News from Jo Smith Associates, February 2009

Harvard Business School students were asked in a 1979 study, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent answered "yes". Ten years later, those three percent were earning ten times as much as the other 97 percent of their classmates.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" Alice asked the Cheshire Cat. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat. "I don't much care where," said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat. Alice in Wonderland

Do you know where you're going? Do you know where you want to go? Have you written your goals? Do you have an action plan to achieve your goals? You might not achieve every goal you set - and that's okay - but you will achieve significantly more with goals and plans than without them. More importantly, goal-setting can help you work and live in alignment with your values, doing and accomplishing what is most important to you.

Here are six easy steps to help you set powerful goals:

Begin by opening your mind and dreaming big. In your wildest dreams, what do you want to accomplish? This is not about what you think you should accomplish or what others think you should accomplish. Nor is it about what you think you can accomplish. You can adjust your goals later in the process, but start by thinking BIG.
Next ask yourself what you want to have achieved at the end of your life? What is most important to you? What do you want people to remember about you? Were you a loving parent, a nurturer and provider for your family? Did you start a business or firm that continues your legacy? Did you contribute to your community? Did you support your school? What were your professional accomplishments? Were you the person your colleagues or neighbors could always count on when they needed help or advice?
List all the things you want to accomplish, with no timeline in mind. Brainstorm as long a list as you can, without editing. Now pick the ten that are most important to you. Are they compatible and consistent with your values? Prioritize them.
Pick four or five items to begin your habit of goal-setting and convert them into SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Examples: "I will become a non-equity partner in my firm by January 2010." "I will buy an investment property by December 2012." "I will become president of my alumni association within 5 years." "I will eat dinner with my children 5 nights every week."
Now add action steps to each of your goals, along with a due date or frequency for each. Your action steps under "I will become a non-equity partner in my firm by January 2010," might include, "Make three calls daily to stay in touch with clients and/or contacts," "Write an e-blast article quarterly," "Complete a seminar on delegation in 2009", "Ask supervisor for feedback after all major assignments", etc. Investment property action steps might include monthly savings and research and your alumni association goal might include contacting the dean or executive director, joining the board, working on a committee, etc. Eating dinner with your children might not require any steps other than consistently affirming your commitment to your goal by doing it.
The last step is to implement your plan. Keep it handy, review it often and revise it as your circumstances or desires change. As you achieve your goals, congratulate and reward yourself. Then replace them with bigger, better goals that will continue to inspire you to achieve your potential in a way that's consistent with your values.