How Well Do You Know Your Goals?

Many of us have a loose idea of what we want, but without a clear definition of what we want, and why we want it, we can fail to take the right actions.

Give this exercise a shot. I will warn you might be surprised by what you learn.

Step 1: List your goals. Here’s some to consider, add and subtract as you choose:

• Challenge
• Contribution / Community
• Family
• Friends
• Growth
• Health
• Happiness
• Love / Connection
• Significance / Power
• Wealth

Step 2: Force rank your goals. I know it’s hard to rank say, health and family, but that’s the point: How do you prioritize what matters to you?

Step 3: Get specific. It’s great to know that say, wealth is important to you, but how do you specifically define wealth?

Step 4: Get to “Why?” The trick is to ask a very specific question, “What do I get through that?” For instance, take your wealth goal and ask yourself, “What do I get through that?” You might say, “Financial security?” Now, ask again, “What do I get through that?” You might say, “I can give my family the best.” Now, ask again, “What do I get through that?” And, keep asking that question until you get no further. This is your “value,” the goal behind your goal, what is ultimately driving you.

Step 5: Are you living it? Think back over the last 6 months, and ask yourself: How aligned are your goals with your choices? If, say, health is a higher priority to you than time with friends, how do your choices reflect it?

Step 6: Changes: Based on what you have learned, what changes might you make to your goals or the choices you are making?