Write down your goals and then evaluate each goal against the future, or "begin with the end in mind," as suggested by popular author Stephen R. Covey. Writing down goals helps bring clarity. Add goals to fill out all areas of your life, including finances, relationships, education, fitness, pleasure, public service and more.
Rewrite goals that are negative in tone. "I don't want to be fat anymore" can be rewritten in a positive tone, such as "Run a 5K in the fall." With such a goal, losing weight and increasing physical fitness is implied.
Review and modify each goal with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, Time-bound) principles. Altering an existing goal from "get out of debt" to "pay off credit cards in two years and begin adding $200 monthly to savings" helps add focus to your goal.
Break down goals into smaller units or tasks. Develop annual, monthly and even weekly tasks that, when completed, show progress toward attaining the overall goal. This is probably one of the best goal-setting activities to help maintain focus as the steps to complete a goal become manageable and progress can be measured regularly.
Prioritize each of your goals. Goals can easily conflict with one another, so having a priority will help you maintain flexibility by allowing you the opportunity to focus more energy and attention on higher-priority goals.
Look at delays or missed goal outcomes as benchmarks. Project managers use benchmarks to track and revise original estimates. Keep a record of the original dates or achievements, then add time for completion or make other changes as necessary. If goals are broken down into smaller units, it is easier to manage such changes and remain flexible.
Place goals that are beyond your control on hold and move on with other goals. When a goal relies on an external entity for completion, the outcome may be out of your control. Allowing flexibility for these influences will help eliminate stress. When conditions change, add the goal again.