How to Write Down Your Goals the Right Way
Research shows writing down your goals can 10X your earning potential, so supercharge your personal brand and other goals for your most optimal outcome.
Here’s the best part about writing down your goals any supposed ‘right way’ - if you’re writing it down, you’re already winning. Literally, you’re in the top 3% of adults who are more likely to 10X their income. If you read my personal branding blog, I’m guessing you’re the type of person who has goals for your personal brand and other domains. Perhaps you already write them down, at least some of the time. So, you might be surprised to know that what might come so naturally to you puts you in the minority.
In Brian Tracy’s book Goals!, he highlights a Harvard Business School study conducted between 1979 and 1989. In 1979, participants were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” Only 3% had written goals. 13% had goals, but they were not written down. 84% had no goals at all. As time would tell, this mattered.
Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the participants. They discovered that the 13% who had goals were earning twice as much as the 84% who didn’t have goals. Meanwhile, the 3% who had written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other combined 97% of participants. Clarifying their goals helped them 10X their earning potential compared to their classmates. If you’re reading this as someone who doesn’t set goals for your personal brand or in other areas of your life, I imagine this might have your attention?
Whatever your goal-setting background, write down your personal and personal brand goals in the way that gives you the best chance of success.
1. Set goals in positive terms
Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) takes the conventional SMART goal-setting process to another level. While the extent of all it has to offer in this space goes beyond the scope of this blog, there are many basic principles you can apply to your simple goal-setting strategy, including writing your goals in positive terms. This means avoiding the framing of what you don’t want, such as using words like won’t, not or no, for example. In a similar vein, using words with er at the end, such as bigger or smaller, or words like more than or less than. Instead, supercharge your personal brand goals with positive alternatives.
2. Set goals in the present tense
For more NLP-inspired goal-setting techniques, write your goals in the present tense. What is the vision you can clearly see for your personal brand and life?
This means “I will be a millionaire”, for example, becomes “I am a millionaire”. Note that there’s still more to this formula which I’ll build on. So, don’t stop your goal writing at this point.
Importantly, writing your personal brand and other goals in a present state requires you to visualise clearly what that desired state looks like, which leads to the next important element.
Don’t let the focus on a present tense be confused with setting goals safely close to your present state. While it’s important to assess the present state of your personal brand and professional and personal life, you must also be focused on your desired future state.
Studies have supported the power of a future orientation in driving success. Another study from Harvard University by Dr. Edward Banfield was conducted over 50 years. It concluded that the “long-time perspective” was the most important determinant of financial and personal success in life. This is an approach I use with my personal brand coaching clients - begin with the end in mind and reverse engineer from there.
Don’t just set goals - set long-term goals several years into the future while you make plans in the present. The significance of this cannot be overstated, and Tracy shares this sentiment by saying:
“This is one of the most important discoveries ever made. Just think! The further you think into the future, the better decisions you will make in the present to assure that future becomes a reality.”
3. Specify the details of a well-formed outcome
The beauty of NLP is that it requires you to approach achievement of your goals as a full sensory experience. So, ask yourself, “What will it look like, feel like, sound like, when I have it?”
The traditional SMART formula tells you to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. If you’ve read my previous blog on The 10X Rule, you’ll know why I’ve personally reimagined the achievable and realistic elements of this to be audacious and resilient. Having said this, some use the R in the acronym for relevant, which I do believe is valuable.
It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of goal setting - chasing the shiny latest objects, ideas or pursuits. This is particularly tempting if you’re approaching personal branding with a self-promotion mindset. But ask yourself, does your goal truly align with your values and beliefs? It’s okay to have materialistic pursuits, so long as they are actually aligned with your personal brand’s purpose.
So, setting your yearly personal brand and long-term goals to be specific, measurable and time-bound will be the best way to know when you have achieved them (more on this up next).
Jim Carrey iconically set a specific goal well. In 1985, he wrote himself a cheque for $10 million for ‘acting services rendered’. He dated it 10 years into the future and kept it in his wallet. In November 1995, Carrey was cast in the movie Dumb and Dumber for $10 million. A stunning example of beginning with the end in mind for your personal brand goals.
Make sure you contextualise your goals to consider the details of the who, what, where and when. If your goal is to be a millionaire, write down a goal like: “It is 2030, and I am a millionaire with one million dollars of my money in my savings bank account.”
4. Specify the evidence
When you understand clearly what achieving your goal looks like, you understand the evidence you’ll have that you have achieved it. For example, this is why in my previous blog on Vision Board Mistakes to Avoid, I highlighted why I use visuals from my own banks to show what it will actually look like for me.
5. Ensure your goal is self-initiated
Your personal goal-setting should be personal. This doesn’t mean it’s selfish. Part of the NLP goal-setting process to contextualise your goals also includes asking yourself whom you want to achieve this for.
You need to be in control of your goals. This is why a goal that “my husband is happy” doesn’t work. Because I can’t control that goal, only he can. I could, however, write down my goals to include what I can do which I know contributes to our happiness.
I have discussed previously how I most enjoy using The 12 Week Year framework to put my personal brand and personal goals into an actionable and measureable system. One of my favourite elements of this is the focus on lead actions. The actions you can control will put you closer to achieving the goals - as it’s the lead actions that determine the success of the lag indicators.
Now you’re ready to get to writing down your goals. I wish you all the best for your journey to achieving them.
