How to Set a Goal You'll Actually Achieve

If your knee-jerk reaction to goal-setting is something along the lines of “why would I set a goal when I’m just going to fail to achieve it”, you’re not alone.

So how do we go about goal setting in a way that ensures we’re not just setting ourselves up to fail?

The answer lies in breaking your goals down into BABY STEPS. The process looks like this:

1. Identify your ULTIMATE GOAL.

(i.e. I will be invited into the partnership at my firm within two years).

2. Identify three things you can do to move yourself closer to that goal.

Some people call these types of goals “STRATEGIC GOALS” or “PROGRESS GOALS”. Ultimately they initiate actions that will move you towards achieving your ultimate goal.

(i.e. I will reach my billing target of 1600 hours per year, I will enhance my professional profile, and I will positively contribute to the firm’s culture and growth).

3. Identify three things you can do on a daily or weekly basis to help you reach each of your strategic or progress goals. Some people call these “MINI GOALS”.

(i.e. In order to reach my billing target of 1600 hours per year, I will bill 34 hours a week or 7 hours a day, I will complete my dockets in real time to ensure they are comprehensive and accurately capturing my time, I will configure the notifications on my smartphone so that distractions are minimized during my designated work hours).

Breaking down your ultimate goal into strategic and mini goals (and then working on your mini goals) will help you ensure that you are taking manageable actions each day to move you closer to achieving your ultimate goal.

SIDE NOTE: setting and actually reaching goals is a big part of what my clients and I achieve together. If you're thinking about becoming that bada$$ professional you've always wanted to be, learning how to negotiate, or making 2022 the year you turn conflict into productive conversation, drop me a line.