THEP.R.I.M.E.R.GOALSETTINGMETHOD

THEONLYGOALACHIEVEMENTGUIDEYOU'LLEVERNEED!

DAMONZAHARIADES

ARTOFPRODUCTIVITY.COM

CONTENTS

OtherBooksByDamonZahariades

YourFreeGiftPrefaceLayingTheFoundationForOurGoal-SettingStrategyABriefTourOfTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethodI. WhyYou'reNotAchievingYourGoals

Reason#1:You'reSettingTooManyGoalsForYourselfReason#2:You'reLettingFearDominateYourHeadspaceReason#3:You'reSurroundingYourselfWithNegativityReason#4:YourGoalsAreUnrealisticReason#5:You'reTryingToImpressOthersReason#6:YouHaven'tGivenYourselfACompelling"WHY"Reason#7:You'reNotTakingAction

II. 10MostPopularGoal-SettingSystems#1:S.M.A.R.T.Goals#2:S.M.A.R.T.E.R.Goals#3:OKRs(ObjectivesandKeyResults)#4:BSQ(Big,Small,Quick)#5:TheGoalBuddySystem#6:LockeandLatham'sFivePrinciples#7:BackwardPlanning#8:BHAG(Big,Hairy,andAudacious)#9:TheGoldenCircleMethod#10:OGSM(Objectives,Goals,Strategies,Measures)WhichIsTheBESTGoal-SettingSystem?

III. MyP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethodP-PinpointYourHighest-PriorityAmbitionsR-RefineYourDesiredOutcomesI-IdentifyTheActionsYou'llNeedToTakeM-ModifyYourEnvironmentToComplementYourGoalsE-EvaluateYourProgressR-RevisitYourGoals

GoalsVersusSystems:WhichShouldYouFocusOn?IV. WhatToDoIfYouFailToAchieveAGoal

PerformAGoalAutopsyDetermineTheRootCauseOfTheFailureReassessTheGoal'sImportanceToYouRevisitYour“WHY”

DoAReset

FinalThoughtsOnTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethodMayIAskYouASmallFavor?

OtherBooksByDamonZahariadesAbouttheAuthorCopyright

OTHERBOOKSBYDAMONZAHARIADES

80/20YourLife!HowToGetMoreDoneWithLessEffortAndChangeYourLifeInTheProcess!

Achievemore,createmore,andenjoymoresuccess-whiletakinglessaction!It'stimeto80/20yourlife!

TheJoyOfImperfection:AStress-FreeGuideToSilencingYourInnerCritic,ConqueringPerfectionism,andBecomingTheBestVersionOfYourself!

Isperfectionismcausingyoutofeelstressed,irritated,andchronicallyunhappy?Here'showtosilenceyourinnercritic,embraceimperfection,andlivewithoutfear!

TheArtOfSayingNO:HowToStandYourGround,ReclaimYourTimeAndEnergy,AndRefuseToBeTakenForGranted(WithoutFeelingGuilty!)

Areyoufedupwithpeopletakingyouforgranted?Learnhowtosetboundaries,standyourground,andinspireothers'respectintheprocess!

TheProcrastinationCure:21ProvenTacticsForConqueringYourInnerProcrastinator,MasteringYourTime,AndBoostingYourProductivity!

Doyoustrugglewithprocrastination?Discoverhowtotakequickaction,makefastdecisions,andfinallyovercomeyourinnerprocrastinator!

MorningMakeover:HowToBoostYourProductivity,ExplodeYourEnergy,andCreateAnExtraordinaryLife-OneMorningAtATime!

Wouldyouliketostarteachdayontherightfoot?Here’showtocreatequalitymorningroutinesthatsetyouupformoredailysuccess!

FastFocus:AQuick-StartGuideToMasteringYourAttention,IgnoringDistractions,AndGettingMoreDoneInLessTime!

Areyouconstantlydistracted?Doesyourmindwanderafterjustafewminutes?Learnhowtodeveloplaser-sharpfocus!

SmallHabitsRevolution:10StepsToTransformingYourLifeThroughThePowerOfMiniHabits!

Got5minutesaday?Usethissimple,effectiveplanforcreatinganynewhabityoudesire!

The30-DayProductivityPlan:BreakThe30BadHabitsThatAreSabotagingYourTimeManagement-OneDayAtATime!

Needadailyactionplantoboostyourproductivity?This30-dayguideisthesolutiontoyourtimemanagementwoes!

TheTimeChunkingMethod:A10-StepActionPlanForIncreasingYourProductivity

It'soneofthemostpopulartimemanagementstrategiesusedtoday.Doubleyourproductivitywiththiseasy10-stepsystem.

DigitalDetox:TheUltimateGuideToBeatingTechnologyAddiction,CultivatingMindfulness,andEnjoyingMoreCreativity,Inspiration,AndBalanceInYourLife!

AreyouaddictedtoFacebookandInstagram?Areyouobsessedwithyourphone?Usethissimple,step-by-stepplantotakeatechnologyvacation!

Foracompletelist,pleasevisit

http://artofproductivity.com/my-books/

A

YOURFREEGIFT

smywayofsaying thankyouforpurchasingTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod, I’d like to offer youmy 40-page action guide titledCatapultYourProductivity!TheTop10HabitsYouMustDevelopTo

GetMoreThingsDone.It’sinPDFformat,soyoucanprintitouteasilyandreaditatyourleisure.

Thisguidewillshowyouhowtodevelopcorehabitsthat’llhelpyoutogetmoredoneinlesstime.

You can grab your copy by clicking on the following link and joiningmymailinglist:

http://artofproductivity.com/free-gift/

You’llalsoreceiveperiodictipsforovercomingprocrastination,developingeffectivemorningroutines,sharpeningyourfocus,andmore!

Onthatnote,let’sgetstarted.Ihaveafeelingyou’regoingtolovewhatyoufindinTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.

PREFACE

My love affairwith goal setting started as a child.Back then,my goalswerelittlemore thanwishes. Idesiredsomethingspecific tohappen(forexample, Iwantedmyparentstotakemetothearcade)orIwantedtoacquiresomething(anewvideogame).Unfortunately,IwasstymiedregardingthestepsIneededtotaketoachievethese“goals.”

Many adults approach goal setting in a similar manner. They identifysomethingtheywant-forexample,toretireat60yearsofage-butfailtocreatea practical plan to make it happen. The P.R.I.M.E.R. Goal Setting Methodaddressesthesecondpartofthisprocess.

MyLong,FrustratingRoadToSuccess

Goal achievement has been an exasperating experience for me. It has beenrapturousintimesofsuccessandvexingintimesoffailure.Overthreedecades,I’vestruggledtolearnwhatworksandwhatdoesn’t,andfailedmoretimesthanIbeartoremember.

Mybiggeststumblingblock?Iwasignorantaboutthefactorsthatdeterminesuccess and failure. Iwas clueless regardingwhy Imanaged to achieve somegoalsandfailedtoachieveothers.

That’snolongerthecase.Overtheyears,I’verunjustabouteverytestyoucan imagine to figure out the “secret” to goal achievement. The result is asurprisinglysimplegoal-settingsystemthatallbutensuressuccess.

You’lllearnthissystem,fromstarttofinish,inthefollowingpages.

WhatDoYouWantToAchieve?

Maybeyou’dliketoimproveyourinterpersonalskills.Perhapsyou’dliketogetintoshape.Maybeyou’dliketogetabetterjob,declutteryourhome,savemoremoney,orstartasidebusiness.

Allofushaveaspirationsthatstemfromourcircumstancesanddesires.Wewanttobetterourlivesinmeasurableways.Settinggoalsisthefirststeptowarddoingso.

Theproblemis,settinggoals is theeasypart.Thehardpart isconsistentlyachieving them. Whether our goals are related to our careers, relationships,health,wealth,orjustplainhappiness,manyfolksalmostexpecttofail.They’veconditionedthemselveswithsuchexpectations.

Wecandobetter.Muchbetter.

FailureIsNotAnOption

Technically,failureisalwaysanoption.Butitdoesn’thavetobeifyouusetheP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.Youcanliterallyachieveanygoalyouset.

Fairwarning:workisinvolved.AlthoughmyP.R.I.M.E.R.methodissimple,it’snotmagic.You’llneedtosettherighttypeofgoals,createapracticalactionplan, and then focus on execution.Don’tworry about these things right now.We’regoingtocovereachofthemindetail.

The most important thing to remember is that you control outcomes. Youdecidewhether or not you achieve your goals.You’re in the driver’s seat. I’llshowyouwhichgearstoengage,whentoengagethem,andhowtousethemtotheirgreatestcumulativeeffect.Butultimately,you’reincharge.

YourMission,IfYouChooseToAcceptIt…

Areyoureadytocreateandachievegoalsthat’llleadtoamorerewardinglife?Are you ready to take the reins of your destiny and exert your influence,transformingyourlifestyleintheprocess?

I’llgiveyoutheblueprintinTheP.R.I.M.E.R.Goal-SettingMethod.Yourjobistotakeactionandmonitortheresults.

We’reinthistogether.Let’srollupoursleevesand“prime”thepump.

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LAYINGTHEFOUNDATIONFOROURGOAL-SETTINGSTRATEGY

eforewegetintothenutsandboltsofmygoal-settingsystem,wefirstneed to talk about some foundational concepts. These concepts areprobablyintuitivetoyou.Butthey’realsoeasytooverlook.Andifyou

overlookthem,youcouldverywellsabotageyoursuccess.Below,we’llcoverfivecoretacticsthatalignwithhowthebrainworks.By

usingthem,we’llessentially“trick”ourmindsintohelpingusattainourgoals.Eachofthesetacticsissimple,buthighlyeffective.

AssignAReasonWhyForEachGoal

He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” ~FriedrichNietzsche

Having a reason gives us purpose. It clarifieswhywewant to accomplishsomething.Whenwe’retemptedtogiveup,itencouragesustopressonward.

