Effective Goal Setting

1. Effective Goal Setting Facilitated by Robert Bircher Lawyers Assistance Program

2. Setting Goals Gets Results • Setting goals has many advantages but many people just have a mental vision or dream their goals and never really follow through with achieving them • The reason for this is simple-dreaming or having a mental vision is easy and does not require much effort, requires no follow through, and is complete just by thinking about it. Also, you can’t measure a dream and it is easy to let yourself off the hook if you don’t complete it • This workshop is about converting dreams into realities

3. Goals Must be Written • There is an old saying in law that if it’s not written down it’s not worth the paper it’s not written on!!-It is the same in goal setting • Putting it in writing requires you to focus and clarify your goals and allows you to make them precise • We will look at a number of ways to help identify and clarify your goals and enhance completion rates

4. Life Balance Goals • Since setting a goal in one dimension of your life affects all other areas so it is a good idea to start your goals by completing the wheel of life • After completing this your can see which area of your life needs the most work • Although it is possible to make progress in all areas it works best to focus on either one at a time or a maximum of three in a year • We will now refine our goals using the TARGET filtering system-this is to frame them in a way they are more likely to be achieved

5. What To Work On • The gap in your wheel between where you are now and where you want to be tells you the best area to work on • The way you get to where you want is to brainstorm ways you could go from A to B • You may have more possibilities for goals(steps you could take) than you could realistically do-you will then pick what you want to do

6. Brainstorming Steps • For example if I want more Fun in my life I could-Join a hiking club, or take an art class or take an acting class, go swimming etc. • I don't need to achieve all of these-just enough to reach my goal-even if I only do 40% I will likely have a lot more fun • These steps are the way I achieve my goals-put one potential step in each category now

7. TARGET- System • After you have roughed out your goals lets put them through the target filter • T-Is the goal time bound? A vision or dream has no time reference a goal does. A purpose (to be a good lawyer) is a general direction not a goal • A goal is established for the sake of a particular result, and ends when the objective is met

8. TARGET • A- stands for active verbs-use action verbs to state your goals-see the list in the materials p-146 • R- stands for realistic-this means in the real context of your life-consider your physical ability, your knowledge and experience, your other activities, your self image, your material resources, the time you have allotted • G-stands for gradable-is the goal tangible and measurable?" I will lose 5 pounds by Feb 15th at the rate of 1 pound per week”

9. TARGET • E-stands for exact-be specific and precise-a total stranger could read your goals and know exactly what you mean-”I will jog two miles, four days a week” • T- stands for tradable-you will have to pay a price in time, money or energy-What trade offs are there and are they explicit?-To complete a law degree by April 1st 2011- at a cost of 3 years and $50,00.00

10. Apply TARGET • Using the pages provided refine your goals using the target formula • How do I make sure my goals are completed?-one step has already been accomplished-you have written them down! • Your chances of success are directly proportional to the amount of external support you have-i.e.. tell your friends or partner your goal and ask for support-report to them regularly • Don’t be a lone ranger!!

11. Traps to Avoid • Setting too many goals-everything takes time, money and energy-prioritize and put you energy into that which is most important to you • Not chopping a big goal into small easily do-able parts-visualize a staircase not a wall • You climb mount Everest one small step at a time • Being overly grandiose-the culture encourages us to aim high-out of reach

12. Traps to Avoid • This is great in theory-in practice what works is success building on success-achieving one small goal after another • Lower your ambition to increase your completion rate • You can’t set a goal that involves another persons behavior-”to get my children to do__” although you could have a goal to speak to them about it.