How to set GOALS to get what you want: 7-step formula

Summary

The transcript outlines a seven-step formula for setting clear and effective goals. It emphasizes the importance of deciding on specific goals, writing them down to solidify commitment, setting deadlines to avoid procrastination, listing necessary actions, organizing them into a prioritized plan, taking immediate action, and maintaining daily progress towards the goal. The summary suggests starting with a list of 10 goals, selecting the most impactful one, and following the steps to achieve it, ensuring continuous movement towards success.

Takeaways

• 🔍 **Clarify Your Goals**: Decide on what you want and make sure you have a clear understanding of your objectives and expectations.
• 📝 **Write It Down**: Putting your goals on paper solidifies the commitment to yourself and makes your goals tangible, leading to more effective achievement.
• ⏰ **Set a Deadline**: Assign a time frame to your goals to avoid procrastination and to give them a sense of urgency.
• 📋 **List Actions Required**: Break down your goals into specific tasks that need to be completed to achieve the main objective.
• 📈 **Organize Your Plan**: Prioritize and sequence the tasks you've listed to create an actionable plan.
• 🎯 **Visualize Your Plan**: Use visual tools like diagrams to map out your plan, making it easier to follow and execute.
• 🏃 **Take Action Immediately**: Start working on your goals as soon as possible, even if it's just a small step.
• 🔄 **Daily Progress**: Make a habit of doing something every day that brings you closer to your main goal, no matter how small.
• 📉 **Avoid Low Value Tasks**: Focus on tasks that contribute to your goals and avoid wasting time on activities that don't add value.
• 📉 **Prioritize Correctly**: Ensure that your ladder of goals is leaning against the right building, reflecting the correct priorities.
• 📊 **Evaluate and Select**: From a list of 10 goals, choose the one that would have the most significant positive impact on your life and focus on it.

Q & A

What is the first step in the seven-step formula for setting goals according to the transcript?

The first step is to decide specifically what you want. This could involve self-reflection or discussing your goals and objectives with someone, such as your boss, until you have absolute clarity about what is expected of you and the order of priority.

Why is it important to be clear about what is expected of you before starting a task?

Being clear about expectations is crucial to avoid wasting time on low-value tasks. It ensures that you focus on what is truly important and prevents you from doing something well that need not be done at all.

What does the author mean by 'thinking on paper' when writing down goals?

'Thinking on paper' refers to the process of putting your thoughts and goals into writing, which helps in making an agreement with yourself. It adds value and tangibility to your goals, as opposed to just having them in your mind.

How does writing down goals impact a person's ability to achieve them?

Writing down goals makes them tangible and requires clear and conscious thought about them. People with clear written goals can accomplish 5 to 10 times as much as those who only keep their goals in their thoughts.

What role does setting a deadline play in achieving a goal?

Setting a deadline for a task ensures that it is not procrastinated. It provides a specific timeframe by which the goal should be achieved, which helps in prioritizing the goal and avoiding delays.

Why is it necessary to list down everything you have to do to achieve a goal?

Listing down everything you need to do helps in understanding the steps required to achieve the goal. It allows you to break down the goal into manageable tasks and ensures that you do not overlook any necessary actions.

How should you organize the list of tasks needed to achieve a goal?

You should organize the list by priority and sequence. Decide what needs to be done first and what can be done later, and lay out your plan visually, such as using boxes and circles on a sheet of paper.

What is the significance of taking action immediately on a plan?

Taking immediate action on a plan is important because it prevents procrastination and gets the process started. Even an average plan executed vigorously is better than a brilliant plan with no action taken.

Why is it important to do something every day to move towards your major goal?

Doing something every day, even if it's a small action, ensures continuous progress towards the goal. It helps in maintaining momentum and prevents the goal from being neglected or forgotten.

How does the transcript suggest summarizing the seven-step goal setting process?

The transcript suggests summarizing the process by writing a list of 10 goals for the next year, selecting the one with the greatest positive impact, and then setting a deadline, planning, taking action, and doing something every day towards that goal.

What is an example of how to apply the seven-step formula in a practical scenario?