Forexample,supposeyourgoalistolose25pounds.Withoutacompellingreason, there’s little to spur you to exercise or eat healthily when you lackmotivation. But let’s say you want to lose 25 pounds in order to fit into aweddingdressonyourweddingday.That’sacompellingreasonthat’llhelpyoutopersevere.

It’simportantthatyourreasonisspecific.Forexample,it’snotenoughtosayyou’dliketolose25poundstobehealthier.That’stoovague.It’smucheasierto

sticktogoalsthatareinspiredbydistinctreasons.Yourreasonsdon’thavetofocusonpositiveoutcomes.Negativeoutcomes

canbejustaseffective.Forexample,youmightwanttoquitsmokingtoavoiddevelopinglungcancer.Youmaywanttosaveacertainsumofmoneytoavoidbankruptcyintheeventofacostlymedicalemergency.

Assign a specific reason to each goal. Leverage the potential for bothpositiveoutcomesandnegativeoutcomestostayfocusedandinspired.

WriteDownYourGoals

Goals that are not written down are just wishes.” ~ FitzhughDodson

I neglected to use this tactic for years. And it definitely hurt my success.Storing goals in my head allowed me to delude myself into thinking I wasmaking forward progress on them.But in fact, that assumptionwas amirage.Worse,mybrainwasgiventhefreedomtodistortmygoalsaccordingtohowIwasfeelinginthemoment.

Forexample,myintenttosavemoneywaseasilyabandonedwheneverIfeltlikespendingmoneyonanewgadget.Myintenttodo100pushupsadaywaseasilyabandonedwheneverIfeltlazy.

Writingdowngoalsencouragesustotakeconsistentaction.Itexpressesourpurpose and intention. And importantly, it eliminates the latitude our brainswould otherwise use to dissuade us from our desired outcomes whenever thegoinggetstough.

Writedowneverygoalyousetforyourself.Doitonpaperordoitonline.It’s your choice.Many goal-setting apps, such as Strides andHabitHub (bothoffer free versions), are terrific for this purpose. You can even use taskmanagementappslikeTodoistandTrello.

IdentifyLimitingBeliefs

Many people are passionate, but because of their limiting beliefsaboutwho theyareandwhat theycando, theynever takeactionsthatcouldmaketheirdreamareality.”-TonyRobbins

Limiting beliefs represent howwe perceive ourselves and our place in theworld around us. They’re comprised of negative self-talk, excuses,rationalizations, fear, and justifications for past failures. The outcomes weexperience,bothpositiveandnegative,largelystemfromthesebeliefs.

Forexample,supposeyoufearthateveryonelies.Canyouimaginehowthislimitingbeliefmightpreventyoufromfindingalovinglifepartner?Orsupposeyou feelyou’renot smartenough togetapromotionatyour job.Canyouseehowthisbeliefmighthamperyourabilitytoadvanceyourcareer?

Limitingbeliefsactliketoxinstogoals.Theypoisonyourmindset,makingyouless likely tosucceed.So it’scrucial thatyou identifyandovercomethempriortosettinggoals.

Thesimplestwaytodothisistoaskyourselfthefollowingthreequestions…

Whatself-defeatingassumptionshaveImaderegardingmyabilities?WhendoItypicallyexperiencefear,nervousness,agitation,ordoubt?Whatself-criticalnarrativesdoIentertainastruthwithoutevidence?

Writedownyouranswers.Then,questiontheveracityofeachone.Hereareafewexamples…

Limitingbelief:NooneisinterestedinwhatIhavetosay.Question:Hasanyoneeverlistenedtoyou?Ifso,theywereinterestedinwhatyouhadtoday.

Limitingbelief:Ican’tloseweight.Question:Haveyouevermanagedtoloseweightinthepast?Ifso,youcandefinitelydoitagain.

Limitingbelief:Ican’tdoitbecauseI’mnottechsavvy.Question:Canyoulearnanewskill?Ifso,theissueisn’twhetheryoucanorcan’tdoit.It’swhetheryouwillorwon’tdoit.

Yourbeliefs influenceyourmindset,which in turn influencesyouractions.Identify and overcome your limiting beliefs, and I guarantee you’ll see betterresults.

SetADeadlineForEachGoal

Deadlinesaren'tbad.Theyhelpyouorganizeyourtime.Theyhelpyousetpriorities.Theymakeyougetgoingwhenyoumightnotfeellikeit.”-HarveyMackay

Deadlinesmakeourgoalsfeelmoresubstantive.Theyalsocreateasenseofurgency.We’remoreinclinedtotakeactionwhendeadlinesloominthedistance.So,itpaystoassignadeadlinetoeverygoal.

Deadlines are sometimes baked into the goals themselves. For example,supposeyouwanttoretirebythetimeyouturn60.Orlet’ssayyouaspiretolose25poundsbyyourweddingday.Inbothcases,thedeadlinesarealreadyset.

Othertimes,you’llneedtoset themfromscratch, ifonlytopreventagoalfrom remaining open-ended. For example, suppose you’d like to visit theBahamas.Ratherthanhopingtodoso“someday,”committodoingsobynextsummer.Putadeadlineonit.You’llbemoreinclinedtomakeithappen.

Deadlineskeepusaccountable toourselves.Theykeepusmoving forwardandgiveusthedisciplinetoignorelower-prioritydesires.Theyalsoallowustosetupmilestonestoensurewestayontherighttrack.

CreateAProcessThatSupportsEachGoal

Whatyougetbyachievingyourgoals isnotas importantaswhatyoubecomebyachievingyourgoals.”–HenryDavidThoreau

It’snotenoughtofocusonoutcomesanddeadlines.Youmustalsofocusonprocess.

Processisthepathyoutraveltowardyourdestination.Forexample,ifyourgoalistolose25poundsbyyourweddingday,yourprocesswilllikelyincludeyourdietandexerciseregimen.

Someexpertsadvocateignoringgoalsaltogether,insteadfocusingsolelyonprocesses (or systems). In my opinion, it’s beneficial to focus on goals andprocesses.First,decidewhereyou’dliketoendup.Then,onceyou’veidentifiedyourdestination,createhabitsthatguaranteeyoursuccess.

Forexample,supposeyou’dliketoretireby60.Afterresearchinghistoricalinvestment returns, inflation, assumed expenditures, and your life expectancy,youdecidethatyou’llneed$1.5millioninsavingstoachievethisgoal.

Wenowhaveourdestination.Havingidentifiedthisgoal,wecannowworkbackwardsandformulateaprocess.Let’ssupposethatbasedonyourage,annualincome, and current savings, you determine that you’ll need to save $2,500 amonthtoaccumulate$1.5millionbyage60.Younowhaveaplan.

Thenextstepistodevelopthesavingshabit.Again, I strongly encourage you to focus on both goals and processes.

Focusingononetotheexclusionoftheotherrisksfailure.We’lltalkingreaterdetaillaterabouthowthesetwoaspectsworktogether.

Thenextsectionwillgiveyouabird’s-eyeviewofwhatyou’llfindinTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.

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ABRIEFTOUROFTHEP.R.I.M.E.R.GOALSETTINGMETHOD

here’sascience toeffectivegoalsetting.There’salsoanart to it.Thisbookwillteachyoubothaspects,anddosoinawaythatallowsyoutostartseeingresultsalmostimmediately.

Ifyou’veglancedthroughthetableofcontents,you’llhavenoticedthatwehavealotofmaterialtocover.We’regoingtogothroughitquickly.Mygoalistotakeyouthroughthematerialinjustacoupleofhours.Inmyopinion,there’sno better way to learn how to do something than to actually do it. So we’regoingtospendminimaltimeonthescienceofgoalsetting.Instead,we’llfocusonactionablestepsyoucantaketoday.

Thisbookisorganizedintofourparts.Followingiswhatyou’lllearnineachofthem.

PartI

Tactical errors are the most common cause of failure when it comes to goalachievement. The problem is, such errors are usually subtle and difficult torecognize.Theycansabotageyouwithoutyourrealizingthey’redoingso.

Part I will spotlight the most pivotal mistakes people make when settinggoals.You’ll learnhow to avoid them, and immediately improveyour successrateintheprocess.

PartII

Therearemanygoal-settingstrategiesinusetoday.Somearequitegoodwhileothersintroducesignificantproblems.

Part II will describe the 10 most popular strategies, highlighting theirrespective strengths and weaknesses. This is an important section because itclarifies and underscores the reasons my P.R.I.M.E.R. goal setting method iseffective.

PartIII

Onceyouhavea firmgraspon today’smostpopulargoal-setting systems, I’llintroduceyoutomyP.R.I.M.E.R.method.

PartIIIwill takeyou,stepbystep, throughtheentireprocess.We’ll takeaclose look at why each step is critical to your success, and come upwith anaction plan you can put to immediate use.We’ll also talk about goals versussystemsandtherolesplayedbyhabitsandtriggersingoalachievement.

PartIV

You’ll inevitablyfail toachievesomeofyourgoals.Don’tbeconcernedaboutthis.Itcanhappenforanumberofreasons,andsomemayrevealthatyourtime,attention, and focus would be better spent in pursuit of more rewardingambitions.

PartIVwillshowyouwhattodointheeventyourgoalsremainunrealized.This is a vital part of the goal-achievement process. It provides valuablefeedbackonyourefforts,andwillinfluenceyourresultswheneveryousetouttoaccomplishsomethingdowntheroad.

Younowhavearoadmaptoeverythingwe’llcoverinthisbook.Let’sgettowork.

PARTI

WHYYOU'RENOTACHIEVINGYOURGOALS

“Agoalproperlysetishalfwayreached.”—ZigZiglar

Creatinggoalsiseasy.Butifyouusethewrongapproach,achievingthemcanbealmostimpossible.It’llcertainlymakedoingsomoredifficultthannecessary.

The goal-setting process seems simple: figure out what you want toaccomplishandworktowardthatoutcome.Theproblemis,withoutasystematicapproach, the odds of success are low. The path toward goal achievement isfraught with pitfalls and temptations, and any one of them can derail yourefforts.

