Here’s how I do my end-of-year goal-setting process

Before I forget, I’ve done a 2014 intentions and values worksheet for my newsletter subscribers. If you’re not already a subscriber, go here, sign up on the home page and within a few minutes, you’ll get your welcome pack to help you kick off your 2014 goal-setting process.

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I’ve had a few requests from readers to share my own goal-setting/ year in review process so here we go.

I’m a “what is the purpose of doing this?” kind of person so let’s start with that question.

Identify your purpose

The purpose for me doing a year in review and then a goal-setting process is simple (not easy):

1. I want to always live my life with purpose and intention
2. I want to replicate things that work well
3. I want to identify things that didn’t work so I don’t repeat my mistakes

Can you identify your purpose in going through this process?

If you don’t believe in the greater purpose (that it will help you to have a richer and more fulfilling life), it’s almost pointless to do it.

Expand the monthly review

My annual review is just a MUCH BIGGER version of my monthly review process so let’s take a quick look at the monthly process.

Here’s an article I wrote on my six-monthly review.

Generally speaking, I spend an hour or so on the last day of every month/ first day of the new month looking at my list of typed goals and I take stock.

For anything that hasn’t been done, I either move it to the new month’s list or if it’s moved down in priority, I might decide to let it go.

There are two main things I want to get out of the process (many questions … but they boil down to these two principles):

• what worked well?
• what do I want next?

Take it up a level

For my annual process, it’s the same thing, except I think about each of the life areas of my life in isolation.

1. How did I do (regarding those two questions above) in my walk with God/ and ministry, if applicable?
2. How did I live out my word of the year?
3. How am I doing on my health and fitness goals?
4. What was the quality of our family time? And date time with Dion?
5. How did we do financially? Where are we spending too much money? Are we spending money on the right things (for me, travel, learning and books)
6. How did my little business do?
7. How am I doing socially (this is quite big for me, being an extrovert AND having a really high value for connection), with my real life friends who live close by but also with my friends who are in other countries/ cities? How can I connect better and be a kinder and more thoughtful friend?
8. How did I do with my reading goals? And with other relaxation-type activities, like my photography or just general creating?

Reflect

Up to now, it’s been mostly analyis and logic/ reasoning-type work.

This is also the part I struggle with most – the reflection. Those who are INs on Myers Briggs (I’m an ESTJ) will fare better here. The Es do better by talking (or in my case, writing) it out.

Ask yourself if you really wanted those goals and if they were truly realistic for your life stage. It’s unrealistic for me to go to gym 5 nights a week WITH my kids being this young, my job as demanding as it is and still wanting to have time for coaching, creating, reading. So I know if I set a goal for 2 nights a week, that’s much more realistic for ME.

Each person’s priorities and values dictates their own definition of realistic. (if I knew how to do those “click to tweet” things, I would do so here :))

Where do you need to let go?

(one year I realised that while I do like creating, I only like creating paper-based crafts and I let go of everything else)

Get to the fun bits

Then you get to it and set goals for the year ahead.

Again, this depends on the type of person you are. Some people like to make a list of things they want to do for the year ahead. Others like to use my goals form and separate their lists into categories. Others take their time and wait for these things to present themselves. Still others book a session with a coach – I’ve often had people book just one session with me at the beginning of the year to help them clarify and set their goals, and then they get on with it themselves..

Whatever your style, just do it.

I can’t emphasise enough how valuable goal-setting is. I’ve done it now for 16 years in a row and I can tell you I get better at it all the time.

I think of each part of my life and set goals in each category. I don’t get all OCD and make sure I have 3 in each category but if you want to do that, you go right ahead 🙂

Resources!

1. My own Big, Juicy Goals – audio and workbook. It’s not in the least fluffy and woo-woo so if that’s your style, get mine 🙂

2. If you’re a bit more introspective and a naturally reflective sort of person, get Leonie’s version. Actually, they both would work really well together for anyone, but I’m just saying… in case you’re strapped for cash.

Did this help at all?

Have you done your 2013 reflection yet?

PS Inspiration!

Read the comment on this post. Pamela has started her own business and has left her full-time job!