In this follow-up to yesterday’s article on goal planning, today’s tip is to consider the big picture when setting and writing your goals. Namely, what is the end result you want to achieve over this next year.
Let’s fast forward to December 26, 2018 and you are now planning goals for 2019. What do you see? Were goals achieved and which ones? What wasn’t achieved and why. And, most importantly, how are you feeling as you uncover your life in the previous year – are you happy with the results or does it seem like it’s groundhog day all over again.
A great way to plan is to look at your big picture, which includes both what has been and what will be. This involves using your creative brain and going into what you would like the picture to develop into; without these the picture will be black and white – not very motivating.
Here are 5 ways to create your big picture to set goals for the new year:
- Free think/write/draw – this way involves tapping into your creative brain and allowing whatever comes to mind to appear; there is no judgement or corrections to be made on the ideas that come to mind – you allow them to come. I use this often and have found it very effective – it got me writing my dissertation. Carry around a notebook, or use your cell phone, to jot down any ideas as they can come at any time; for some, it can be while driving in the car, for others it’s while in the shower, and for others it can be when taking a walk or watching TV. You may need to create a space that brings out your creativity, such as by setting up an area in your house or your patio, putting on some soft music, and the like. Freethinking does not worry about what ideas sound like – this is just getting them out. If i it easier, draw the ideas.
- Vision board – cut out pictures of your goal/end-result; it is said to find someone who has achieved what you want you want as inspiration so you can model after them. Vision boards, and the pictures you choose, become subliminal to the brain so that you want to do the work needed to go after them. It also ties them in to your current situation and where you want to end up, or want more of in your life. You can create a vision board for each are of your life, such as money/finances, career, relationships, spiritual, or personal, such as travel, buy or fix up a house, a new car, etc. You can create a large board or several small ones; you can put them in your planner or on your computer. The important point is that you visualize and create; it is also necessary to look at this daily to keep it in mind and as a motivator to work towards.
- Mindmapping – another great way to set goals, by seeing the big picture is to mindmap, which is when you draw a circle in the middle of a piece of paper (or whiteboard) and then, like spokes on a wheel, list all steps that would lead to the goal. This works in the reverse, as well, as you may know steps to take but are not sure where they lead – mindmapping can give you the ultimate picture; it also is a great way to freethink ideas that you have and override any blocks or worries about those ideas.
- Write the story, or scripting, which is where you tell the story of what you want to achieve but from the perspective of you as the director. Again, you can create any story you like and then adding any details around the particulars. This is a great exercise to get the bigger picture but write it as you would like it to play out; I’ve used this and found the results turned out exactly as I desired.
- Work backwards, ala Everest goals – this involves listing your desired end result and then putting the pieces together of what it took you to get there; working backwards opens up more of the possibilities but also taps in the analytical part of the brain. I say if Oprah were to interview you about your goal achievement (“What did you do to get ________”) you would be able to walk through from the first step on. Often you will see things you may not have otherwise.
Identifying your ‘big picture’ for what you want to create in the new year will lead to more ideas and then solutions to get there. This is your picture to create so don’t spare anything; you can always go back and pare them down later. But first, you need to get them out and following these 5 ways will get you there. If you find yourself stuck or need a partner to help with bringing those big ideas and out and creating a strategy to achieve them – let’s talk!
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com
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