an easy 6-step goal-setting method that focuses on you as a whole person and up levels all facets of your life, not just your business.
Glasses clinked together. When it was all said and done, the event was a huge success.
A minimum of on the surface.
After giving the conference’s closing keynote speech hours earlier, I was now sitting at a bar with the founder who, after working tirelessly for months, was finally able to relax.
We discussed our revenue targets for our businesses, plans for a larger and better event the following year, and his hiring drive to triple the size of his team in only four months.
He was extremely organized and foresaw everything that would occur. On-point business objectives.
I became inquisitive after approximately an hour and changed the subject:
“What about away from work? Any major objectives for the family this year?” I inquired.
He took a drink of his third old-fashioned and then exclaimed, “Oh, you know. I just want to make sure we’re all content and healthy.
I raised my glass and nodded in agreement.
We talked for the remainder of the night on various topics until bidden each other goodbye just before midnight. The following morning, he had a debriefing with his team, and I had a flight to catch.
I couldn’t stop thinking about his response to my previous query and how ironic it was while I got ready for bed.
I was aware that he wasn’t in the best of condition below the surface. He ate worse and slept poorly. Things weren’t any better at home either. People who knew him well were aware of his wife’s health issues, and any interaction with his kid mainly consisted of whatever he could fit into his hectic schedule.
Unfortunately, in the world of entrepreneurship, this is not an unusual story. Other aspects of our lives suffer as a result of our intense attention to our enterprises and their objectives.
We can be very detailed about our company objectives, but when questioned about our objectives, we just provide a general response that is more akin to “I’ll get around to it someday.”
That isn’t how things ought to be.
Since 2011, when I realized I was falling into the same trap, I’ve made it a point to never again allow my business to take up all of my time and energy.
Rather, the business is one important part of a much larger whole. Each part is equally important, and each part deserving of time and attention to real, specific, and measurable goals.
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The Holistic Goal Setting Framework in 6-Parts
Michael Hyatt and his Best Year Ever program served as a major source of inspiration for me as I developed my 6-step approach, which I follow annually to continue to advance not just my business but also all other facets of my life.
Since the start of Michael’s program in 2012, I have participated every year. Unfortunately, the online course is no longer offered. But I suggest Michael’s The Full Focus Journal because it aligns with Best Year Ever’s principles. It’s fantastic.
His software is lightly modified in my framework, and he should be given full credit for it.
- What Do You Want?
- Why Do You Want it?
- Create Your Top 3 Goals for 2023Next Steps
- What’s the Trigger
- Who Will Support You?
Download our 2023 Goal Design Workshop Workbook to aid you with this process. This was provided to our All-Access Pass subscribers last month at a live workshop I oversaw. Please feel free to download the worksheet, and if you would want access to all of our courses, seminars, and a community to support your work, please think about purchasing our All-Access Pass.
1: What Do You Want?
The first step is to segment your life into areas other than the business that are also essential to you.
You can add additional categories to the list, such as emotional, intellectual, physical, relational, business, recreational, and financial, if you’d like.
What might you then expect to do within each of those categories in the future?
It doesn’t have to be a target that must be met by the end of the year, and it doesn’t even have to be particular. You have the option of listing multiples.
Simply put, this practice forces you to consider your desires. Consider these matters carefully since they will affect the choices you make later.
What’s remarkable is that a lot of what I want has evolved or changed in some manner every year that I go through this practice. This is why it’s crucial to perform this process each year because as we evolve and our circumstances change, so should our ambitions.
2: Why Do You Want It?
A dream is a vision without action. Without vision, action is a nightmare.
It’s crucial to understand the WHY behind each of the goals you listed in Part 1 for each area. There won’t be any drive if the WHY isn’t there.
Everything must serve a purpose; else, why bother?
This exercise aids in identifying the motivation behind your activities and might inspire you when taking action is difficult or when you encounter a barrier.
3: Create Your Top 3 Goals for 2023
Let’s begin by setting three specific SMART goals for the year that will help achieve three of the aforementioned aspirations (from 3 different categories).
Why 3?
