I was reminded of the power of goal setting today when a woman I know stopped by my office to tell me about her successful achievement of a goal she has been working towards for many years. She had worked with a coach several years ago in order to think through what she wanted for her life on a personal and professional front. Through that process she set five long term goals. One of the goals was related to her professional practice and she indicated that she wished to attain it by her 40th year.
Over the past years she has consulted her goal list frequently and taken steps that would move her forward. Today, at 40, she reached the goal. It was truly an exciting moment that I was delighted to celebrate with her.
I am blogging about this because I know even for myself as a coach it can be hard to set goals. Sometimes if a goal seems too distant or unachievable it can be disheartening. On the other hand, easy goals are not motivating either.
And goals are important. They help us get our priorities straight which is crucial with the busy lives we lead. They help us plan action that will carry is forward. They help us focus. And by writing them down we take the first and most important step towards making them happen.