Thegoodnewsisthatyoucaneasilyavoidthesehazards.Youjustneedtoknowwhattolookfor.

In the following pages, we’ll examine the seven most common reasonspeople fail to accomplish what they set out to do. If you’ve ever beendiscouragedandfrustratedbyunrealizedgoals,there’sagoodchanceyou’llfindthereasonsinthissection.

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REASON#1:YOU'RESETTINGTOOMANYGOALSFORYOURSELF

heseemingeaseofsettinggoalsencouragessetting toomanyof them.Thismistakeintroducesanumberofproblems.First,youriskstretchingyourself too thinly. With only so much time, attention, energy, and

capital available to you, some of your ambitions will inevitably getshortchanged.

Second,yourisklosingfocusonyourpriorities.Someofyourambitionswillnaturallybemoreimportant toyouthanothers.Forexample,youmaywishtoquitsmoking,getapromotionatwork,andstartaworkoutroutine.Youmightalsowanttolearntoplaytheguitar,goonanAfricansafari,getyourgolfgameunder90,andwriteabestsellingnovel.

It’sfinetohavealotofaspirations.Butmostofthemshouldgoonawishlist. Your high-priority goals, the ambitions that are most important to you,should receive more visibility and attention. The fewer there are, the morefocusedyou’llbeonaccomplishingthem.

A third problemwith having toomany goals is that it inevitably leads tofeelings of overwhelm and frustration. Pursuing too many priorities, some ofwhichareboundtoconflict,causesstress.Withtime,burnoutwillsetin,causingyoutogiveuponyourplans.

And this leadsus to the fourth, andarguablybiggest,problemwith settingtoomanygoals.Youwon’tmakesignificantprogress towardachievinganyofthem.You’llbetoodistracted,overtaxed,overwhelmed,andfrustrated.There’snothingmorediscouraging than startingwith a long list ofgoals and realizingdowntheroadthatyouhaven’tmanagedtobringanyofthemtofruition.

TipsForAvoidingSettingTooManyGoals

First,acknowledgethatyouhavelimitedtimetoaccomplishthethingsyouwanttodo.

Second,assignapriority(e.g.1though3,AthroughC,etc.)toeachofyourgoals. Place the top-priority goals on one list. Place everything else on asecondarywishlist.

Third,lookforgoalsthatoverlapinsomeway.Achievingoneofthemmayallowyoutoworktowardanother.Forexample,thedesiretosticktoahealthydietandloseweightarecomplementarygoals.

Fourth, focus on the next threemonths.What do youwant to accomplishoverthistimeframe?Doingthisdistinguishesyourhigh-prioritygoals(e.g.startaworkoutroutine)fromyour“someday”goals(e.g.goonanAfricansafari).

Devoting your limited time, attention, and energy to achieving a smallnumberofimportantgoalswilldramaticallyincreaseyourchancesofsuccess.Infact,isolatingtheimportantonesfromtheless-importantandless-urgentonesishalfthebattle.

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REASON#2:YOU'RELETTINGFEARDOMINATEYOURHEADSPACE

hebrainisaformidablesaboteurwhenitcomestogoalachievement.Itenjoysroutineandcomplacency,andwillgotogreatlengthstopromoteboth. Striving to achieve goals threatens this comfortable state. The

brainfightsbackinanumberofsubtlewaystomaintainthestatusquo.One of these ways is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of the

unknown.Fearaboutpresumedweaknessesandshortcomings.Whateverformittakes, it erodes your self-confidence and, if you give it an audience, willeventuallyconvinceyoutogiveup.

Haveyoueverintendedtodosomething-forexample,learntosurf,startasidebusiness,orpayoffyourcreditcards-onlytodecideagainsttryingbecauseyou feared the goalwas too great a challenge? Thatwas your brain trying tosabotageyourplans.Itconvincedyoutounderestimateyourselftothepointthatyouresignedyourselftofailure.

This predicament establishes a terrible cycle. Fear causes inaction, whichleadstofailure.Failurereinforcesthefear,whichdiscouragestakingaction.Andonandonitgoes.

Fortunately,youcanbreakthiscycle.Withresolveandabitofself-analysis,you can overcome any fear that’s preventing you from working toward yourobjectives. When you do so, you’ll probably discover that the fear youexperiencedwasgroundless.

TipsForPurgingFearFromYourHeadspace

Fearrarelystemsfromnothingness.There’susuallyareasonorcauseforit.Thefirststeptowardovercomingitistofigureoutitsorigin.

Forexample,haveyoutakenothers’undeservedcriticismtoheart?Wereyoua target of someone’s perfectionism, which made you question your ownabilities?Did you suffer a humiliating episode in the past that you’ve carriedwithyou?Whilesucheventsarereal,thefearthatspringsfromthemisusuallywithoutmerit.

Thesecondstepistoreframethemannerinwhichyouperceivesuccessandfailure.Forexample,supposeyouwant to lose20poundswithin90days.Thedefinitions of success and failure are baked into this particular goal. In threemonths’ time, the numbers will reveal the results with clarity. But you canexpandthedefinitionofsuccesstoincludefactorsthatarelessdependentonthenumbers.

Forinstance,youcansay,“Identifytheweightlosstacticsthatworkbestforme.”Evenifyoulosefewerthan20poundswithin90days,theexperiencecanstillbeapositiveone.You’llhavediscoveredthatcertaintacticsworkespeciallywellforyou,asuccessinitsownright.

Third, commit to taking action. This advice may sound trite, but it’ssurprisingly effective. As self-made billionaire and philanthropistW. ClementStonesaid,“Thinkingwillnotovercomefear,butactionwill.”

Fear will undermine your plans and keep you frommoving forward. Themost important thing to remember is that it’s usually unwarranted. Believe inyourabilities.Ifyoustrugglewithfear,Icanalmostguaranteeyou’recapableofmorethanyouimagine.

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REASON#3:YOU'RESURROUNDINGYOURSELFWITHNEGATIVITY

egativity springs from internal and external sources. Regardless ofwhere ground zero is, it will try to discourage you with defeatistthoughts.

Eachofusharborsaninnercritic.Thiscriticconstantlyhighlightsourfaults,filling our headswith self-recriminating thoughts. It’s the condemnatory voicethat tells us we’re not smart enough, good enough, or pretty or handsomeenough.

Yourinnercriticisthemouthpieceofself-doubt.Adding to this internal negativity are the cynical, pessimistic, and

judgmentalpeoplethatsurroundyou.You’llfindthematyourworkplace.You’llsee them at your gym. You’ll run across them while walking through yourneighborhood.They’realsoamongyourfriendsandfamilymembers,thepeopleyouwouldnormallyexpecttosupportyouraspirations.

Inshort,negativepeopleareeverywhere.Thispresentsaproblem.Manypeopleclaim thatothers’negativitydoesn’t

affectthem.Theycansimplyignoreit.Iusedtomakethisclaimmyself.Butovertime,IrealizedIwaswrong.I’mdefinitelyinfluencedbyinternal

andexternalnegativity.IfmyinnercritictriestoconvincemethatI’mgoingtofail,my instinct is togive itanaudience. Ifmy friends,coworkers,neighbors,andacquaintancestrytodiscouragemefrompursuingaparticularoutcome,I’minclinedtoatleastconsidertheirlackoffaithandenthusiasm.

Inmyopinion,mostpeopleare likemyself in this regarddespiteclaims tothe contrary. They’re vulnerable to self-doubt. They may not crumble undernegativity,buttheyatleastgiveitanaudience,ifonlyforamoment.

Theproblemis,itsometimesonly takesamomentfornegativethoughtstogainpurchase.Oncetheydo,theoddsthatyou’llsuccessfullyaccomplishwhatyousetouttodoplummet.

TipsForAvoidingInternalAndExternalNegativity

Let’s start with taming your inner critic. First, examine each accusation todetermine whether it’s substantiated. For example, suppose your hypercriticalinner voice tells you that you’re not smart enough to learn a new language.Unpackthisassertion.Isitsupportedbyevidence?Chancesare,it’snotandyoucanthereforedismissit.

Second, recall goals you’ve achieved in the past. Review pastaccomplishments. These provide evidence of your capabilities, and will go alongwaytowardsilencingyourinnercritic.

Third,askyourselfwhetherthisjudgmentalvoicehaspoweroveryouduetopastcriticismfromothers.Forexample,supposeyourparentscontinuously(andunfairly)beratedyoufortraitstheyperceivedtobefaults.Haveyoucarriedthiscriticismwithyouintoadulthood,givingyourinnercriticmoreauthorityintheprocess?

Now, let’s focus on avoiding - or at least minimizing the effect of - thecynicalandpessimisticpeoplearoundyou.First,identifythem.You’llfindthatnegativepeoplearetypicallynegative.Theycomplainandcriticizeoutofhabit.

Second,givethemlessofyourtimeandattention.Ifgiventheopportunity,negativepeoplewilloftenmonopolizeboth.Limityourexposure to them.Forexample,ifacoworkerbeginstocomplainaboutsomethingoverwhichneitherof you has control, simply say, “I need to get back to work.” End theconversation.

Third, ask yourselfwhether a negative person in your life ismotivated tocriticize or discourage by negative emotions. For example, suppose you sharewith a friend that you’d like to write a novel. Your friend, jealous of yourambitions, tells you that you’re wasting your time. Once you associate hisnegativity with jealousy (as opposed to constructive feedback), you canpromptlydismissitasmeritless.

Fourth, make connections with positive people. In the same way thatnegative people can discourage you from taking action, positive people willencourage you to do so. Their exuberance and optimismwill rub off on you,makingyoufeelasifyoucanachieveanygoalyousetforyourself.

I

REASON#4:YOURGOALSAREUNREALISTIC

t’s good to be ambitious with your goals. Ambition is a vital factor inbettering your life, whether that entails advancing your career, gettingmarried, starting a business, or becoming financially independent.

