The change in my goal planning was sparked by a book that I read recently called 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn. What I like about this process is that allows you to combine short term, medium term and long term planning and focuses on the why. Here is an excerpt that outlines the process:
In your notebook or on a sheet of paper, write the heading, “Long-Range Goals.” Your task is to answer the question, “What do I want within the next one to ten years?” The key to doing this exercise effectively is to take as little time as possible writing down as many items as possible. Take between twelve to fifteen minutes for the whole exercise, and try to write down about fifty different items.
To help you get started, consider the following half-dozen questions as guidelines:
After this you choose the top 4 goals for each time period (One year, three years, five years and ten years). You should now have 16 goals.
For each goal write a paragraph, which includes a detailed description of what you want and the reason why.
If there is not a strong enough why then replace the goal. Furthermore, if the goal loses its importance to you (we are continuously changing and evolving), then replace the goal. As the quote goes “he who has a why to live can bear almost any how”.
Jim Rohn also suggests that you review the goals once a week.
Personally, I wish I started using this goal setting technique earlier. It already has made a huge impact on my life. If you decide to use it, hopefully it does the same for you. It ensures that you have a great vision for the future and can also see how your short and medium term goals will support that vision.
As Tony Robbins says, most people often overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade.