BarTalk February 2004
Volume 16, Number 1

The secret to making goals stick

By Maureen F Fitzgerald

Each year we make new resolutions, yet within a matter of weeks they have fallen by the wayside. Why don’t they stick? The answer is often because they are too small. Many are really tasks that simply get added to a to-do list. Many do not fit within the larger objectives that you have set and some are inconsistent with your other goals.

I would like to share some tips from my new book Mission Possible – Creating a Mission for Work and Life (Quinn Publishing, 2003), to guarantee that your goals stick.

1. Define your destination or personal vision.
Visualize where you want to be in the future. This is your ideal life or your personal definition of success. Describe your ideal day. See it as a wonderful place that is just on the horizon. Sense how it would feel to be there. Smell it, taste it, hear it. What do you see yourself doing? Where are you living? How do you feel? From this write out a vision statement, share it with those close to you and read it every day. The more conscious you are of what you want, the more likely it will happen.

2. Identify your unique capabilities and strengths.
Identify how you are unique. Avoid simply listing an inventory of skills and abilities. Look at your particular assets and approaches and allow your uniqueness to surface. Think of a metaphor that describes you. Are you a tree? A boat? Tarzan? What does this metaphor say about who you are and how you work? Is it rigid or flexible? Is it capable of growth and change? Draw it on paper and you will discover hidden thoughts you have about yourself – both positive and negative.

3. Develop your own mission statement.
Write your own mission statement describing what you want to accomplish in order to achieve your vision. This will give clarity and direction to your life and work. To develop your mission, ask yourself: What action do I want to take? Who is my audience? and What change do I want to bring to my audience? Write your mission down and tell others about it. Revise it over the following months.

4. Set meaningful and measurable goals.
Goals bring life to your mission. They describe the specific way in which you will achieve your mission. In order to set your goals, first list the ways in which you could achieve your mission. These possibilities could include working at your current job, becoming a consultant, teaching, selling and so on. Then for each possibility do a SWOT analysis. This means assessing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This will result in a personal portfolio of goals.

5. Take Action.
In order to take action, you must have confidence. You must make a conscious decision to be successful and begin living your vision and mission. Surround yourself with people who support you. Adopt positive attitudes and challenge any negative thoughts you might have that are preventing you from being successful. Have courage in the face of setbacks. Stay focused and live consciously toward the realization of your dreams.

Maureen F Fitzgerald is a lawyer and the author of the book Mission Possible – Creating a Mission for Work and Life, now available in bookstores. For more information, e-mail info@thefitzgeraldgroup.ca.

This article was published in the February 2004 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2004, all rights reserved.