An example would be to write down a goal such as 'I want to earn X dollars per month' or 'I want to weigh X pounds/kilograms', then select the most impactful goal, set a deadline, plan the steps to achieve it, take immediate action, and continue with daily actions towards the goal.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Goal Clarity and Prioritization

The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of setting clear and specific goals. It suggests discussing goals with a boss or self-reflection to understand expectations and priorities. The paragraph highlights the inefficiency of performing tasks without clear objectives and the value of writing down goals to create a tangible commitment. This written agreement with oneself can significantly increase productivity and goal achievement.

✍️ Writing Down Goals

This section of the script underscores the act of writing down goals as a critical step in the goal-setting process. It likens the act of writing to creating a formal agreement, which adds value and clarity. The author argues that having written goals can lead to 5 to 10 times more accomplishments compared to those who only keep their goals in their minds. Writing forces one to think clearly and consciously about the goal, making it more tangible and achievable.

🗓 Setting Deadlines for Goals

The third part of the script discusses the necessity of setting deadlines for goals. It equates a task without a deadline to an invitation to procrastinate. The paragraph explains that without a deadline, a task can be indefinitely postponed, thus hindering progress. The author encourages setting a specific timeframe to focus and prioritize the goal effectively.

📝 Listing Steps to Achieve Goals

In this paragraph, the script advises listing all the actions required to achieve a goal. Using the example of becoming healthier, it suggests creating a detailed list of tasks such as joining a gym, getting a diet plan, and purchasing gym clothes. This list helps in understanding the full scope of what is needed to reach the goal.

📈 Organizing the Plan

The script continues with the importance of organizing the list of tasks into a prioritized plan. It suggests deciding the sequence of tasks and visualizing the plan with boxes and circles on paper. This organization helps in breaking down the goal into manageable tasks, making the achievement process more comprehensible and achievable.

🏃‍♂️ Taking Immediate Action

The sixth paragraph stresses the importance of taking immediate action towards the goal. It argues that any plan, even an average one, is better when executed than a brilliant plan that is not acted upon. The paragraph encourages starting with any action, no matter how small, to initiate the process of goal achievement.

🔁 Daily Progress Toward Goals

The final paragraph of the script concludes with the advice to make daily progress towards the main goal, even if it's a small action. It emphasizes the importance of consistency and not missing a day, suggesting that even if the planned action cannot be completed, one should still do something to keep moving forward.

Keywords

💡Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying something that one wants to achieve. It is central to the video's theme as it lays out a formula for setting effective goals. The script emphasizes the importance of being 'crystal clear' about one's objectives, which is a key step in the seven-step formula presented.

💡Clarity

Clarity refers to the state of being clear and understandable. In the context of the video, clarity is essential for avoiding wasted time on low-value tasks. The script mentions that many people lack clarity, which leads to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in their goal pursuit.

💡Prioritization

Prioritization is the act of arranging tasks or goals in order of their importance. The script suggests that understanding the order of priority is crucial for effective goal setting, as it helps in focusing on what is most important first.

💡Written Goals

Written goals are objectives that have been documented in writing. The video script highlights the value of writing down goals as it creates a tangible agreement with oneself and increases the likelihood of accomplishment, citing that people with written goals can achieve significantly more.

💡Deadline

A deadline is a fixed time by which something should be completed. The script stresses the importance of setting a deadline for goals to prevent procrastination and to give a sense of urgency to the task at hand.

💡Action Plan

An action plan is a series of steps or tasks designed to achieve a particular goal. The video script advises organizing the list of tasks needed to achieve a goal into a plan, which helps in visualizing and executing the steps towards the goal.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing action. The script warns against the dangers of procrastination by emphasizing the need for deadlines and immediate action to combat this common productivity pitfall.

💡Immediate Action

Immediate action refers to taking steps towards a goal right away, without delay. The video script encourages viewers to take immediate action on their plans, suggesting that any action is better than inaction when it comes to goal achievement.

💡Daily Progress

Daily progress is the idea of making consistent, daily efforts towards a goal. The script advises doing something every day to move closer to one's major goal, even if it's a small action, to maintain momentum and build a habit of progress.

💡Visualization

Visualization in the context of the video refers to the act of creating a visual representation of a plan, such as using boxes and circles on paper. This helps in breaking down goals into individual tasks and makes the process of achieving them seem more manageable.

