Alright, so I’m a little obsessed with goal setting. I’m good for writing a post about my strategy here at least once a year (here is my 2020 post), and even co-authored a book on the topic (The Path). 

I’m almost always refining my process. This quarter I tested keeping a “scorecard” under my index card of goals, for anything that was not a “one and done” goal. For example, let’s say you want to meditate (or lift weights, practice guitar, whatever it is) 3 times a week. From my experience, a bad goal is “meditate 3 times per week”; but a good goal is “meditate 36 times in the next 3 months” with a plan to do it 3 times per week. That way if you only get 2 in one week, you can still make it up without technically missing the goal. For goals like this, I put together a “scorecard” to keep track throughout the quarter. 

The important part is that you have a process and you consistently refine it. 

Imagine you are at a mini-golf course. You take your first put blind-folded. Maybe it goes in, maybe it doesn’t. That is the same as not setting goals. Now imagine you have the blindfold off; you see where you have to aim and you take a more targeted shot – that is setting a goal. Now, imagine you play the course again and remember that you didn’t see the contour in the green last time so you adjust your shot – that is refining your process. 

I hope one or more of the links above can aid you as you take another shot. I know it has for me. Time to finish the year strong!

Recommended reading:

• Long term goal setting: The Path
• Yearly goal setting
• Quarterly goal setting