{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 22 - Goal Setting - New Year, Same You","description":"Summary As the end of the year fast approaches, we take a look at goal setting - something we all know a lot about, and yet we\u2019re lousy at it. Here are four ideas that might help. Transcript Welcome to episode 22 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we tackle one of today\u2019s biggest leadership challenges. If I was to ask you \u201cTell me about the best approaches to goal setting?\u201d, you\u2019re pretty likely to mention SMART goals. We all know goals work best when they\u2019re Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. And yet as human beings we are still pretty lousy at setting and following through on goals. Today I want to focus on four quick tips for setting better goals.  A few years back I set a goal for myself - I said \u201cI want to become a better cook\u201d. So I dutifully picked up Jamie Oliver\u2019s 15 minute meals book - that sounded pretty achievable. I picked out a meal and got to work. Well, 90 minutes, one fennel and three fry pans later, the meal still didn\u2019t look anything like the photo in the book. Plus I discovered that Jamie hadn\u2019t factored in cleaning up time to the 15 minutes. I gave up. Around the same time I set myself another goal - \u201cI will go for a run every day of the week except Sunday\u201d. Now I had tried running before, even setting a goal to run three times a week. But the inevitable happened - Monday it was a little cold, Tuesday I just wasn\u2019t feeling it, Wednesday there was the sound of rain on the roof - and so on until Saturday. To make up for the lost days I would then run three times as far on Saturday and injure myself, knocking out running for another week. In contrast, my \u201crun every day except Sunday\u201d strategy has held up for over a year. So what made that goal stick, unlike my goal around becoming a better cook? The first difference is word choice - there\u2019s a big difference between \u201cwant\u201d and \u201cwill\u201d. If you say you want to do something, you\u2019re indicating a preference. If you say you will do something, you\u2019re stating a commitment. Commitments trump preferences any day. Always make sure you express your goal as a \u201cwill\u201d statement. Second is the middle part of SMART goal setting - Achievable. This is partly about setting a goal that you think is possible. But it\u2019s also about setting goals that you can actually mark off as complete. The beauty of the \u201crun every day except Sunday\u201d goal is that I either completed it in a particular week, or I didn\u2019t complete it that week. Test the wording of your goal to make sure it is something you can actually mark off as complete. The third key for me was clearly picturing how the process of completing the goal would make me feel. The reality of starting a run on 46 year old knees is not pretty - the first few steps never feel great. But one minute into the run I always feel great, so I focus on that moment as I roll out of bed.  And the fourth key is identifying why the goal matters to you. If you set a goal that doesn\u2019t matter to you, just cross it out - you\u2019re never going to achieve it. For me, running is about keeping fit for my family and my work, both of which I love. Running was part of a broader purpose. As you set goals for yourself, remember to say \u201cwill\u201d not \u201cwant\u201d, make it something you can mark off, picture the benefits of the process, and identify why the goal matters to you. That\u2019s our final Leadership Today Podcast for 2018 before we take a break. We\u2019re on track to sail through 10,000 podcast downloads around about Christmas Day. And I really appreciate the feedback people have provided about the podcast, and for you taking the time to listen. I hope it has been helpful in your leadership development.  Over the remainder of December and into January we will be featuring four of our most popular episodes, before we kick off again in February. Best wishes for you and your loved ones for 2019. ","author_name":"Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders","author_url":"https:\/\/leadership.today\/","html":"