Ambitiousgoalschallenge the statusquo,compellingyou to stepoutsideyourcomfortzonetoaccomplishwhateveryouaspiretodo.

Butambitioncarriesarisk.Theeagernesstoimproveyourlifemaypromptyou to set goals that are idealistic and infeasible. That path has only onedestination:disappointment.

Unrealistic goals nearly always end in failure. Experiencing this outcomeover and over will erode your self-confidence, causing you to question yourabilitytorealizeyourdreams.Withtime,you’llavoidsettinggoalsaltogether,ifonlytoavoidtheinevitableletdownandfrustration.

Why do we set impractical goals for ourselves? One reason is unbridledoptimism.Wedesiretochangesomethingaboutourlivesandoverestimateourresources,abilities,andresilience.

Forexample,someonewho’stiredoflivingasedentarylifedecidestostartjogging. He sets a goal to jog five miles a day starting today. This is anunrealisticgoal that’spracticallyguaranteedtoendinfailure.It’sunreasonabletogofromcoachpotatotojoggingfivemilesadayrightaway,andendureweekafter week. In this example, the couch potato’s enthusiasm to reverse hissedentarylifeisadmirable,butovertoptimismsetshimupfordisappointment.

We also set unrealistic goals because we’re unclear regarding what’sachievableforus.Wefocusonadesiredoutcomeandresolvetobringitabout,but a lack of experience, knowledge, or anecdotal evidence causes us to form

misguidedexpectations.Forexample,anindividualwhostruggleswithweightmanagementdecides

to lose50pounds.Shesetsagoal to lose thisamount insixweeks.This isanimpractical goal. Losing 50 pounds in sixweeks is arguably achievable via acrashdiet.Butsuchanapproachisunhealthyandlikelytoresultingainingtheweightbackoncethecrashdiet isabandoned.Inthisexample, theindividual’sdesiretoloseexcessweightisadmirable.Butalackofclarityregardingproperweight loss strategies encourages her to develop and harbor unsoundexpectations,andultimatelyresultsindisappointment.

Setting challenging goals is commendable. Advisable, even. But it’s alsoimportant that your goals are achievable. Otherwise, you risk experiencingdisappointingfailureafterfailureuntilfailurebecomestheexpectedoutcome.

TipsForSettingRealisticGoals

First,setmilestonesforeachgoal.They’llnotonlykeepyouontrack,butthey’llalsovalidate the sensibility of your goals.For example, supposeyou’d like tolose50pounds.Committolosingtwopoundsperweek.Thisweeklymilestonedemonstratesthereasonablenessofyourobjective.

Second,writedownyourgoals.Thisadvicesoundspedestrian.Butwritingdownyourgoalsmakes themmore tangible.You’llbe lessvulnerable toovertoptimismanddubiousexpectations.

Third,reviewyouravailableresources.Everygoalyousetwillrequiretime,attention, action, and perhaps evenmoney. Consider whether you possess theresourcestobringaboutyourdesiredoutcome.Forexample,supposeyou’dliketo save$200,000 in fiveyears.Consideryour salary (or the incomegeneratedfrom your business), your monthly expenditures, and taxes. Think about theexpectedyieldonyoursavings.Thesefactorswilldeterminewhetherthisgoalisfeasible.

Realisticgoals are imperative toyour success.Theydictatewhetheryou’llachievewhatyousetouttodoorexperiencedisappointmentwheneveryoutrytobetteryourlife.

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REASON#5:YOU'RETRYINGTOIMPRESSOTHERS

orsome,thedesiretoimpressothersisnothingmorethanahalfheartedattempttodazzlepeople.Whetheritsucceedsisofnominalimportancetotheindividual.Youprobablyknowsomeonewhohasapenchantfor

bragging.Heorsheseekstomakeanimpression,butisunlikelytobecrushedifhisorheraudienceisunreceptive.

Forothers,thedesiretoimpressismuchmoreimportant.It’sadesperatebidfor validation.Whether or not this bid succeeds is ofgreat importance to theindividual. It’s a formof approval that acknowledgeshisorhervalue.To thatend,it’sanattempttogainacceptanceinanother’seyes.

When it comes to settinggoals, this tendency to impresspeople imposesadisturbing side effect. Our aspirations stop being our own, and instead reflectwhatotherswantfromus.Westoppursuingthebettermentofourlivesfromourown informed, qualified perspectives, and instead strive to meet others’expectations.Worse, we do so regardless of whether those expectations alignwiththeoutcomeswedesire.

For example, duringmy first two years in college, I strove to get perfectscoresonmyexams.Theproblemwas,Iwasn’tdoingsoforme.Iwasdoingittomeet theexpectationsofmyparents,professors,andtoa limitedextent,myfriends.Iallowedtheirexpectationstodictatemygoals.

And I did so tomy detriment. I became highly skilled at taking tests, butsacrificedin-depthknowledgeoftheassociatedsubjectmatterintheprocess.

There’s another notable downside to setting and pursuing goals with theintent to impress others:we’re less invested in suchgoals.We care less aboutthem thanwecare about thegoals that arepersonal and truly important tous.

Thisalonemakessuccesslesslikely.So ask yourself: are you trying to impress people with your goals? If so,

now’sthetimetoadjustyourframeofmindandfocusongoalsthatalignwithwhatyouwanttoaccomplish.

TipsForSettingGoalsThatComplementYOURAmbitions

First,eachtimeyousetagoal,gaugewhetheryou’vebeeninfluencedbyothers’expectations. It’s not necessarily a bad thing if you have been so influenced.Others’ expectationsmay align perfectly with what you’d like to accomplish.Butwhetherornottheyalign,it’scrucialthatyourecognizethisinfluence.

Second,ifyounoticethatoneofyourgoalsisdesignedtoimpresssomeone,try to pinpoint the source of your motivation.Why is impressing that personimportanttoyou?

There may be a good reason. For example, suppose you’d like todemonstrate your skills and reliability to your boss so she’ll reward youwithhigher-profile projects. But if you lack a good reason, reconsiderwhether thegoalisworthpursuing.

Third,make a connection between each goal you set for yourself and theoutcome you want to achieve. For example, suppose you decide to lose 50poundsoverthenextsixmonths.Youmightconnectthisgoalwiththefactthatyou’d like to enjoy better health. This outcome is personal to you. It reflectswhatyouwant.

Again, there are practical reasons for setting goals to impress others. Butsuchoccasionsare theexceptions to therule.Spendthemajorityofyour time,effort,andfocuspursuinggoalsthatcomplementyourambitions.

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REASON#6:YOUHAVEN'TGIVENYOURSELFACOMPELLING"WHY"

oyoueverlookbackonpastgoalsandwonderwhyyousettheminthefirstplace?Theyprobablyseemedimportanttoyouatthetime,butthereasonsescapeyouinthepresent.

Such goals are usually abandoned, leaving us to feel disappointed andimpotent.Ourfailuretoachievethemwreakshavoconourself-confidence.

But even success offers little comfort in these circumstances. On the rareoccasions we manage to pull off such goals, the sensation of havingaccomplishedsomethingmomentousevadesus.

Wefeelempty,asifwe’vewastedourtime.Thisproblemhasasimplerootcause. Itstemsfroma lackofpurpose.We

neglecttogiveourselvesapowerfulreasonforaccomplishingwhatwesetouttodo.

Forexample,supposeyousetouttosave$100,000.It’salaudablegoal.Butwithoutapurpose,it’sanemptytarget.Withoutacompellingreasonforsavingthatsum,you’llbetemptedtoputyourplanonthebackburnerwheneveryou’reforcedtotightenyourfiscalbelt.

But let’s suppose you have a cogent purpose for this goal. For example,you’dliketosave$100,000togiveyourselfafinancialcushionbeforeresigningfromyourjobandstartingyourownbusiness.Oryou’dliketofundyourchild’scollegeeducation.Oryouintendtousethemoneyasadownpaymentonyourdreamhomeinanidylliclocale.

Purpose is what drives us to take action. Purpose keeps us focused andmotivatesus topressonwardwhendoingso isdifficult.Forexample,supposeyou’re tempted to buy a new car, and pay for it outright to avoid interest

payments. In the absence of a compelling reason to save $100,000, you’d beinclinedtogiveintothetemptation.Withacompellingreason,it’seasiertoresisttheimpulseandstayfocusedonyourtruedesiredoutcome.

TipsForCreatingStrong“Whys”ForYourGoals

Creating a “why” involves making an emotional connection with your goal.Theseconnectionswillpropelyouforwardwhenyoufeellikegivingup.

First,thinkabouthowaccomplishingyourobjectivewillmakeyoufeel.Forexample, getting a promotion at your job might make you feel valued andappreciated.Findingalifepartnermaymakeyoufeelexhilaratedandinvincible.Saving$100,000mightgiveyouacomfortingsenseofsecurity.

Second, associate these feelings with your purpose. Connect them. Forexample,supposeyou’dliketolose30poundssoyou’lllooksvelteandsexyonanupcomingCaribbeanvacation.Lookingsowilllikelymakeyoufeelconfidentandhappy.Connectthesefeelingswithyourreasonforlosingtheweight.

Third,maintainagratitudejournal.Writedownthethingsforwhichyou’regrateful, doing so in the context of each of your goals. For instance, take ourexampleofsaving$100,000.Youmightnoteyourgratitudeforhavingajobthatcanfundthisobjective.Inourexampleoflosing30pounds,youmightexpressyourgratitudefortheability(e.g.theuseofyourlimbs)andresources(e.g.themoneytopayforagymmembership)youneedtoaccomplishyourgoal.

Agratitudejournaldoesmorethanmerelyfocusourattentiononthingswe’dotherwise take forgranted. It remindsus thatwepossess the toolsweneed tobringaboutourdesiredoutcomes.It’sanexerciseinempowerment.Gofordepthanddon’tbeafraidtodetailtheemotionalimpactofyourgratitude.

