Goal Setting: Making it Happen with Rules and Rewards

01.08.11

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Getting Things Done

You have visualized what you want, determined your goals, and figured out how to make the time to put toward your business, project, or career. Fantastic! Let’s kick things up a notch.
 

Deadlines & Benchmarks

Deadlines are great for keeping your projects on track.

  • Decide what steps you need to take to accomplish one of your larger goals. A benchmark for redesigning your website would be to do research. If you are writing a book, each chapter can be a step. If you are trying to advance your career, you might want to try one new networking event per month.
  • Look at a calendar and determine what would be a reasonable deadline for accomplishing each task. Factor in a cushion for time when you know you will be less productive: family vacations, school holidays, seasonal crunch-time at work.
  • As with your goals, write these deadlines down. Put them in your calendar, as well as in a place you look at frequently.

 

Rules & Rewards

Set up your own personal system of rules and rewards.

  • What do you like to do? Are you a yogi, an entertainment fan or a foodie?
  • What do you need to accomplish? An hour of work, a written document, a business makeover?
  • What will encourage you to get your work done? A walk on the beach, a movie, dinner out?

 

Examples

Make a list of each task and the reward you will receive after you complete it.

  • One hour’s worth of work allows you 15 minutes of social media time.
  • After you accomplish your weekly goal, enjoy a movie or a yoga class.
  • Once you accomplish a monthly goal, treat yourself to dinner out.

 

Celebrate every victory … big and small. And, remember, living your dreams is the greatest reward!

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Debra Eckerling

Debra Eckerling, GuidedGoals.com, works with individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to set goals and manage their projects. She is the creator of Write On Online, a website and community for writers, and has been a speaker at the #140conf State of Now, the #140edu conference, Social Media Club LA panels, and the Mediabistro Social Curation Summit.

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  • http://twitter.com/noshmarketing Tia Peterson

    I find setting rewards for myself to be difficult. I think it’s really a two-step process: First, you have to commit to NOT taking the reward before it’s been earned. Kinda hard if you’re the one who fulfills the reward. Second, you have to actually reward yourself.

    I’m trying to figure out what kind of reward system I can set up for myself regarding my new business launch. But I haven’t been able to come up with good enough rewards.

  • http://twitter.com/Kristen_Durkin Kristen Durkin

    Hi Tia, 

    If you’re interested in reinvesting future profits back into your business try to think of what would improve your process and reward yourself with these perks upon having sustained a financial gain that allows such a reward to be purchased. I know business owners who have upgraded equipment (new ipad for travel, anyone!?), upgraded promotional materials, or websites etc… 

    Look for perks that would both make you happy while also helping to advance the progress of your new venture. 

    Congratulations and good luck :)

  • http://twitter.com/WriteOnOnline Debra Eckerling

    Great suggestions, Kristen!

    Tia, I have a place on WriteOnOnline.com for posting monthly goals and on the Facebook page (http://Facebook.com/WriteOnOnline) where people can post their goals weekly… and then report back on them! It helps to have that kind of accountability!

    And, yes, you have to reward yourself!!! You deserve it!

    Best of luck!