Get Unstuck and Write Powerful Goals in 15 Minutes

Do you struggle with setting goals? You can get unstuck and write powerful goals 15 minutes no matter who you are. Would you be willing to give it a try? Even if you don’t know you can do it, I do, because I’ve taught goal setting. Before that I had my own barriers to overcome. I’ve gotten myself unstuck and helped others through the process of writing and accomplishing their goals.

Do you catch yourself thinking that you know what you want to do, so you don’t need to put goals on paper? I’ve heard that from others and thought that myself at times, but an unwritten goal is just a wish. There really is power and focus created through the simple act of writing. Writing your goals isn’t just making a quick bucket list of things to do someday, although that can be a useful exercise.

By thoughtfully writing your goals, you’ll clearly focus on the important steps and be able to more effectively leverage your time. Writing helps you visualize the process, so you can avoid foreseeable difficulties and can create more opportunities.

Overcome Your Objections Now

Now is the time to overcome your objections to goal setting, whatever they are. I get it if the idea of setting goals at the first of the year feels cliche’, because I’ve been guilty of that excuse. There are plenty of barriers you might have to goal setting, and I’ve heard many excuses and tales about why “goals don’t work for me.” But the fact is, that goals work as well as you do. You can’t “set it and forget it” which is why I encourage you to select simple, meaningful-to-you goals. This is a key to powerful goals: you care about them. If you don’t really want to give up eating chocolate but set the goal because you “should”, how dedicated are you going to be? How much effort are you going to want to put in? You need to want the result, or a goal won’t be motivating enough. That should be obvious, but many people set goals they don’t actually care that much about just to set a goal in a category, because they “should” want to, because they have a whim, or because it’s that time of year.

Face it, the first of the year is energizing! January is a natural time for reflection and goal setting. It’s also an ideal time to cast excuses and doubt aside and have a do-over. We’ve had to reinvent how we do things in the year-that-must-not-be-named. As we find ourselves hunkered down again, you may have an opportunity (my fave word for challenge) to save commute time which you can funnel into your goals. I’m sorry if your situation means financial and emotional struggle. Goals are for everyone and help you focus on what’s in your control. I don’t doubt that you can write powerful goals that you feel good about achieving, but you need the tools and to get thoughts flowing. You might want to read my post, The Secrets to Successful Goals.

SMART Goals

There’s a framework to help you clarify your goals, and if you’ve read anything about goal setting, you’ve probably read about this. The SMART goals system is the result of study decades ago, and it remains the gold standard because it works. SMART goals set boundaries which make goals clear. We all need boundaries, am I right? Well, goals without boundaries are just dreams.

• S = Specific
• M = Measurable
• A = Achievable
• R = Relevant
• T = Time Bound

Specific – State exactly what you want to accomplish.

EXAMPLE: Before our kids arrived for Christmas week, I set a goal to have all the laundry clean and put away. That may not seem like much to you, but laundry is constantly ebbing and flowing, and I wanted all hampers empty, so laundry didn’t take away from family time.

Measurable – You need to know when you’ve finished.

EXAMPLE: The clean laundry had a pretty clear cut finish line, but what if your goal is to learn to play the piano? There’s a big range between chopsticks and Beethoven’s Fifth. A measurable goal could be to take a year of piano lessons or to learn to play a specific piece.

Achievable – Do you have the resources you need?

Are there obvious obstacles you can’t change? Before you sign up for lessons, do you have access to a piano? Approach with the caveat that you should be very careful about limiting what you can achieve. (More about this at the end)

Relevant – Think about value to you. Goals should be worthwhile.

If it really matters to you, the accomplishment should be motivating. But if there aren’t quick rewards, celebrate milestones along the way. Break up big goals into smaller ones.

Time-Bound – Set time limits

For the finish line and milestones. Be accountable to yourself.

EXAMPLE: I set a date to have the laundry totally caught up. Sometimes it seems hard to give yourself a date, but remember that you can adjust it if you need to later. A finish line helps you stay focused and motivated.

15 Minute Goals

There are many obstacles to choosing goals, but whether you feel like you don’t have goals or have so many you can’t choose, there are some fun exercises to clear your mental blocks. Sometimes you have to reignite your motivation. The important thing is to keep growing and progressing, and goal setting can provide incentive to get moving.

