don’t spend too long on the planning. You can spend all your time planning and never start. Get the basis for your plan and start right away, figure out the rest with the help of your coach or partner as you go on your journey!
If you don’t have goals or things to push yourself, you are falling short on the impact you can have. You will push yourself farther and have a greater impact when your goals push you. They are a powerful tool, use them well!
If you need help setting growth goals or accountability. Consider seeking out a coach. If you would like to learn how a coach can help you achieve your goals, contact me and I will give you a free consultation!
Nick Dyson is the owner of Dyson Leadership and is a
Maxwell Leadership Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach. Providing Leadership coaching, training, workshops, Lunch & Learns, and more!
To learn more about training provided by Dyson Leadership, visit our webpage.