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REASON#7:YOU'RENOTTAKINGACTION

ction defines the difference between a goal and a wish. Each goalshould comewith its own action plan (we’ll talk about this in greatdetaillater).Theexecutionofthisplanisimperativetosuccess.

Bycontrast,wishesaremerelydesires.We’veneithermadeacommitmenttowardachievingthemnorcreatedplansfordoingso.Consequently,anyeffortwe make toward bringing about our desires are usually short-lived andabandoned.

Thisisanimportantdistinctiontomake.Manypeoplebelievethey’resettinggoalswhen they’re actually doing nothingmore than identifying their desires.Maintainingawishlistisfine.Infact,Irecommenddoingso.Butawishlistisnot a goals list. Wishes can become goals, but only through planning andexecution.

For example, you probably know people who regularly announce theirintention to exercise. You’ve probably also noticed that few ever start. Theyabandontheirintentionviainaction.Inthisscenario,the“goal”ismerelyawish.It’sunaccompaniedbyplanningandexecution.

Nowconsiderthefriendwhotellsyousheintendstoexerciseandbecomescommittedtothegoal.Sheresearchesexercisesanddevelopsaworkoutroutine.Shepurchasesgymclothes.Shecreatesareasonableactionplan,onethatstartsslowlyandallowshertobuildmomentumoverthecomingweeksandmonths.

Andthenshestickstoherplan.Shetakesconsistent,deliberateaction.Thesearethe“secrets”togoalachievement:planningandexecution,topics

we’lldiscussingreatdetailinPartIII:MyP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.Inactionstemsfromoneoftwocauses(andoccasionallyboth):lazinessand

overanalysis. Both manifest via procrastination. We delay taking action,promisingourselvesandthosearoundusthatwe’lltakeactioninthefuture.Inmostcases,thisfuturepointintimeneverarrives.

Often, we’re simply lazy.We’re lethargic.Working toward goals requireseffortandattention,neitherofwhichwe’reinclinedtoinvest.

Other times, we overthink the process. We become stuck in the planningstage,andfailtoreachtheexecutionstage.

Inbothcases,ourinactionallbutguaranteeswe’llfailtorealizeourdesiredoutcomes.Ourgoalsbecomedestinedtoremainnothingmorethanwishes.

Thegoodnewsis, it’seasytogetintothehabitoftakingaction.Andonceyoudoso,you’ll find that followingyouractionplanandaccomplishingwhatyousetouttodoisasimplestep-by-stepprocess.

TipsForTakingActionTowardAchievingYourGoals

First, startwithanactionplan. It shoulddetaileverythingyouneed todo,andwhenandhowoftenyoushoulddoit.Again,we’lltacklethissubjectlater.It’sacrucialoneandIwanttodoitjustice.

Second, once you’ve created your action plan, focus on the actions you’llneed to take todayand tomorrow.Refrain fromworryingabout theentiretyofyour plan. Otherwise, you risk becoming overwhelmed, which will sabotageyoureffortsandcauseyoutodoubtyourabilities.

Third,uselittlepocketsoftimetotakeaction.Thethoughtofdevotinghoursatatimeisdemotivating.Instead,usethe10to15minutesyouhaveavailablebetween(andsometimesduring)otheractivitiestoworktowardyourgoals.

Forexample,supposeyouwanttolearntospeakasecondlanguage.Doingsorequiresasignificanttimeinvestment.Butyoudon’talwaysneedtosetasidea large block of time to study. That expectation will only tempt you toprocrastinateuntil“the time is right.” Instead,practiceyour language-speakingskillswhilewaiting in line atStarbucks, commuting to your job, andbetweenpickingupyourkidsfromschoolandtakingthemtosoccerpractice.

The effort you expend during these small time pockets may seeminconsequential. But leveraging these moments will get you into the habit oftakingconsistentaction.

PARTII

10MOSTPOPULARGOAL-SETTINGSYSTEMS

“Withoutgoals,andplanstoreachthem,youarelikeashipthathassetsailwithnodestination.”—FitzhughDodson

There are numerous goal-setting strategies used today by folks who want toimprove their personal and professional lives. This section will describe andevaluatethosethatcurrentlyenjoythegreatestpopularity.

Somearebetter thanothers.And inmyopinion,a fewdomoreharmthangood.Butultimately,allofthemhavesomethingvaluabletooffer,ifonlyinsightintothefactorsthatinfluencesuccess.

The purpose of this section is to scrutinize each of these goal-settingsystems, identify their best features, andnote their shortcomings.Thisprocesswillplayanimportantroleinthefollowingsection,whereyou’lllearnthenutsandboltsofmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.You’llnoticethatmymethodsimplifies goal setting by incorporating the pivotal features of today’s mostpopularstrategieswhileignoringtheirextraneouscomponents.

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#1:S.M.A.R.T.GOALS

oumayalreadybefamiliarwiththeS.M.A.R.T.system.Let’scoverthebasicstoensurewe’reonthesamepage.

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that emphasizes the system’s five coretenets:

S=SpecificM=MeasurableA=AttainableR=RelevantT=Time-Specific

“Specific”means thatagoal shouldhaveadistinctoutcome.Forexample,it’s not enough to aspire to “lose weight.” It’s better to aspire to “lose 20pounds.” This specificity creates accountability and defines success versusfailure.

“Measurable” means that your goal should allow you to monitor yourprogress. In the example above (“lose 20 pounds”), you can easily track howmuchweightyou’velostbysteppingontoascaleonceaweekandwritingdownyourresults.

“Attainable” means that a goal should be realistic. For example, “lose 20pounds in six months” is feasible for most people. “Lose 20 pounds by nextweek”isnot.

“Relevant”means that a goal should align with your long-term plans and

aspirations.Thisprincipledovetailswiththeideaof“knowingyourwhy,”whichwe covered inReason #6 of the previous section (Why You’re Not AchievingYourGoals).

“Time-specific”meansthatagoalshouldbeaccompaniedbyadeadline.Anexample is to“lose20poundsby the firstdayofsummer.”Havingadeadlinehonesourfocusandencouragesexecution.

I like the S.M.A.R.T. method. It’s simple enough to offer clarity andencourage adherence. Meanwhile, it’s detailed enough to support creating anactionplan.

Having said that, the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting approach is imperfect. First,there’s little attention given to outcomes. Instead, the focus is on tasks andactivities. While the “Relevant” part of the S.M.A.R.T. method addressesoutcomes,itdoessoinamannerthat’sfarfromcomprehensive.

Second, it emphasizes goal achievement over everything else. This aspectmayseembeneficialonthesurface,butitcandomoreharmthangood.Withoutawareness regarding how a particular goal fits into your larger plans, it’s tooeasytobecomefixatedontheshort-termfeelingofaccomplishment.

AthirddownsidetotheS.M.A.R.T.approachisthatfailuretoachieveagoalleads todiscouragement.Afterall, agoal thatadheres to the five tenetsof theapproachisachievable.Failureisthusunacceptable.Butinreality,failuremaysimplyconstitutefeedbackthataparticulargoal isno longer important toyou.TheS.M.A.R.T.systemofferslittleroomforself-analysistothatend.

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#2:S.M.A.R.T.E.R.GOALS

he S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal-setting system is an extension of theS.M.A.R.T. system. Two additional tenets are appended to provide amorecomprehensiveapproach.Followingistheentireacronymspelled

outalongwitheachletter’sfeature.

S=SpecificM=MeasurableA=AttainableR=RelevantT=Time-SpecificE=EvaluateR=Revise

You’re already acquainted with the first five principles. The latter twoprovidegreaterdepththatovercomessomeof theshortcomingsinherent in theoriginalS.M.A.R.T.method.

“Evaluate”means that a goal needs to bemonitored to promote consistentprogress.Thisprinciplebroadensthescopeof“Measurable.”It’snotenoughthatagoalprovidesawaytomonitorprogress(viaspecificity).Theremustalsobeawaytogaugewhetherchangingcircumstancesaffectitsachievability.

“Revise” means that a goal should always be open to reassessment.Ambitionsandaspirationschangewith time.Goalsmustbeallowed tochangewith them.This principle introduces adaption, an indispensable facet, into the

goal-settingprocess.Itrecognizesthatgoalscanbecomemisalignedwithone’slong-term plans due to environmental changes, personal obstacles, and otherchallenges.Whenthisoccurs,itallowstheindividualtorealignthem.

For example, supposeyou set agoal to lose20poundsby the first dayofsummer.You’reinspiredtolookgoodwhenyouvisitthebeachorliepoolsidetosoakupthesun’srays.Butlet’ssayyou’reinjuredinanautoaccident,andyourinjury prevents you from exercising. Under these circumstances, it may benecessarytoreviseyourgoaltoaccommodatethisobstacle.

While I like the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting system, I feel the S.M.A.R.T.E.Rapproachisanimprovementontheformula.The“Evaluate”stepencouragestheindividual to track his or her progress in a way that’s overlooked by the“Measurable”step.

The “Revise” step is an even more important addition. We shouldcontinuouslyaskourselveswhetherourgoalscomplementourlargeraspirations.Moreover,weshouldalwaysbereceptivetoadjusting-orabandoningaltogether-goalsthatfailtomeetthisstandard.

Inmy opinion, the “Revise” step should be intuitive and instinctive. It’s anaturalresultofanactive,dynamicgoal-settingapproach,andthereforedoesn’tneed to be spelled out. Having said that, because the S.M.A.R.T. andS.M.A.R.T.E.Rsystemsare someticulous, and thosewho follow themusuallytreatthemasstep-by-stepinstructions,thisstep’sinclusionisusefulhere.

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#3:OKRS(OBJECTIVESANDKEYRESULTS)

heObjectives andKeyResultsmethod is simpler than theS.M.A.R.T.andS.M.A.R.T.E.Rmethods.Here’showitworks…

First,setanobjectiveyou’dliketoachieve.Then,identifythemetricthat best indicates your progress. Finally, keep your eyes on that metric untilyou’veaccomplishedyourgoal.

