In my last post “Picking the Right Goals” I asked you to create a wish list of possible goal starters. This list was a tour around all the things you might want to tackle in the coming year.
Notice I said might.
It is super tempting to create a mile long list of all the things that came up on that wish list.
It’s like going to a buffet. You see this vast array of delicious, mouthwatering food and your eyes go wild! You fill your plate,
pull up to the table and start eating. You might even go back to fill your plate again. You keep eating—and you get stuffed. You probably didn’t finish your plate.
If you choose too many things from your wish list, your plate will be entirely too full, and you’ll be unlikely to finish it all.
Don’t Over Extend Yourself.
When you review your goal starters, it’s easy to get really excited and amped up about the juicy ones. You can picture yourself crushing the goal, and you can’t wait to get started.
What can it hurt?
In order to successfully get to the point when you’re checking goals off your list, you have to not only pick the right goals, but you have to pick the right amount of goals.
Too little and you lose momentum. Too much and you’re easily over extended.
Choose Wisely at the Goals Buffet
Let’s go back to the buffet example. What I love about a good buffet is the variety of offerings. Vegetable, seafood, chicken, beef, pasta….you get the idea. You can choose how much to put on your plate and go back for seconds. You can taste something to see if you like it (just wait until you get to your seat).
When it comes to your goals, you also want to mix it up and pick a variety of goals.
- One of your goals should have a medium level of difficulty so you can feel the effort and leverage momentum.
- Choose another goal that’s a bit more challenging, that will pull you out of your comfort zone and really make you work.
- Finally, consider picking a goal that is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal aka BHAG!
Side note on the BHAG
A BHAG is a goal that’s so large and challenging there’s no way that you can get it all in on one year. A BHAG should be so big, you almost wonder if you can do it. Really good BHAGs will take you at least a couple of years to complete.
When you set a really good BHAG, you’ll have an incredible sense of urgency and might think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. Remember it’s ok to be a little scared—you’re not alone!
Avoid Short Sighted Goal Setting
I understand it can be frustrating to be picky about your goals. But rushing into things is a short sighted approach that can set you up for failure.
You have to evaluate your goals to figure out which ones together are the right mix to keep you engaged, motivated and moving forward.
Going back to the goal starters you picked from the last post, ask yourself these questions to help pick your final three:
- Why is this goal important to you?
- What will you be able to achieve once you complete this goal?
- How will you feel once you have achieved this goal?
- Do you have the resources (time, money, skills, etc.) you need to reach this goal?
- What’s the challenge level of this goal (Doable, Challenging, BHAG (Big Hairy and Audacious)?
By the time you answer these questions, you should start to have an idea of which goals are going to be the right ones.