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Goal-Setting Checklists

Dec 11, 2010 | By Chris Blank
Goal-Setting Checklists
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Making a checklist can be a major tool for goal setting. Whether you use pencil and paper, your computer or another electronic device, it can provide insight into potential problems as you move toward ultimate success. Each goal will require a specific set of tasks; however, there are elements common to most, if not all, goal-setting checklists.

Clear Goal Statement

Lewis Carroll is credited with the quote "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." Preparing a clear goal statement is one of the first steps in preparing a checklist. Make your goal statement specific and phrase it in positive terms. Determine what accomplishments you wish to achieve. If you have several goals, prioritize them -- placing more emphasis on immediate goals, psychologist Helen Zielinski Landon recommends. Break down large, lofty goals into smaller, more attainable steps to avoid becoming overwhelmed with the scale of the task.

Potential and Actual Barriers

Encountering unexpected barriers can stop you from achieving a goal dead in its tracks. Use a checklist to track how you deal with the challenges that stand in your way, as well as to document what lies ahead, advises MayoClinic.com. A checklist also helps you sort through your circumstances and develop constructive means of dealing with them. While it's not possible to anticipate all possible roadblocks, sorting through potential problems can make it easier to deal with issues when they arrive, according to Lisa Sebotnick McLean, M.D. in the "Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry."

Timeline

Whether achieving your ultimate goal will require years of sustained effort or only a few days, having a measurable timeline or deadline crates a sense of urgency that makes success more likely, according to MindTools. Begin by choosing a definite start date and sticking to it, advises MayoClinic.com. Knowing how much you should accomplish within a specific period of time allows you to maintain an accurate accounting of your progress. A timeline allows you to consider immediate and long-range consequences of putting off necessary tasks, writes Alexandra Levit, author of "New Job, New You" in an article originally published by CareerBuilder.com and reprinted by CNN/Living.

Measuring Success

A checklist allows you to track your progress in working toward your goal and determine how you will measure ultimate success. Assess your progress weekly, considering what worked well and what did not work, MayoClinic.com suggests. Plan the coming week based on your previous achievements. Your goals may change if you accomplish more or less than you originally counted on. If so, adjust your checklist to reflect your revised goals. As you reach specific milestones on your checklist, reward yourself with small treats such as a spa treatment or an outing with friends to maintain your motivation, Levit suggests.

References

Article reviewed by Gary Reinmuth Last updated on: Dec 11, 2010

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