The LifeScienceTools.com Goal Setting Method

Many people have to-do lists. They dutifully add things to their lists, however nothing ever gets done.

Some people make resolutions, like new-year's resolutions - promises to themselves to do certain things, and never follow through on any of them.

People are creatures of habit, and tend to follow the path of least resistance. We like to take the easy route.

Have you ever noticed that, when you have a difficult important task at hand, and a seemingly urgent simple task arises, you drop the important difficult one to "quickly" take care of the urgent simple one? After all, it's urgent, right? Wrong! Well, usually wrong anyway - some things really are urgent.

In allowing ourselves to favor simple reactive tasks over the important ones, we stay stuck in where we are.

The LifeScienceTools.com Goal Setting Method addresses this by providing a simple and straight-forward process to set goals and manage tasks. Additionally the online Goal Setting Software on this site provides a web-based tool to do this from any Internet-connected computer in the world. It even sends you daily reminders (optional) to keep you focused.

Life Goals

Have you noticed that when you ask a young child what they want to be when they grow up, they answer with enthusiasm and don't censor their thoughts? Fireman. Policeman. Race-car driver.

Then, when we become adults, we seem to lower these ideas to within our comfort zones. We change our dreams to match our self-imposed view of "reality". We censor our own thinking, because it's the grown-up thing to do. LOL.

This is so restrictive on our potential.

The first step in effect goal setting is uncensored dream setting. That is, to create a list of life goals, whether you believe you can attain them or not.

To get this list started, answer the questions: "If I could not fail, I would be ..., I would have ... and I would do ...". These are the things that should inspire you, so don't hold back.

Short-term Targets

Once you have your life goals written down, it's time to move on to your short term targets. This is where most people do an OK job because we're now talking about "reality" and therefore we feel more comfortable with our internal censor.

Targets are short-term goals. Typically they can span anywhere from a few months to a year or two.

Good targets support your long-term life goals, but they don't have to.

Good goals are SMART goals, and by that we don't just mean clever. All goals and targets should be:

• Specific - Vague goals are much harder and much less likely to achieve. Set goals like "to lose 10 pounds" versus "to lose some weight"
• Measurable - You need to know when the goal is attained. Try "to save $1000" instead of "to save some money"
• Attainable - Your goals have to be achievable to be of any use. There's little point in setting a goal like "to lose 50 pounds in one week" as this is impossible (unless you're having body-parts surgically removed).
• Realistic - For a goal to be motivating, you need to believe that you can get there.
• Timely - Open-ended goals give you no pressure to achieve them. Plan a definite end date. A goal like "to stop smoking" doesn't motivate nearly as well as "to stop smoking this Monday"

Tasks

For each short-term target, you'll need a detailed plan and set of steps to achieve that target. This is done in the form of tasks. Some targets will have a very simple task plan - almost like a basic to-do list, while others will have a more complicated tree-like structure.

It is important to not get frazzled at this point. Many people get analysis paralysis and spend their entire lives polishing the daily task list instead of getting any of the tasks done.

Break each target down into manageable, bite-sized, tasks. If a task is still too big or hinges on other items, then break it down again. A task should take you no longer than 2-3 hours to complete, and you should be able to complete every task in one sitting.

Naturally there will be very simple tasks that take only minutes (like "call the airline and book the flight tickets"). That's fine. The simpler the better. It's the complex tasks that require further breaking down.

You also don't have to finish your entire task plan for a target in one session. If you spend a little bit of time every day refining the plan, it will eventually take shape.

Must-do's

Finally, select a handful of tasks, and move them onto your daily must-do list. This is a to-do list of things you should prioritize every day and ensure they get done. Put them into your scheduler and set time aside to get these things done.

Don't let your easy To-Do's get in the way of the really important stuff in your life.

Once you've completed your must-do's for the day, go back to your task list, review the plan, make adjustments if necessary, and then select the next handful of tasks for the next day.

This way, one day at a time, you'll slowly be achieving your targets, and moving closer to your dreams.

To Your Success!

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