Well Planned Day – Busy Gal

If you’ve ever been asked to set goals, whether long-term or short-term, you know it can be a challenge. Some of us are creatives and can easily make a list of great ideas, but implementation overwhelms us. That’s where the A.C.H.I.E.V.E. Method shines!

Others of us, though, don’t even know where to start on building a list of ideas. Give us a starting point, and then we can go somewhere. But starting is a challenge. If this is you, you might actually be finding it hard to choose an area of focus and a specific desire for the A.S.P.I.R.E. step of A.C.H.I.E.V.E. 

Let me encourage you with this reality: pretty much all of us require help to either create or implement our goals. Different personalities struggle at different points along the way, but none of us excels at every point in the process. 

Now, though, let’s get down to business with some practical help for pinpointing an area of focus and a specific desire so you can get started on creating your own goals.

The Joy of Goals

The first step is to really pay attention to the first two steps of A.S.P.I.R.E. You are looking for something specific you want to focus on. You’re naming a very specific desire. 

We often think that goals have to be based on seeing into the future and knowing some future “us” we’re supposed to be aiming for. Because crystal balls don’t truly exist, this is an impossible task. Yes, some people are more able to interpret where they are right now and accurately project where they will be five or ten years from now. But not everyone can do that. So, what do the rest of us do? 

We focus on something specific we want to accomplish. It’s that simple. 

Think about this question: What do I want to do, learn, make, or enjoy? 

This is such a beautiful way to describe our goals, desires, and areas of focus. If we stop and recognize that the purpose of goals is to help us learn, grow, and live healthy lives, we can often more effectively set and implement our goals, no matter where our strengths lie. 

Make it Practical

Don’t just answer the above question in your head. Instead, pick one of the four categories (to do, learn, make, or enjoy) each month and pick one thing that you’d like to accomplish in that category. If you feel that the word “accomplish” is too strong, instead list something new you want to try!

If you want, you can go ahead and fill out an A.S.P.I.R.E. worksheet to break down this goal. Or, you can simply save space on your monthly Benchmark worksheet to list what you want to get accomplished each week. 

Either way, be sure to use the Benchmark worksheet so that you can revisit your list each week and note what you did to make progress on your goal. Then, at the end of the month, evaluate your overall progress and choose a different category and accomplishment for next month.

Before long, the simple act of making small goals and recording your progress will help you learn how to make bigger goals, and you’ll be well on your way toward creating a new habit!