General goal-setting guidelines

• Write them down. Do this during the part of the day when you are at maximum energy. Get a hard-bound journal or writing pad; legal pads are too easy to lose, and you want to keep an ongoing log of your success. Pick a place where you will not be interrupted, such as a conference room, office, park, or beach. Being focused on the task is critical.

• Don't get blocked. Don't try to set goals just because you have set aside the time. If you are having difficulty coming up with goals, take a break and begin again in a day or two. Drawing inspiration from your goals is more important then sticking to an articificial deadline.

• Do it regularly. Setting goals is a lifelong process. Try blocking out two half-days a year for your major business planning and goal-setting process (July and December, for example). Allocate two hours every month to set, review, and refine your goals.

• Review them daily. Establish a daily game plan that starts with reviewing each of your goals and focusing on what you need to do to accomplish them.

• Be realistic. Many people set the wrong or poor goals, do not achieve them, and then become frustrated and negative about the entire goal-setting process. To avoid this, make sure your goals have meaning to you. Don't set a goal of cold calling if that strategy hasn't been effective. And don't set lofty goals that you are unlikely to achieve. How will you gain five referrals per week, for example, if you're new to the business and haven't established clients yet?

The step-by-step approach

1. Break down your life into specific categories (business, personal, family, heath, etc.).

2. In a bulleted format, list what you want as a goal in each category.

3. Don't worry about how you are going to achieve a goal.

4. Write down why the goal is important to you.

5. Give the goal a specific deadline.

6. Write down the daily action steps necessary to achieve your goal.

7. Identify what your reward will be for when you attain this goal.