💡Impact

Impact refers to the effect or influence of one's actions or decisions. The script suggests selecting a goal that will have the greatest positive impact on one's life, illustrating the importance of choosing goals that align with one's values and priorities.

Highlights

Decide specifically what you want, either by yourself or in discussion with your boss, to clarify goals and objectives.

Clarity of goals is essential to avoid wasting time on low-value tasks.

Writing down goals creates a tangible agreement with oneself, increasing the likelihood of achievement.

People with written goals accomplish 5 to 10 times more than those without.

Setting a deadline for a task prevents procrastination and prioritizes the goal.

Listing all necessary actions to achieve a goal helps in planning and prioritizing.

Organizing the list of actions into a plan with priority and sequence is crucial for effective goal achievement.

Visually laying out the plan aids in understanding the steps required to reach the goal.

Taking immediate action is more effective than having a brilliant plan with no execution.

Consistently doing something every day towards the major goal, even if it's a small action, is key to progress.

Never miss a day of action towards your goal, even if it's a reduced version of the planned action.

Write a list of 10 goals for the next year to identify and prioritize your aspirations.

Select the goal with the greatest positive impact on your life from your list of 10 goals.

Set a deadline and plan how to achieve the selected goal for maximum effectiveness.

Executing the plan and taking daily actions towards the goal is essential for success.

The seven-step goal setting formula provides a structured approach to achieving clarity and effectiveness in goal setting.

The importance of writing down goals and making them tangible for better achievement.

The necessity of setting deadlines to avoid procrastination and prioritize tasks.

The value of breaking down goals into individual tasks and organizing them into a visual plan.

Transcripts

here is a seven-step formula for setting

clear and effective goals one decide

specifically what you want either decide

for yourself or sit down with your boss

and discuss your goals and objectives

until you are absolutely crystal clear

about what is expected of you and in

what order of priority it's amazing how

many people are wasting time day after

day on low value tasks because of a lack

of clarity one of the very worst uses of

time is to do something very well that

need not be done at all before you begin

climbing up the ladder you have to make

sure that it is leaning against the

right

building two write it down the author

calls it thinking on paper think of when

you need to have an agreement with the

professional that is going to offer you

a service if you have that agreement on

paper it has a lot more value than

having it just discussed verbally in the

same way way when you write your goals

down you are making an agreement with

yourself people with clear written goals

can accomplish 5 to 10 times as much as

others whose goals live only in their

fantasies that happens because to write

it down you need to stop and think

clearly and consciously about it writing

makes it tangible three set a deadline a

task without a deadline is something

that can be done today next month or

next year not setting a deadline for

your important goal is like telling

yourself it's okay to procrastinate on

this specific goal and prioritizing all

others four list down everything you

have to do to achieve your goal for

example if your goal is to be healthier

then the list of things you have to do

can be signing up for a gym getting a

diet plan designed buying gym clothes

Etc five organize the list into a plan

organize your list by priority and

sequence take a few minutes to decide

what you need to do first and what you

can do later

decide what has to be done before

something else and what needs to be done

afterward even better lay out your plan

visually in the form of a series of

boxes and circles on a sheet of paper

you'll be amazed at how much easier it

is to achieve your goals when you break

it down into individual

tasks Six Take Action immediately do

something do anything an average plan

vigorously executed is far better than a

brilliant plan on which nothing is done

seven do something every day to move

yourself toward your major goal even if

it's a small action never miss a day for

example today you can't do 30 push-ups

as you planned it's okay to do just 10

but don't miss a day here's the summary

of all seven tips and also kind of an

example to show you how the end result

would look like if you did this

seven-step goal setting exercise take a

clean sheet of paper right now and write

a list of 10 goals you want to

accomplish in the next year for example

you would write I earn X number of

dollars per month or I weigh X number of

pounds or kilos then go back over your

list of 10 goals and select the one goal

that if you achieve it would have the

greatest positive impact on your life

whatever that goal is write it on a

separate sheet of paper set a deadline

plan how you will achieve it take action

on your plan and then do something every

single day that moves you toward that

goal