Goal-setting, goal-getting and goal-aligning

In a couple of Facebook groups that I’m a part of, I announced my workshop happening next week on the topic of “Set and Achieve Your Goals for 2019.” 

I was struck by a couple of the comments.

One person shared that goal-setting has been an ongoing challenge, and the way it’s been presented in so many corporate settings didn’t seem to resonate. It seemed too rigid.

Another person commented how goal-setting approaches tend to be more outward-focused. It's all about the energy of getting something that's outside yourself, and what's missing is the inward focus and the attention to your spirit.

I agree with both their sentiments.

When I approach the topic of goals, I like to break it up into three different aspects: goal-setting, goal-getting, and goal-aligning.

To me, all three are important elements in achieving your goals. Problems and frustrations usually arise when you don't take all three of these elements into account.

Goal-setting is what most people are familiar with. You set your goal with the intention to arrive at a specific destination.

Here are some examples of set goals:

• By June 30, I’ll have 20 new clients in my business.
• I will lose 5 pounds in the next 2 months.
• At the end of the year I will have $1,200 extra dollars in a savings account.

When you set your goal, you set the destination for where you want to go.

The problem with simply setting your goals is that it lacks the action plan for how you’ll get there. That’s where goal-getting comes in.

Goal-getting are the set of activities that you put into place that provide the roadmap for how you reach the goals that you set. 

They’re the things that you do that “get” you to your goals.

Using the above goals, here are some goal-getting examples:

• Goal-setting: By June 30, I’ll have 20 new clients in my business.
• Goal-getting: I will attend 2 networking events each month, reach out to 10 prospects each week, and have 1 coffee meeting each week to explore a potential business partnership.

 

• Goal-setting: I will lose 5 pounds in the next 2 months.
• Goal-getting: I will take 2 exercise classes at the gym each week, write down everything that I eat in a food journal, and not bring any sweets into the home.

 

• Goal-setting: At the end of the year I will have $1,200 dollars in my savings account.
• Goal-getting: I will set up an online savings account and automatically withdraw $100 each month from my checking account into my savings account.

As you can see, the goal-getting activities provide you with bite-sized, more manageable steps and measures of progress that move you in the direction of your goal.

If you set goals and then engage in goal-getting activities, you’re way ahead of the game. 

But to get you to the finish-line with a greater sense of ease, grace and excitement, it’s also important to give some energy and attention into goal-aligning.

Goal-aligning is the aspect of the goal process that gets to the energy and intention behind the goal.

The reason why you most likely came up with the goal is that you wanted to experience something different or greater than what you are experiencing now.

There’s an inherent calling in the intention and vision behind the goal that says you are equal in mind to the goal itself.

Goal-aligning is the process where you connect with the energy of that intention and vision, where you uncover and unite with the Why behind your goal, and where you align the energy of who you are called to be within your goal-setting and goal-getting.

Here are some questions that can help you with the goal-aligning process:

• Why is your goal important to you? And with the answer you come up with, why does that matter?
• To get to your goal, what has to change in your life? Who are you called to be? And what do you have to let go?
• Imagine yourself already achieving your goal. How do you feel? What’s the posture of your body? Now, how can you bring those feelings and that posture into every goal-getting activity you engage in?

If you just skimmed through these questions, I encourage you to re-read them again and take them in. 

These are the powerful questions that most people never consider when moving forward with their goals.

(And here’s an important side-note about goal-aligning. Sometimes when you ask these kinds of powerful questions, you might come to realize that the original goal you set might not really align with your heart's vision. In that case, you may need to re-visit that goal.)

Ultimately, goal-aligning is connected to your greater vision, and it serves as the “pulling” force that draws you closer to realizing your vision.

Here's the spiritual lesson in all of this:

When you engage all three aspects of goal-setting, goal-getting and goal-aligning, you step into your power. 

You become a powerhouse for creative expression, in a way that’s grounded, exciting and energizing for your spirit.

Abundant Blessings and Namaste.

If you’re interested in learning more about these ideas, and other concepts and tips for setting and achieving goals in a way that’s grounded, exciting and energizing for your spirit, check out my upcoming workshop by clicking here.