Goal Setting – January 2009
Well, it is that time of year again! Based on the “Yale Study” I write goals regularly. And, after more than a year of doing so I find it helpful. Also, the more public the goals, the more they are likely go get achieved – if not – I can keep on trying or modify them to be a bit more realistic.
I started to write them based on the “Yale Study”… remember the one, where:
In 1953, researchers surveyed Yale’s graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. The answer: 3%. Twenty years later, researchers polled the surviving members of the Class of 1953 — and found that the 3% with goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined!
Well, that study has recently been debunked by Fast Company – if you don’t feel like reading the article, it says that the Yale “study” never existed, yet it was cited by many self-help gurus such as Tony Robbins and Zig Ziggler.
But that does not stop me. Setting goals is something that has helped me crystalize what I am doing and where I am heading. It also has an effect of reflecting on what you have learned in the past year, and not making the same mistakes again and again. I split them up into heart, body, mind and economic, just so the focus isn’t too narrow. LT is for more long-term goals.
Stefanie’s Goals
Heart
- Keep things going well with M.
- Choose who I do business with more wisely.
Body
- Work out four times a week (an absolute minimum of two).
- Develop flexibility.
Mind
- Strengthen strategic and communications skills.
- Build my business in the direction of the most interesting projects and people.
- Take Chinese lessons and improve Japanese.
- Write a book (1-2 years).
Economic
- Double my revenues.
- Look into partnership options.
- Develop my own product.
- Pay off credit cards monthly.
- Get health insurance.
Spiritual
- Meditate daily.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Volunteer my time for a more charitable cause.
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