Experts have been telling us for years… The best way to achieve your goals is to write them down.  You keep yourself accountable that way.  Instead of just making a wish, you give yourself a clear definition of where you want to be and what you want to do.

Goal setting is a skill vital to success.  Not only is it important for us adults to get a good handle on our goals, it’s also a great skill we should be teaching our children.  I have a free printable for you today that can help you do this, but first, lets take a look at the steps involved in setting and achieving your goals.

STEP 1:

Define your goal:  Whatever it is you want to make happen, do your best to clearly define it.  The example in the image above shows that I want to “Be A Better Mom!”  Maybe YOU want to get your homeschool on a better schedule.  Maybe you want to work on adding more field trips to your curriculum.  Maybe you need a better housekeeping routine.  Whatever it is, try to define it clearly in just 5 to 10 words.

STEP 2:

Write that goal down!  How many times have you forgotten what it was that you went to the store for?  You write a list so you don’t forget.  And then you forget to bring the list with you, right?  Me too!  If we write our goals down, we make them important.  Just as important as that ingredient you forgot for a favorite recipe.  Your life is a recipe!  Your goals are the ingredients that make it fantastic.  Don’t forget your goals as you go through your day.

STEP 3:

Create a set of action steps.  Goals can be lovely, but vague.  ‘Be a better mom’ is lofty and worthy.  But exactly how can I be a better mom?  I know my sticking points.  I know the things that cause me to lose it.  So I’m going to write down my action steps that will guide me to my goal.  I’m going to work harder at going to be earlier.  More rest means more patience.  I’m going to try to get up before the kids every morning.  Sleepy or not, I’m always more patient when I’ve had even just 15 minutes to myself before the house is up.  These and other things will make it on to my action list for the month.  Habits I can work towards that will lead me to my goal!

STEP 4:

Check your progress.  As you go through your action steps, do you find they are small enough steps to lead you, or are they too big and they leave you with that vague feeling again?  It’s never too late to revise your steps or even revise your goal!  You need to make those steps and goals WORK for YOU.  You are not a slave to the things you’ve written down.  Just like that recipe we were talking about earlier, if you find the flavor is off, you can always change it.

STEP 5:

Remind yourself of what you’ve achieved.  As you finish your goals and move on to the next one, go back and look over the previous goals.  Make sure you haven’t lost traction on the steps that got you there.  In my example, I’d want to make sure I’m still going to bed at a good time and haven’t let that slip.

You can have our new 2015 Goal Planner for FREE!  Use it for yourself, use it for your kids.  Use it to make 2015 your best year yet! ♥

(This is a subscriber exclusive freebie, which means you just need to confirm that you are a subscriber by putting your information below.  If you aren’t currently signed up for our email list, we’ll add you to it. The link for your free goal planner will show up below once you’ve entered your info!)