When Was the Last Time You Examined Your Goals?

Do you have professional and personal goals? When I started my consulting business a few years ago, my business coach gave me a goals worksheet.  I was asked to reflect on what I loved about the previous year…what I hated and what decisions made me feel empowered?

I was also told to write down what I wanted to accomplish in the next two decades—both professional and personal–no matter how silly.  After I had written down the goals, I had to put timelines next to each one—one year, five years, etc.  To focus, even more, I then circled the one-year goals and built out detailed steps I needed to take to achieve them.

I was very specific—become a personal branding expert, publish a book on personal branding, lose 30 pounds, teach at a local university, etc. I began speaking these goals out into the universe.  Believe it or not, two goals quickly became a reality within three to six months—conducting personal branding workshops and serving as an adjunct professor at NYU. Needless to say, I’m still working on the book and the 30 pounds!

However, it reminds me of the process I went through when I decided to go to graduate school many years ago.  I had been toying with the idea for some time.  Before I knew it, four years had passed, and I hadn’t even taken the entrance exam.  But one day, I decided to bite the bullet.  While I didn’t know it at the time, I used the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) approach to accomplishing this goal.  I became laser focused on going to graduate school and immediately applied to take the GRE. At the same time, I began researching my options and decided that Duquesne University had the best marketing communications program. I needed a total of 30 credits to complete my degree. I became a part-time student and took two classes a semester. For four years, I spent two evenings a week focused on graduate courses.

Whether it’s a new job or something personal you want to accomplish, goal setting is important.  What you focus on, is what you achieve.

What goals do you need to focus on that can help you build your personal brand? Tell me below.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

-Zig Ziglar