Goal-setting: A personal development trait What are your goals for 2009?

Commitment vs. Resolution….. - a commitment makes it concrete, there’s accountability attached - it is a promise to oneself to act and follow through - a resolution is perceived with negativity (too easy to break) - state your commitment out loud (friend, parent, teacher, employer, coach)

Commitment – motivation??? -helps one define a path as well as heighten one’s determination -Questions to ask: What will this get me? -What do I truly want? - What is my real goal here? We need to understand the underlying reasons for this commitment.

Journal writing?? - an effective tool to understand one’s inner motivations -many state that a plan on paper is better than a plan from the mouth

Goal-setting – the specifics! Helps keep us on track and tells us where we are heading. Many of the most successful people in life are goal-setters

Important questions to ask: How will I know when I reach my goal? What will it feel like? What will my life look like? Critical….what is standing in my way of reaching that goal?

S.M.A.R.T. Methodology – use it! Specific- vs. general. Clearly, explicitly, define your goal. Measurable- will I SEE & FEEL the results? Set benchmarks at incremental time periods. Attainable & Realistic – setting higher than average expectations invites failure, but benchmarks must be significant. Timely- create short-term time-related goals to achieve your success.

Goals in general…. -goals are reached by small successes -recognizing and celebrating those successes will build one’s confidence -progress includes learning from and not focusing on the “bumps on the road” (setbacks are normal) -”Falling is not the problem, not getting up is!”