Forexample,supposeyourobjectiveistosave$20,000.Themostimportantmetric (orkey result) is thebalance inyour savingsaccount.Therefore,you’dwanttokeepyoureyesonthatnumberuntilitreaches$20,000.

OKRsaretypicallyusedonanorganizationallevel.Forexample,amanagermight encourage his or her employees to set objectives and identify and trackkeyresultstoensurehisorherdepartment’sgoalsareachieved.It’saneffectiveway to communicate goals to a large group of people, and align everyone’seffortsacrosstheexistinghierarchy.

Butthisapproachisn’texclusivetoorganizations.ManypeopleadoptOKRsintheirpersonallives,aswell.Theproblemis,onitsown,theOKRmethodisdeeplyflawed.ItssimplicityisitsAchilles’heel.

First, it neglects setting deadlines for objectives (recall the “T” in theS.M.A.R.T.andS.M.A.R.T.E.Rmethods).Withoutdeadlines,there’snosenseofurgencypromptingaction.

Second, itprioritizes the“how”andavoids the“why.”That is, thefocus isplacedontheactivitiesandeffortsrequiredtoachieveestablishedobjectives.Noattention is given to whether those objectives should be pursued. They mayinitially seem important, but as we discussed in the previous section,circumstances change. Our goals must be malleable enough to change with

them.AthirdshortcominginherentintheOKRmethodisthatitcancauseyouto

missopportunities.Withsomuchattentiondevotedtoaccomplishingestablishedobjectives,andnoattentiondevotedtoexaminingtheirongoingmerit,youriskmisallocatingyourtime,attention,andotherresources.

Recall our earlier example of saving $20,000. The OKR approach wouldhave you focused on achieving that objective. But what if you had anopportunity to allocate themoney in away thatwas better alignedwith yourlonger-termambitions(forexample,investinginapromisingstock)?WereyoutostickdiligentlytotheOKRmethod,you’dmissoutonsuchopportunities.

If you decide to experiment with this goal-setting system, I urge you toincorporate the principles of the S.M.A.R.T.E.R method. Specifically, setdeadlinesandcontinuallyreassessthemeritofeachofyourgoals.

Betteryet,holdoffuntilyou’vereadPartIII:MyP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.It incorporateseverythingyouneedtoaccomplishwhatyousetouttodo.

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#4:BSQ(BIG,SMALL,QUICK)

his approach was invented by David Van Rooy, an expert inorganizational psychology. He advocates setting big goals, specifyingsmaller subgoals that serve as guideposts on the path toward goal

achievement,andestablishingatimeline.According to Van Rooy, the first step short circuits our tendency to sell

ourselvesshort.Heencouragesustothinkbig,confidentthatwecanaccomplishmorethanwethink.Thesecondstepestablishesaseriesofbenchmarksthatcanbeusedtomonitorourprogress.Thethirdstepencouragestheuseofdeadlinestospurustotakeaction.

Forexample,supposeyoudecidetolose100pounds.Thiswouldrepresentyour “big goal.” It may seem impossible, or at least impractical, but we’rethinkingbig.

Next, let’s say you intend to lose two pounds a week. These are yourmilestones.Theyrepresentthesmallersubgoalsthat’llleadyoutosuccess.

Finally, suppose you set a timeline of one year. This is your deadline.Assumingthatyousticktoyourgoal,youintendtolose100poundsbythistimenextyear.

TheupsideoftheBig,Small,andQuickapproachisthatitencouragesustoadoptgoalsthatforceusoutsideourcomfortzones.Butit’snotjustanexerciseinwish fulfillment. TheBSQmethod prompts us to create an action plan viamilestones.Anditspursustotakeactionviaadeadline.

Itpromotesbothspecificityandpracticalitywhileofferingawaytoachieveandgainmomentumalongtheway.

ThisapproachstemsfromVanRooy’sthreecoreprinciplesofgoals:

1. Agoalisbetterthannogoal2. Aspecificgoalisbetterthanabroadgoal3. Ahardandspecificgoalisbetterthananeasygoal

HisBSQsystemincorporatesthesethreetenets,providingasolidframeworkthat canhelpus to achievebig results.But it’s imperfect.Youmayhaveevenrecognizedafewofitsshortcomings.

First, like OKRs (see the previous section), it neglects to examine theongoing merit of our ambitions. No attention is given to re-examinationregardingwhetherourobjectivesarestill importantandfeasiblegivenchangesinourcircumstances.

Second,whilethinkingbigandsettingbiggoalsisadmirable,doingsocanalso be limiting. Time, attention, energy, and capital are limited resources.Devoting them to achieving a big goal means they’re unavailable for otherpursuits.Thismaybefinedependingonyourfocus.Butrealizethatbiggoalstieupasignificantamountofresources.

Third, the BSQ method fails to emphasize task selection with regard toachieving milestones. It’s one thing to set guideposts by which to monitorsuccess. It’sanother thingentirely to identify theactions thatmustbe taken toreachthoseguideposts.TheBSQapproachignoresthisstepaltogether.

Personally,IlikeVanRooy’sBig,Small,andQuicksystem.It’ssimpleandconcise. But in my opinion, it leaves out important facets of the goal-settingprocess. These missing components can spell the difference between goalachievementandfailure.

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#5:THEGOALBUDDYSYSTEM

his goal-setting system is advocated by the creators of the web-basedGoalBuddyprogram.Thedetailsoftheprogramliebeyondthescopeofthisbook.I’veneverusedtheGoalBuddytrainingmaterialsnormobile

app,soIcan’tspeaktotheirefficacy.ButtheGoalBuddyprocedureforsettinggoalsispopularenoughtoprofile

here.Moreover,itinvolvesorganizationalelementsthatIbelieveareusefulforgoalachievement.

Thesystemincorporatessevensteps.Thefirststepistoreflectonpastgoalsyou’ve successfullyachieved.This is intended togiveyou theconfidenceyouneedtoaccomplishyourcurrentandfutureambitions.

Second,you’reencouragedtoimaginehowyou’dlikeyourlifetobeinthefuture,assumingyoupossessedthenecessaryresourcestomakeithappen.Thisisthebrainstormingphase.

Third,you’resupposedtodecideonwhatyouwanttoaccomplish.Thisstep,referredtoasa“manifesto”bytheGoalBuddycreators,isdesignedtoclarifytheoutputofsteptwo.

Fourth,you’retocreateanactionplanforeachgoalyouhighlightedinstepthree.Thisstepalsoencouragesyoutoinvestigateyourlimitingbeliefs,aswellasyourmotivationsforeachgoal.

Fifth,you’re to incorporateyouractionplan intoa90-day timeframe.Thisstepsetsadeadline.

The first five steps focus on setting goals. Steps six and seven focus onachievingthem.Thesixthstepistofindagoalbuddy.Thispersonservesasanaccountabilitypartner.

The seventh and final step is to regularly meet with your goal buddy -weekly,quarterly,andannually-toreviewyourprogress.Thesemeetingsextendbeyondmereaccountability.They’realsoanopportunitytoreassessyourgoalsandresources,andmakeadjustmentsasneeded.

IadmireseveralcomponentsoftheGoalBuddysystem.Forexample,Ithinkit’simportanttoimagineyourdesiredlife,andthentorefinetheresultinglistofgoals according towhat you’d truly like to accomplish. I also like that you’reprompted to create an action plan for each goal, and then tomake each plantime-sensitive. And perhaps most importantly, this approach involves regularreevaluation.

Havingsaidthat,it’smyopinionthatsomeoftheabovestepsareflawed.Forexample, while the GoalBuddy system encourages creating a time-sensitiveactionplan,thistimesensitivityisunnecessarilycompartmentalizedwithina90-daywindow.Thisforcestheusertofocusoneachgoalforatleast90days.

Theproblem is, this isanarbitrary timeline.What if theuserdecidesaftertwoweeksthataparticulargoalispointless?Shouldheorshebecompelledtocontinue devoting resources toward accomplishing it long after it shouldarguablybeabandoned?

Anotherissue:whileIbelieveit’susefultohaveanaccountabilitypartner,Ialsofeelit’sanoncriticalstep.Iftheindividualisunabletofindsuchapartner,orfindagoodone,itcanderailtheentireGoalBuddyprocess.

If you’ve read any of my other books, you know that I advocateexperimentation.Tothatend,there’snothingwrongwithtryingtheGoalBuddysystemandnotingwhetheritproducesgoodresults.ButI thinkyou’llfindmyP.R.I.M.E.R.methodtobemoreeffective.

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#6:LOCKEANDLATHAM'SFIVEPRINCIPLES

n 1968, Dr. Edwin Locke, a notable psychologist, wrote a paper titledToward a Theory of TaskMotivation and Incentives.[1] In this paper, hehypothesized about the effect of specificity in setting goals, as well as

variousformsoffeedback,onperformance.Dr. Locke noted that specific goals lead to better performance than non-

specific goals. Moreover, difficult goals lead to better performance than easygoals.Andfinally,feedbackplayedacrucialroleingoalachievement.

He was later joined by Dr. Gary Latham, a professor of organizationaleffectivenessattheUniversityofTorontoinCanada.Dr.Lathamhadperformedsimilar research into the factors that influenced task performance. He foundsimilar results. Together, Drs. Locke and Latham came up with five guidingprinciplesofsettingeffectivegoals.

Followingarethesefiveprinciplesalongwithabriefexplanationofeach.

Clarity-Thisissimilartothe“S”intheS.M.A.R.T.andS.M.A.R.T.E.R.goal-settingsystems.LockeandLathamassertthatcreatingexplicitgoalsclarifiessupportingactionsandmeasuringprotocols,andsimplifiestheidentificationofsuccess.

Exampleofacleargoal:quitsmokingbyMarch30th.

Exampleofanuncleargoal:quitsmoking.

