Lead Well

Ever had trouble setting goals and keeping them?  You're not the only one.  Here are some quick steps you can take to meet those goals you know you can. Courtesy Getty Images I love goals.  I've been setting and completing them for as long as I can remember.  I find I have a hard time completing any task without setting a goal.  I thought everyone was like this, but when I asked my team to create goals for their departments they were lost.  They had no idea even where to start.  So here 5 easy steps to setting and keeping your goals. Begin with the end in mind If you've ever read Steven Covey's book " The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ," you know this is one of them.  We all need to use a little imagination and envision what our desired outcome will be before we begin any task.  For example, as a new year's resolution, I set as a goal to run a 10k race.  The days spent on the treadmill and out on the road were long and sometimes grueling.  

Big projects.  It seems that I live my professional life from one big project to the next.  Each new event or change is another big project.  I love it. However many people don't.  They get overwhelmed by the daunting tasks.  They get so nervous about the monumental project that they never begin or they get so wrapped up in all the little details that they quit halfway through.  I've faced both of these extremes, but sometimes you just have to get things done.  You have to grit your teeth, buckle down and get dirty. Here are some of the things I've learned that help me complete those big projects. 1. Set a deadline.   I don't know about you, but if I don't have a set time to complete a task, it may never get done.  We need to set a reasonable timeline to accomplish our goals.  Some projects can be done in a few minutes, others a few years.  Either way think about how long you will need to accomplish the goal and set a time limit.  You'll be surprised at