Comments on: Setting Goals 1: Clarity is Key

By: Everything Counts

Everything Counts — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:39:34 +0000

Goal setting is a very powerful technique that can yield strong returns in all areas of your life. Your goal can be as basic as to learn cooking or losing body weight. But make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good. Don’t let others to set your personal goals as they might set unrealistic goals for you. Set your goal relating to your efficiency and potential and move steadily towards achieving your goal.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:06:56 +0000

Great tips.

If you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:

http://www.Gtdagenda.com

You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version is available too.

By: winkwink

winkwink — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:51:18 +0000

On the subject of lists, I once heard someone suggest that instead of just writing a “to do” list, that procrastinators should keep a “have done” list for the day so that you can see your list grow, rather than feel daunted by what’s to come.

By: Saver Queen

Saver Queen — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:28:35 +0000

I love that book too! It really got me thinking about what I wanted from my own life.

By: Melaniesd

Melaniesd — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:40:05 +0000

Eat, Pray, Love was an AMAZING book! Do pick it up if you have a chance! Everyone could get sometyhing from her exeriences.

I really enjoy setting goals and making lists. It feels good to cross them off as I complete each goal.
The challenge is making sure I’m being realistic with my goals. Currently I have plans to run my 1st 1/2 marathon in May. I’m really struggling with the training schedule. With a 3 yr old, work, family, home etc it’s hard to fit in. So now I’m asking myself “What if you speed-walk it? Is that so terrible. You are still achieving the goal of completing the 1/2.”
I have to ask myself if running the marathon is really that important. Am I still going to feel satisfied if I walk it? Thankfully, I have a little time to decide.

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:27:51 +0000

Pol* – have you read Eat, Pray, Love? Not to suggest that you should leave your husband, but you may enjoy reading it if you haven’t already read it.

By: Pol*

Pol* — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:16:25 +0000

I need my to-do lists as much as I need clients when it comes to my business! I am always flabergasted when I meet someone that doesn’t “do” lists.

As far as goals, how will you know if you have arrived at your destination if you don’t know where you are going? I have had a life-map as far back as I can remember… sure it’s been modified as my wants change, but not drastically. I have stuck to the plan pretty solidly and the plan has somehow always found a way to be acheived. College, husband, career, house, family all on schedule. The only bummer part was when I finished that list, I fell into a deep depression. I had acheived all the big goals and though they had all been met, they did not happen as beautifully as I expected, and the feeling of being DONE was very sad. So I had to make the new and revised plan for the next part of my life! That includes raising my kids to productive happy adulthood, debt-free travel, refining my skills, saving for my old age and other goals that are continuous growth not deadlines!

By: Gail says...

Gail says... — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:47:46 +0000

Erin, STUFF is shoes, new dishes, restaurant meals… you name it… anything consumable. So your furniture would be STUFF but your reno stuff would be home improvement which falls under “asset building.” Don’t sweat it. Work as hard as you can to get it paid off in a reasonable amount of time, and keep not spending money on STUFF! But make sure you have a life too.

Susan, the big list gets it out of your head and on to paper… the daily list is what you can reasonably accomplish in a given period of time.

By: looby

looby — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:02:21 +0000

Wow this totally resonated with me- I keep two to-do lists a “home” list and a “work” list, for some reason my home list is broken down to very small pieces (clear out undie drawer, clear out sock drawer) but my work list is always much more general (plan four possible articles).
I always seem to clear my home list with greater ease and wonder if this is part of the reason- I have re-drafted my work list and look forward to crossing these new broken down items off my list.
I also want to thank you for your great articles, I don’t have any debt but I am reasonably new to Canada and find your articles on the different saving vehicles available to me here very educational.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:52:33 +0000

Erin — to answer your questions, we’d need to know more of the numbers.

For instance, you say you bought a house for 1/3 of the “regular” price and dropped $60K fixing it up. However, what we don’t know is how you financed the house relative to your income. For instance, you could have done a zero down / 40 year mortgage with a mortgage to gross income % of 50% (way above recommended limits) PLUS this $60K. Or you could have no mortgage and used savings to buy it, and just have this $60K mini-mortgage which is a different picture.

On a related note, you sound exhausted in your posting. Money is important, but working 5 jobs between the two of you and raising children at the same time doesn’t sound particularly healthy or a solution that can last more than a year at most before bigger issues appear. There’s more to money manangement than debt repayment, there’s also investing for retirement, savings, education, and having fun in this lifetime too.

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:52:25 +0000

Setting goals is tough! For a while, I set the goal I wanted and divided by two! It tought me the definition of achievable.
Lists are good. Always include the little things that must be done regularly and you know will get done.

By: April W.

April W. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:48:47 +0000

Being self-employed, having a daily to-do list is essential! The lines between work, family and personal stuff become so blurred, it’s hard to remember anything. I’ve had days where I’ve accomplished nothing because I got caught up in mundane household tasks, and have dearly regretted it (like missing an appointment with a client).
I read your List Book page, and think it’s a wonderful idea to help keep me on track. I can divide tasks between work, family/home and personal. I can decide in the morning which ones to accomplish first, so that I’m most likely to get more of them done. I can add small tasks that are steps to larger goals, to ensure I attain them in the time I’ve allotted myself.
Thanks for sharing this wonderul idea, Gail.

By: Didi

Didi — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:49:16 +0000

I learned early on how to set daily goals and then meet them, I was lucky in that it was part of my schools curriculum and was probably the best thing I learned from school. I didn’t even realize it until recently when talking with friends that having daily goals are unusual. Apparently it’s a strange thing to do? oh well, I had a goal of being a business owner in a business I could run from home so that I could be with my daugther and I achieved that by having daily goals… I had a goal of being debt free and I will be in exactly 3 months!! I think having a goal and visualizing the outcome is the key to success… As usual, thanks Gail for all the wisdom you share with us.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:27:33 +0000

If you have a question like this Erin, you should ask it on the ‘questions’ page… go back to gails home page and look for the link.

I’m pretty sure that when gail talks about ’stuff’ it’s the crap we buy that we don’t need. She might ask, how many TV’s did you buy? did you need that many? ect.

By: Susan Mladenovich

Susan Mladenovich — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:23:52 +0000

Hi Gail,

So its not just me that spends a whole day working, but getting nothing done?!? My problem is that the list doesn’t take into account the things (or people) who just pop up. So I try to have 3 – 4 MUST do things rather than a big list.

Susan