Brainstorm Session

1. Gather a notebook and pen. (Yes, there’s power in the old school way of actually writing.)
2. Find a comfortable place where you won’t be interrupted. (naptime if you have littles).
3. Start with meditation or prayer to center your thoughts.
4. Put on music you enjoy.
5. Make categories: Key Values, Daily (Habits), short range (up to 3 mos.) , intermediate (up to 1 yr.), and Life Plan
6. Identify the key value(s) that guide you and list.
7. Set a timer for 10 min and put your phone down, maybe in a different room.
8. Now brainstorm what you want and categorize as you list them. Don’t stop and give it thought – just go with your gut, because you can fix it when you’re done writing.
9. When the timer sounds, stop.

5 Minute Wrap-up

1. Do a cursory check to reassign goals and cross off any that aren’t worthwhile.
2. Prioritize the order you’ll focus on the daily goals/habits. If you use a paper planner, write the spotlighted habit by the month. Put reminders wherever you will see them.  
3. Now pick 1 short term and 1 long term goal to work on. If you can’t decide, then choose the first thing you wrote, because it was top of mind.

And BAM! 3 months (or more) of goals determined in 15 minutes! The hardest part for an overthinker is done! Next is your action plan which you break up into small sessions. Each goal gets its own plan, and the downloadable worksheets I’ve made will help you with that. This is a crucial step, and breaking it into a pieces allows you flexibility, but don’t skip this. You need clear actionable steps to get you to your goals so you don’t miss opportunities, forget things, and waste precious time. This isn’t rocket surgery, so don’t overthink it. You can tweak it. It’s your map to an objective, and it should improve your life, even if sometimes it feels like a rock in your shoe. It’s ok if growth is uncomfortable. You’re doing it right.

Why Goal Setting Mini-Sessions?

• Avoids the overwhelm of too-big tasks
• Increases efficiency by using otherwise wasted time
• Makes change in stages so you stick to it

Overcome Too-Busy Mindset

If you’re on the run a lot, formulate your action plans when you’re waiting in an office or sitting on hold. You can make notes in your phone and flesh it out when your attention isn’t divided. Remember that the point is to use time to your advantage and reap a reward. Take the path of least resistance and write a proper plan. Taking a few minutes to strategize could save you frustration, time, and has been shown to make goals powerfully successful.

You’ll never regret putting in the effort. Fail to plan and you plan to fail. It’s trite but true. I’ve helped people from 16-60 get promotions and better pay by setting SMART goals, and I know you can do this. Accountability really helps, so put the deadlines in your calendar as soon as you set them. Alexa can be your accountability buddy if you like to keep your goals private. The key is to find the supportive reminders that feel good to your brain, because remember the habit loop?

How to Overcome Mental Block

If you’re at a loss and your mind is blank, it doesn’t mean goal setting isn’t your jam. There are a variety of imaginative exercises you can use to stimulate the imagination, get unstuck, and overcome the mental block. It’s not that you don’t want to do things, it’s just a mild form of writer’s block. Here are a few to try. Just start with the one that grabs your interest most.

Perfect Day – Think about what your perfect normal day would look like, minus winning the lottery or a long-lost aunt leaving you a trust fund. What would you do? With whom? Where would you spend your time? Make this a day you’d like to relive 5 days straight.

Winning Lottery Ticket – Congrats! You’ve won $50 million in the imaginary lottery! What would you do with that windfall? Fuhgeddabout the tax man, just think about how you’ll prioritize all that fictional money.

No Regrets – This is a bit like a bucket list but with a twist. You’ve hit old age and are looking back at life. What do you regret not having done? What are you glad you did?

Last 6 Months – In this scenario you’re going to think about what you’d do if you were living like you were going to die in 6 months. What would really have value to you, and what would you do first? Where would you go and with whom?

Vision Board or Treasure Mapping – Make a visual of what you want. Digital versions are faster, so if you want to go that route try making a Pinterest board, using Collections on Microsoft Edge, or collecting your images in Evernote, Mindly, Canva, My Vision Board, Visuapp, or Dreamitalive. Then look at the images and make goals to take you there.

Less is More – This is even better with a partner. Write a list of 5 things you want less of. (Less debt, clutter, TV) Then write a list of 5 things you want more of. (savings, muscle tone, candlelit dinners) Now compare the lists and see how the things relate. If you’re doing this with a partner, compare each list and maybe have a laugh. Finally, pick 1 or 2 things to work on.

Life has times and seasons, and your goals should reflect that. Setting goals will help you use your time more efficiently and achieve more of what you want. We all need to get stuff done, but we also have hopes and dreams that we can turn to reality if we plan. So let’s get started! You can crush your goals. To help you, I’ve made some printables.  

The Moral of the Story