Goal Setting: Set Your Sights on SUCCESS

How do you set goals for yourself?

I was flying home from Anaheim last week and thinking about my goals for the coming year. There are things I want to accomplish in several areas, including career, family and health. 

There are recognized strategies for how to set goals, most notably the SMART method - ensuring your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. 

But something kept running through my head - SEE, SET, SAY. 

While the SMART goal setting process is probably the best one out there, it actually misses out on two of the most important things that have made a difference to me achieving my goals. From weight loss to career success, these two things have been absolutely key: SEE and SAY. 

SEE - I have always visualized my goals. Not in a meditative way or anything, but I do picture what that goal will look and feel like once achieved. I can picture it so clearly that I have no doubt that it will happen. You might do this with a vision board or just in your own mind, but SEE your goals as you set them. 

The SET is pretty self-explanatory, given that you need to SET the goals - but make sure they are SPECIFIC and have a time frame. For example, I want to run the Wine & Dine Half Marathon on November 7, 2015 in a time of 2:20 or less. 

SAY - This may be one of the things that most contributed to my weight loss success, and it started with this very blog. Creating this blog made my weight loss journey "official," public, and it gave me the added accountability I needed. I'm not saying everyone needs to start a blog or a Facebook page to achieve their goals, but don't be afraid to TALK about them, to TELL people what you are working towards. 

Whatever your goals, make them REAL for yourself. Set your specific goals and share what you're doing. SEE. SET. SAY. 

What are your goals for 2015?