How do I start setting goals?

Time and time again I have set goals at the beginning of the year to:

• lose a few pounds
• eat healthier food
• be a better person
• better manage time for my business 
• etc, etc, etc.

I never imagined that all of these goals would be intertwined. 

For instance, did I realize that I could be a much nicer person if I wasn't worried about what everyone thought I looked like? No, I didn't, BUT now I do. 

So here's the deal. I want you to make a list. Make a list of the 10 most important things for you to do in the next few months.

Seriously... Make a list! Right now. The rest of this post won't help you if you don't make the list.

Got it? Now look at your list of 10, and see if one of those goals would unlock any of the others. Example: Is one of your goals to lose weight? Yes? Is another to eat healthier? Yes? there you have it, eating healthier would help you lose weight for sure. 

So take a good hard look at your list which on of those goals unlocks the most potential for reaching the rest of them? 

Let's call this the key goal. 

Now that you have your key goal, write it out like it is something you already do. Is your goal to read a new book every month? Rewrite it as, "I read a new book every month." Saying it like it is already true helps you commit to actually doing it. 

Why? Because you feel good saying that you accomplish your goals. Think about it: which makes you happier? "I go on a date with my spouse at least once per week" or "I want to go on a date with my spouse once per week." Stating that you have accomplished your goal gives you a quick glimpse into what it will feel like to achieve that goal.

Now, here is the BIG commitment. Put it out there. Don't tell yourself alone about your goals. Letting yourself down is not nearly as bad as other people knowing you didn't meet a goal. So find three people who you trust with your goal, and tell them in the next 4 hours what your goal is, and give yourself a deadline.

Finally, work at it! Don't just set the goal and do nothing. Keep yourself accountable. Write your accomplished goal down and put it somewhere you will see it!