Comments on: Basic Goal Setting Worksheet

By: R.J. McGRAW

R.J. McGRAW — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:53:47 +0000

As stated by other comments, goals need to have completion dates & of course they can be changed but only by the coach.Another thing about goals that I found is the client should take baby steps and increase the goal as one completes the baby steps. I had a client that was mildly obese. He wanted to start walking a quarter mile twice a day. This would have taken him about one hour or more to do. I talked him down to walking for 5 minutes three times a day. In a year he lost 80 lbs & is now walking two miles twice a day. Baby steps.

By: Jorge Blanco

Jorge Blanco — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:21:19 +0000

I don’t think that all urgency is competitive, at least not outwards competitive. Being in competition with your old self is a good thing. You should be out there everyday trying to be better than yesterday. If competition with others does not motivate you, stop looking outside for success reference and start looking more inside (or into a mirror) and analyze how YOU can be better.

As for the dates, if you feel setting dates isn’t helping you, try breaking down your goal into small stepping stones that you can achieve on a daily or weekly basis and keep achieving your smaller goals every day or week.

Failing to meet a deadline for a goal is NOT failing. Failure occurs only when you stop trying. If you didn’t meet your goal by the set date, it is a good time to sit down and analyze why it didn’t happen, did you did everything you set out to do? did you put all your best efforts out there? did you lack any important knowledge or understanding about that goal that prevented you from succeeding? Failure and a “temporary setback” are very different. Admitting failure is admitting you are no longer going to try to achieve that. Admitting a “temporary setback” means you understand that something didn’t go as planned but your intent towards achieving that goal is as strong as ever.

Having setbacks and minor and major blunders are part of life. Don’t run away from them, don’t try to hide from them. Embrace them. If you have to fall, fall spectacularly, and remember to always get up and step up to the plate again.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:40:40 +0000

I understand Jim’s comment about dates. Sandy Grason teaches very strongly against setting dates, because people see themselves as failing if they don’t make their goal by their set date, however you can change your date at any time…Urgency is working in a competitive way, I really don’t like when people say ( in MLM) work with a sense of urgency. Working in a sense of urgency to me is too competitive and can be destructive of the creative mind…work in the creative mind and success is surely to come to you….just my two cents

By: Jorge Blanco

Jorge Blanco — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:08:03 +0000

I totally agree with the “I will” and “I can” part (in fact I don’t use them at all). Goals are statements, a matter of fact in a way. However I don’t follow your logic with relation to dates. Would you like to comment a bit more about that?

I believe that having set a date for completion not only cements the commitment in your mind, but for more complex goals, allows you to trace a clear step by step plan towards that goal. That allows you to know what specific action you need to take now. If you don’t use dates, in my opinion, it leads to “someday” goals, since many goals take time to complete. You cannot say “drop 40 pounds NOW”, not only is it impossible (unless you chop off your legs), but it’s completely unhealthy. You need to pace it, and be consistent. That’s where dates and plans come in.

Even so, I’d love to read your comments on giving yourself a sense of urgency. I think it can really help out with procrastination and dread.

By: Jim Jackson

Jim Jackson — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:35:49 +0000

If you understood the thought process you would not use dates, I can, or I will as none of these create any sense of urgency. I would be happy to coach you.