There must be couple hundred books on goal setting. Hundreds of Podcasts, etc.
Why the heck does it seem so hard? Because people insist on doing it the hard way.
So make it easy!
First, who else will be impacted by goals you make? The people that need to support you. Listen to you when you are frustrated or down. Contribute thoughts and ideas. Ask questions.
Go get them! Tell them “You are our family goal setting team.” Let them help name your group. “Smith family 5 year goals.” Listen to the youngest members of your team. They are likely to get tired soon.
Tip I learned, (hard way, of course): When youngest get tired it is good time to stop talking for the day. Let everyone think. Next time? Everyone is fresh. With new suggestions and ideas. New questions.
They need to be involved. We all need a support group to keep us going.
Your Support team gives you extra motivation. You need that to reach your goals. If’s it’s just you, easy to let goals slip when going gets tough.
Your Goals Support Team will hold you accountable, encourage you, and act as motivators. Involve them…every step.
This is an area I missed, for at least a decade. And I missed out on lot of family building time.
Somehow, I thought goals were just for me to accomplish. Part was laziness. Far easier to set plans when I’m only one involved. (My lackadaisical attitude let lot of those goals slip, slide, and disappear. Unfulfilled.)
My “Ah-ha” moment
I’ve worked with teams all my career. Why should personal career goals be any different? Darn if I know, just seemed they were.
Took me decade to wake up. When I involved family and couple close friends who knew my business strengths, the career took off. In 3 years we created three new profitable Divisions. It was no longer me. It was “us”.
Second, should your goals be 1,3,5,or 10 years?
Most people set goals short-term, not long term. How many times have people asked what your goal for next year is? Career goals take longer than a year.
Five-year goals are most effective. Long enough to be meaningful. Short enough they don’t get forgotten.
Once you have your set of 5 year goals. Break them down to one year implementation steps. (Kids are great here too. They see what can be easily achieved far better than adults.)
Notice I said “goals” plural? Life is rarely made up of just one goal. People have 2, 3, 4,or 5 goals that support each other. First goal may need to include things from goals 2 and 4 etc. Multiple goals build and support each other. Result? Quicker achievement.
I’ve tried 3year goals. They have not worked for me or our company. There are goals. Then there are plans to accomplish goals. I find 3 years goals are really 3-year plans. (Same with one-year goals. Simply plans to accomplish a step toward goals.)
How do you distinguish a goal from a plan?
Good question. When I’m sitting at work it’s easy to distinguish them. First couple personal goal setting attempts, I constantly confused the two.
Simple answer: Does what you just wrote achieve the plan? Or is it just step toward the plan.
Don’t beat yourself up. Ultimately you need both. Goals and the plans to achieve them. Thinking does not work like an outline. Some thoughts will support goals, others plans. Just get them written down. (Really easy to forget things during a discussion.) Just 3-4 word reminder.
Third, commit your goals to writing.
Simple 1,2,3… Very short sentences, or just 2-3 words.
Then post them where your team can see them daily. Mine are taped to kitchen cabinet.
My career team sees them daily. We only talk about them weekly. And then just for few minutes.
What did our team do this week that got us closer? If I let things slip, we can see steps to get back on track. They want to know how they can help.
Secret tip: Young children are huge help. They are not confused by “big” questions adults ask. They cut to heart of matter. “Why is this a goal? Will it get us to Yellowstone Park or Disneyland sooner? Youngest is into games. Will I win sooner?”
Involving them young help our goal setting team. Also starts to instill goal setting into their DNA.
What happens if kids ae not young any more? They help from new perspectives, whether they are at home or not.
Who else sees goals on cabinet? Friends visiting. They ask about them. Another motivator to achieve the goals. (I don’t know about your friends, but mine love to rub my nose in an unachieved goal.)
That brings up a good point. Set achievable goals. Make sure your goals are steps to achieving your life dreams.
Can goals be changed?
Of course. You are working toward your life plan. There are always changes and set backs. Just don’t use them as excuses.
Build your goals to achieve. Still struggling? Reach out to me through LinkedIn. From our website you can set a call that fits your schedule. Initial call is free. We also have some other tools that can help.
Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
