Ready…Set…Goals!
I am a goal-oriented person. I love the challenge of a goal being set before me; give me a goal and I will reach it.
I actually thought I was doing really well in the “goals department.” Then, in 2021, a friend of mine gave me a journal by Darren Hardy titled, “Living Your Best Year Ever,” after I had told her I was going to take a run at the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking in 2022. She thought it would help me on that journey.
I began my “journal journey” in November 2021 and had 3 specific goals: win the World Championship of Public Speaking (or see how far I could get in the process), pay off my Line of Credit and read 30 books.
The first half of the journal contains reading material along with associated exercises, including:
· Reviewing the prior year for accomplishments, lessons learned, and decisions made.
· Reviewing what you are grateful for.
· Completing a personal assessment on eight areas of your life (for example, relationships and finances).
· Deciding what your Top 10 “SMART” goals would be for the upcoming year.
· Narrowing down the Top 10 to the Top 3.
It took me a month or two to get through those sections.
The second half of the journal is dedicated to making sure you achieve your Top 3 goals, by actively planning what you want to accomplish each week, along with reviewing what you want to accomplish that month and for the quarter. You set your goals for the week, track your progress and at the end of the week you complete a review for the wins, losses, lessons and fixes. There are also additional reviews every fourth week and every twelfth week.
This journal is “hands down” the very best goal-setting resource I have ever used, and it changed the way I pursued my goals. This resource will help ensure you reach your goals!
How did I do with my Top 3? For the first time ever, I placed in the Top 3 at the District Level in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, winning third place (May 2021). I paid off my Line of Credit and I exceeded my goal of 30 books read (I read 35). I accomplished all of these ahead of my deadlines, too. What goals are you ready to set for yourself?
Recommended Resources
- Living Your Best Year Ever journal by Darren Hardy - https://store.darrenhardy.com/products/living-your-best-year-ever
- Darren Hardy produces daily (Monday to Friday) videos on a variety of topics to help people kick-start their day. You can sign up for these for free at https://darrendaily.com/ I start each workday with these videos and have learned a ton!
Monthly Challenge
- Purchase the journal and sign up for the Darren Hardy videos.
- Spend this month working through the first half of the journal.
- Commit yourself to the journal for one year and watch yourself reach your goals!
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