Challenge-LockeandLathammaintainedthatchallenginggoalsmotivatedindividualsandimprovedtheiroutput.Aslongasagoalwasachievable,itsdifficultnatureinspiredsuccess.Bycontrast,easygoals,thosethatpresentedlittletonochallenge,erodedmotivationandnegativelyimpactedtaskperformance.

Exampleofachallenginggoal:learntospeakGermanfluently.

Exampleofaneasygoal:learnGermantravelphrases(e.g.“Where’sthenearestrestroom?”).

Commitment-Thisprinciplefocusesongettingallinvolvedpartiesonthesamepage.Inateamsetting,everyoneneedstoagreetopursuethegoalinquestionandcommittoexpendingresources(time,focus,capital,etc.)towarditsachievement.AccordingtoLockeandLatham,this“buy-in”hasapositiveeffectonmotivationandimprovesthelikelihoodofsuccess.

Commitment is just as important when you’re working on your own.Wheneveryousetapersonalgoal,it’sessentialthatyou’redevotedtoachievingit.

Exampleofcommitment:spendingtwohoursaday,regardlessofcircumstances,learningtoplaytheguitar.

Exampleofnon-commitment:willingnesstoabandonguitarpracticetoenjoyotheractivities(watchingTV,meetingfriendsfordinner,etc.).

Feedback-LockeandLathamclaimthatmonitoringprogressplaysacrucialroleingoalachievement.Beingawareofourprogressmotivatesuswhenoureffortsareontrack.Italsogivesusanopportunitytomakeadjustmentsasneeded.

Exampleofagoodfeedbackloop:weeklyreviewstomonitortheachievementofsubgoalmilestones.

Exampleofabadfeedbackloop:lackofaregularreviewprocess.

Complexity-Thecomplexityofgoalshasanominalimpactonperformanceuptoacertainpoint.Oncethispointhasbeenreached,ithasasevereimpactaspeoplebegintofeeloverwhelmed.LockeandLathamfoundthatoverly-complexgoalsdegrademoraleandmotivation,negativelyaffectingperformance.

Exampleoftolerablecomplexity:a5-exerciseworkoutroutinethatfocusesonfoundationalmovementpatterns.

Exampleofintolerablecomplexity:a20-exerciseworkoutroutineoptimizedwithcontinuouslymodifiedsets,reps,anddurations.

Locke andLatham’s five principles of goal setting hold important keys tosuccess.Oneexampleistheemphasisonspecificity.Theclaritythatspecificityprovides can prove instrumental in creating an effective action plan andmonitoringone’sprogress.

I also like the spotlight on goal complexity. I advocate breaking downprocesses to their simplest elements because doing so makes them easier tounderstand.Theeasieritistounderstandtheactionswemusttaketoaccomplishour goals, the less internal resistance we’ll experience while working towardthem.Andthatcanonlyimproveourchancesofsuccess.

OnethingIfeelismissingfromthisgoal-settingsystemisanevaluationofwhetherspecificgoalsarestillmeaningful.Theprincipleoffeedbackisgearedtoward determining progress. It is not intended to revisit whether our goalscontinuetoholdmerit.

Thismayseematrivialquibble.Butyou’llseewhyit’sanindispensablestepinPartIII:MyP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.

[1]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0030507368900044

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#7:BACKWARDPLANNING

hisapproach tosettinggoalsencouragesyou tostartwith theoutcomeyou desire and thenwork backwards to create a plan for achieving it.Backwardplanningchampionsthe“begin-with-the-end-in-mind”model.

It involves four steps that are designed to produce a feasible, actionablestrategy for accomplishingwhatever you set out to do.Following are the foursteps.I’lluseanexampleofpublishinganoveltodemonstratehowthesystemworks.

Step1-Identifyalong-termgoal.

Let’ssupposeyou’dliketopublishanovelinsixmonths.Thisisyourlong-termgoal.

Step2-Decideontheactionsyou’llneedtotake.

Publishing a novel involves numerous tasks.You’ll need towrite a first draft,proofreadit,edit it forclarity,andrewrite thedraft, incorporatingthechanges.You’llneed tochoosea title,designacover, formatyourbook, select aprice,andplantherelease.

Youcanoutsourcealmosteverything(eventhewriting).Theimportantpointis thatyouhighlight the individualmeasuresyou’llneedto take toaccomplishyourgoal.

Step3-Createmilestones.

Develop a plan that incorporates each of the measures you identified in theprevious step, as well as the deadline you established in the first step. Forsimplicity,let’sfocusonthewritingaspectofyourgoal.

Agoodlengthforanovelis80,000words.Recallthatyou’dliketopublishyournovelinsixmonths.You’lllikelyneedafewweekstoeditandreviseyourfirstdraft.Thatbeingthecase,let’sassumeyouneedtocompleteyourfirstdraftwithinfivemonths.

Fivemonthsequals20weeks.Thismeansyou’llneedtowrite4,000wordseach week, presuming you’d like to avoid scrambling as your deadlineapproaches.Theseweekly4,000-wordsubgoalsrepresentyourmilestones.

Step4-Gobackonestep.

Here, we address preliminary measures that should be taken before you startworkingtowardyourfirstmilestone.

Forexample,beforeyoubeginwriting thefirst4,000wordsofyournovel,you’ll need to decide what your novel will be about, create an outline, andchooseabookwritingsoftwareapplication.

THESEFOURSTEPSencompasstheentirebackwardplanninggoal-settingsystem.Simplicityandconcisenessareamongitscharms.

OneofthethingsIlikeaboutthisapproachisitsemphasisondevelopingasensibleactionplan.Alargegoal(publishinganovel)isbrokendowntosmaller,workablesubgoalsthatserveasmilestones.

Ialsoappreciatethatbackwardplanningencouragestheuseofdeadlinesandpromotestheidentificationofnecessarymeasures.Theseaspectsof thesystemarehighlypractical.

One of the shortcomings of this approach is that it lacks a formal reviewprocess.Whilemilestoneskeeptheindividualontrack,noattentionisgiventowhetherhisorhergoalscontinuetohavemerit.

Forexample,supposeyoudecideinthefifthweekofwritingthefirstdraftofyour novel that you intenselydislikewriting fiction. In this scenario, itwouldbehoove you to reassess your original goal. Otherwise, you risk spendingvaluabletimeandenergyonafrustratingpursuitthatholdsnomeaningforyou.

In my opinion, this constitutes a significant weakness in the backward

planning model. The omission of a review step can precipitate a tremendouswaste of time and effort as the individual continues to pursue pointlessobjectives.

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#8:BHAG(BIG,HAIRY,ANDAUDACIOUS)

his goal-setting approach was popularized by Jim Collins and JerryPorras in their book Built To Last: Successful Habits Of VisionaryCompanies.Whileit’stypicallydeployedinanorganizationalcontext,it

has become increasingly popular among lifestyle management pundits. Itdovetailswith the ideaof setting10Xgoals (I’ll explain this concept ina fewmoments).

ThebasicframeworkofBHAGistosetadaringlong-termgoal.Thisgoalislikely to appear extraordinary, even outlandish, to other people. An examplewould be to aspire to climb Annapurna in Nepal, a mountain that’s widelyregardedasthemostdangerousonEarth.Ortobuildabillion-dollarcompany.Ortobeelectedtothehighestpublicofficeintheland.

Suchgoalsareconsideredtobe“big,hairy,andaudacious.”ThestepstocreatingaBHAGaresimple:

Step1-Brainstormacourageouslong-termgoal.

Thisgoalneedstobebigandcompelling.Itshouldstrikeanemotionalchordinanyonewhohearsit.Itshouldalsobespecificandhaveacleardestination;theremustbenoquestionregardingwhetherthegoalhasbeenachieved.

Step2-Evaluateitsfeasibility.

Askyourselfwhether it’s trulypossible toachieveyourgoal.Doyouhave the

necessaryresources(time,attention,energy,andcapital)tomakeithappen?Canyoudedicatetheseresourcesoverthenextseveralyears?

Step3-Pledgethatyou’llachieveyourgoal.

Youcommittodoingwhateverisnecessarytobringaboutyourobjective.Andthesooneryoustarttakingaction,thebetter.

IMENTIONEDabovethatBHAGsaresimilarto10Xgoals.A10Xgoalisagoalthat’stentimesbiggerthanwhatyouconsidertobepractical.

For example, a reasonable goal might be to publish a novel. A 10X goalwould be to publish several novels and watch each one make the New YorkTimesbestsellerlist.

Isthelatterobjectivedoable?Yes.Isitpractical?No.The idea behind setting 10X goals is that failure to reach them can still

produceimpressiveresults.Forexample,youmaynotseeeverynovelyouwritehit theNewYork Times bestseller list, but one of themmight. And the salesfiguresof theothersmightstillbespectaculardespite their failure tomake thelist.

BHAGswork in a similar manner. You’re encouraged to pick a goal thatseemsnearly impossibleon thesurface.Buteven ifyoufail to reach it,you’llstill benefit from your concentrated efforts. Your efforts are likely to stillproduceadmirableresults.

I’llbe frankabout theBHAGmethodof settinggoals: Idislike it. I feel itomitscrucialstepsthatinfluencesuccess.

For example, as with backward planning (refer to the previous section),there’snoreviewprocess.So,there’snoformalproceduretodeterminewhethera big, hairy, and audacious goal still has merit. This omission is especiallynotablegiventhatBHAGsrequireyearsofeffort.

Anotherflawisthelackofaformalsteppromotingthecreationofanactionplan.There’sanemphasisonmakingconsistent,forwardprogress,butthere’snoframeworkfordevelopingaplanfordoingso.Suchastepcanbeappended totheBHAGapproach,ofcourse.Butitsabsence,evenifonlyattheoutset,leavesanotablevacuum.

Inmyopinion, theBHAGmodel lacks the finerdetails thatmakesuperiorgoal-setting systems (e.g. the S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T.E.R. methods)effective.

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#9:THEGOLDENCIRCLEMETHOD

heGoldenCircleapproach togoalsettingfocusesonwhyyouwant toachieveaparticulargoal.According to thismethod, it’sonlyafteryoudeterminewhythatyoufleshoutthehowandwhat(inthatorder).

