New week. New month.....Goal Setting

It's been a month since New Year's and setting all those New Year's Resolutions. Now is a good time to re-charge those resolutions. I'd rather call them goals though! The beginning of  a new week, a new month or a new year is  a great time to set or re-set your goals for the next time period.

Some things to keep in mind when setting goals (whether they be weekly, monthly, yearly or lifetime goals):

• Is the goal specific? Becoming rich is a dream, and to turn this dream into a goal you need to put numbers on it. Instead of having the goal to become rich, which really isn’t a goal, your goal can be specified as building a net worth of $1 million.
•  Is this goal actionable? Hoping to become rich by winning the lottery is a dream. A goal needs to be something that you can take action on, preferably right now. Becoming wealthy through starting a business is actionable.
• Does this goal have a time limit? ”I am going to be worth $1 million one day”, or ”Some day I will go to France”, or ”Some day I will change career”, all of those are goals, but they can be improved. When you set a deadline, that’s when the magic really begins to happen. ”I am going to be worth $1 million in seven years”, or ”I will go to France within three years”, now those are better examples of correct goal setting. 
• Is this goal realistic? Building a $1 million net worth in seven years is totally reasonable, but setting the goal of building $1 million net worth in three months is just not realistic. It is possible, but not realistic. While it’s important to not set the bar too high, it’s just as important not to set the bar too low. If you feel scared by your goal but still feel that you can accomplish it, that’s when you know you have set the bar at an appropriate level.
•  Is this goal measureable? How will you determine if you have met your goal? The above examples are all measureable. Make sure your goals are too.

I'm all about creating balance in life! And, setting goals in the following categories helps me in that quest:

1. Financial
2. Business/Career
3. Fun Time (my favorite!)
4. Health and Fitness
5. Relationships
6. Personal
7. Contribution

 Here are my health and fitness goals for the month of February:

1. I will exercise 30 minutes/4 days a week or more.
2. I will eat healthy whole food meals and snacks 90% of the time or more. Translation: Healthy meals almost all the time,  3 or 4 meals or snacks a week that are processed or not whole foods (foods with more than 5 ingredients). That includes snacks and drinks too! If you have a Starbucks latte (has more than 5 ingredients) - that is one of your 10% meals.
3. I will meditate 4 days a week or more.
4. I will plan menus and grocery shop on the weekend.
5. I will release 10 pounds or more.

Remember the best way to achieve your goals is to Believe you can do it, and then take the action steps to make it happen. What are your goals for the month of February?