For the time being, we want to concentrate more narrowly so that we can do the remaining exercises more quickly. Once you’ve completed the third workout, go back and repeat the remaining exercises with more.
Make a clearly stated SMART goal or habit for each dream you choose to strive toward this year.
What is a SMART goal?
A SMART goal is:
S: Specific.
Be as explicit and as clear as you can.
Poor example: I’ll exercise as often as I can.
Excellent illustration: I’ll work out for at least 45 minutes each time I visit the gym three days a week.
Stop spending time in my business, for instance.
Great example: By the end of Q2, 2023, I will limit my employees’ attendance at meetings to two per week.
M: Measurable
What cannot be measured cannot be tracked or improved. Setting goals and tracking your progress allow you to assess how far you’ve come toward your objective and make any adjustments.
It should be revised or reworded if you have a goal but are unsure of how you will know if you are on the right track.
A: Attainable.
Your objectives must be attainable and reasonable. This could be the most difficult because your natural inclination might be to make your objective a little more manageable to increase your chances of success.
But if you have low expectations for yourself, you won’t make any progress.
Here, use common sense.
Although I enjoy playing basketball and utilize it as a form of exercise, it is unrealistic for me to join an NBA team this year given my age, height, and skill level. (The males I play with can most certainly vouch for that, lol.)
R: Risky
The word “R” in SMART objectives typically stands for Relevant, which is a crucial one because you want to make sure that your goals matter to you. And I believe that this is there so that we don’t just list unrelated goals at random. However, in general, especially if you utilize this framework, all of the goals you mention will already be relevant, so I choose to substitute one of Michael’s Rs here instead: risky.
I don’t mean harmful or very significant when I say “risky.” To avoid including goals that are “too easy,” the word “risky” is employed. There is a chance that you won’t succeed.
T: Time-Based
This strategy finally functions because each objective has a certain day or time associated with it. This might help you establish a deadline that motivates action now.
Every goal needs a deadline, whether it’s a month and day to complete the objective or a period to develop a habit.
4: Next Steps
It’s straightforward but effective.
Write down the next actions for each of the behaviors or goals you’ve listed. What is the one thing you need to do right away to start moving in the direction of your goals from where you are right now?
For instance, I want to participate in four kayak bass fishing competitions by the end of the year. My initial move? Join the SoCal Kayak Fishing Club so I may add the tournament dates to my calendar and register my name.
The momentum starts once you take this action.
5: What’s the Trigger?
Write down a trigger that will cause each habit or objective to be activated. This is a strategic exercise to ensure that you have the best possibility of achieving your goals all year long.
For instance, James Clear advises removing as much friction as you can to make it happen in his book Atomic Habits if you want to develop the habit of running every morning. The night before, place your running attire by your bed and include it in your bedtime ritual. The running shoes will be waiting for you at your bedside when you wake up in the morning.
On his path to mastering the guitar, Nerd Fitness’ Steve Kamb mentioned something similar. He decided to put a guitar on a stand at the end of the hallway between his bedroom and kitchen rather than just leaving it in the corner of his living room so that he would always be close to it and be encouraged to practice more.
Maybe you have a sticky note next to your computer or a phone alarm. We can all agree that life is busy. To put things in your favor and truly make them happen, develop a trigger.
6: Who Will Support You?
This one appears to resonate with a lot of people since we frequently are unaware of the champions in our life who will encourage us and hold us accountable.
Anybody that comes to mind that you can ask for help with any of your goals should be noted down. You merely need to be aware that there are other people you may turn to for support in case you need it; they don’t have to guide you through the process (although they could if they are qualified to do so).
A friend, coworker, spouse, member of the community you belong to, business associate, or even one of your children. Tell them your objective and urge them to just be aware that it’s something you’re pursuing. Inform them that you think their support alone will be beneficial. How effectively this works will amaze you.
They may offer direct assistance at times, but even just knowing that they will hold you responsible will motivate you to complete the task at hand.
I hope this has inspired you to begin approaching your objectives in a new way, one that considers you as a full person in addition to your professional and financial objectives. There are so many other vital parts of your life that also need your time and attention.
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Cheers, and best of luck to you. Here’s to an amazing 2023!