TheideawasconceptualizedbySimonSinek,authorofStartWithWhy.InapopularTEDtalk,[1]Sineknotedthatmostpeoplefocusonwhat theywanttoaccomplish. Somego further and considerhow they’ll accomplish it. But fewthinkaboutwhytheywanttodoso.

TheGoldenCirclemethodencouragessettinggoalsintheoppositedirection.Startwithwhy,thendeterminehow,andfinallyfleshoutthewhat.Belowisanimagethatillustratesthisprocess.

Forexample,let’ssupposeyou’dliketogetintoshape.Youmaybetemptedtostartwithanactionplan.ButSinekadvocates firstdeterminingyour reasonforgettingintoshape.Whatisyourmotivation?Isittofeelbetter,sleepbetter,or reduce your blood pressure? Is it to increase your strength, boost yourmetabolicrate,orimproveyourrangeofmotion?

Onceyou’vefiguredoutwhyyouwanttogetintoshape,focusonhowyouintend todo it.Willyouvisit thegym?Willyoucleanupyourdiet?Willyouabandon unhealthy vices, such as cigarettes and alcohol?This step turns yourdesireintoapracticalobjective.Itlendsfeasibilitytoyourgoal.

Finally,determinewhatyou’llneedtodotoachieveyourdesiredoutcome.Thisiswhereyoucreateanactionplan.Ifyou’refocusingonexercise,developaworkoutroutine. Ifyou’refocusingonyourdiet,designamealplan. Ifyou’refocusingonbadhabits,comeupwithstrategiesforcurbingunhealthypractices.

Thisframeworkencouragesyoutosetgoalsthataretrulyimportanttoyou,andcomeupwithsensibleproceduresforachievingthem.

IlikethesimplicityofTheGoldenCircle.Withonlythreesteps,itavoidstheunnecessary complexity of other goal-setting methods, preventing us fromgettinglostintheweeds.

Ialsoappreciate thesystem’searlyemphasisonintentionality.IagreewithSinek that it’s crucial to be aware of our reasons for pursuing our goals.Ourreasonscreateemotionalconnectionswithourdesiredoutcomes.Forexample,“gettingintoshape,”agoalthat,onitsown,lackssubstance,startstotakeformandholdmeaningforus.

One of my reservations about The Golden Circle is that it gives littleattentiontoidentifyingactionsthatcanbemeasured.Thesecondandthirdsteps(howandwhat)promotedevelopingagameplanforachievingagoal,butthere’snoemphasisonhowtodosoeffectively.

Anothershortcomingof thismethodis that it fails tospur the individual toregularlyassessthecontinuingmeritofhisorhergoals.Aswe’vediscussedinpriorsections,goalscanbecomelessimportant,orevenmeaningless,overtime.In my opinion, it’s vital to identify and abandon such goals as quickly aspossibletoconserveourlimitedresources.

TheGoldenCircleisagoodsystem.Butit’simperfectasitomitsimportantstepsinthegoal-settingprocess.Asalways,Iencourageyoutoexperimentwithdifferentapproachesandnotehowwell theywork foryou.Havingsaid that, Ialsoencourageyoutoholdoffonthisexperimentationuntilyou’velearnedmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.

[1]https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

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#10:OGSM(OBJECTIVES,GOALS,STRATEGIES,MEASURES)

GSMismainlyusedinorganizations.Oneofitskeyadvantagesisthatithelpsmanagerstoaligntheirgoalswiththegoalsofothermanagersandtheirrespectiveteams.

Thisadvantageisextraneoustoourpersonalgoals.Mostofusworktowardsachievingourpersonalgoalswithoutsubstantialinputfromothers.Sothere’snoneedtoorganizeeffortsandallocateresourcesbasedonthedisparateobjectivesofmultipleparties.

Havingsaidthat,theOGSMmodeloffersusefulinsight.The systembeginswith defining a broadobjective.Exampleswould be to

“retire,”“loseweight,”or“traveltheworld.”Theseobjectivesshouldalignwithyourdesiredlife.Thealignmentgivesthemmeaning.

Thenextstepistocreatealistofgoalsthat’llhelpyoutoaccomplishyourobjectives. For example, let’s say your objective is to retire. To do so, you’llneedtohaveacertainamountofmoneysetasidebyacertainpointintime.Soyou’llcomeupwithfinancialgoals,suchas“have$1millionininvestmentsbythetimeIturn65.”

Next, the OGSM model prompts you to develop strategies that’ll lead toachieving your objectives. This step involves creating an action plan. Youidentify theactionsyou’ll take toaccomplish thegoalsdefined in thepreviousstep,which,inturn,willultimatelyfulfillyourlong-termobjective(e.g.retire).

Inourexample,thismightentailinvestingaspecificsumeachmonthintoamutualfund.Itmayinvolvereducingyourmonthlydiscretionaryspendingbyacertain percentage. It might require evaluating your health care options andadjustingyourhealthinsuranceplan.

ThefinalstepoftheOGSMapproachistoestablishmeasurablebenchmarks.Thesebenchmarksallowyoutomonitoryourprogress.Theyshouldbespecificenoughtoleavenoquestionregardingwhetheryou’remakingtheprogressyouenvisioned.

Continuingwithour“retire”example,let’ssayyou’re45yearsold.Youhave20 years to accumulate $1 million, presuming you’d like to retire at 65.Estimatinga5%realrateofreturn,[1]youdecidetoinvest$3,000amonth.Youcanuse anonline investment calculator to “map” the amountofmoneyyou’llhaveaccumulatedbytheendofeachyearleadinguptoage65.

If the amount inyour investmentportfoliomatchesor exceeds the amountdisplayedon themap,you’llknow thatyou’rehittingyourbenchmarks. If theamountislower,you’llknowthatyouneedtomakecompensatoryadjustments.

TheOGSMmethodprovidesaformalprocessforturninglong-termdesiresinto achievable goals supported by realistic milestones. It emphasizes takingmeasurableactions.Thisalonedistinguishesitfromlessergoal-settingsystems.

Butithastwoshortcomings.First,there’snoreviewprocessduringwhichtoassess the ongoingmerit of a long-termobjective. (Aswe’ve seen throughoutthissection, this isa limitationwithmanyof today’smostpopulargoal-settingsystems.)Second, in theabsenceof a reviewprocess, theOGSMmodel locksyouin.Yourresourcesmaybeconsumedforyearsonendwithoutgoodreason.

TheOGSMmodeloffersusefulguidancefromabird’s-eyeview.Butit’sfarfromperfect,andIadvisecautionifyoudecidetoexperimentwithit.

[1] Real rate of return is the annual return on an investment followingadjustmentsforinflation,taxes,andotherexternalfactors.

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WHICHISTHEBESTGOAL-SETTINGSYSTEM?

e’ve investigated the10mostpopularapproaches tosettinggoals.Sowhichisthebestone?

Simplyput,noneofthem.Aswe’ve seen, eachone is flawed.Someare flawed inminorways.They

containusefulbuildingblocks,butareultimately imperfect.Other systemsareflawedinegregiouswaysthatmakethementirelyunsound.

Butmostimportantly,the“best”systemistheonethatworksforyou.Itdoesnogoodtofollowanapproachthatworksforotherpeople,butultimatelyprovesineffectualinhelpingyoutoachieveyourgoals.

Withthatinmind,I’dliketointroduceyoutomyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.ItaddressestheaspectsIbelievetobethemostcrucialtoaccomplishingwhateveryousetouttodo.

Itwouldbehypocritical ofme topropose thatmymethod is thebest one.That said, I confidently encourage you to try it. I think you’ll find that itproducesimpressiveresults.

PARTIII

MYP.R.I.M.E.R.GOALSETTINGMETHOD

“Ourgoalscanonlybereachedthroughavehicleofaplan,inwhichwemustferventlybelieve,anduponwhichwemustvigorouslyact.Thereisnootherroutetosuccess.”—PabloPicasso

My P.R.I.M.E.R. method is an amalgamation of the crème de la crème wecovered inPart II: 10MostPopularGoal-SettingSystems. It isolates thebestpiecesandassemblesthemintoanactionableapproachthatproducesresults.

You’ll find that my P.R.I.M.E.R. method is a simple system. That’s bydesign. It’ll helpyou to avoidbecomingentangled in the trivialities that oftenaccompanysettinggoals.You’llbebetterabletofocusonthestepsthat’lltrulyinfluenceyourforwardprogressandeventualsuccess.

Toillustratethepointsmadethroughoutthissection,I’llusetheexampleofanindividualwhoplanstoimprovehisorherhealth.Additionalexampleswillbepresentedtoadddepthtoselectconcepts,butthe“gethealthy”examplewillserveasourconstant.Theconsistencywillmakeiteasiertovisualizehowyou’lladvance,stepbystep,throughtheP.R.I.M.E.R.methodwheneveryousetgoals.

Let’sdivein.

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P-PINPOINTYOURHIGHEST-PRIORITYAMBITIONS

his step involves self-analysis. It entails contemplating your ambitionsand zeroing in on theonesyou consider vital to the life youdesire tolive.

Think of these as your “umbrella” aspirations. They’re broad and mayinvolve multiple goals. An example of an umbrella aspiration is to “improveyourhealth.” Itmightbesupportedbynumerousgoalssuchas“eathealthier,”“loseweight,”“startexercising,”“getmoresleep,”“quitsmoking,”etc.

To uncover your umbrella aspirations, ask yourself the following twoquestions:

1. InwhatareasofmylifewouldIliketoseepositiveresults?Examplesincludeyourrelationships,health,career,finances,attitude,spirituality,experiences,andeducation/knowledge.

2. WhydoIwishtoseeresultsintheseareas?Here,you’llisolatethemostprominentmotivatingfactors.Thesemightinvolveyourcorevalues,suchascompassion,honesty,andpersonalgrowth.Theymayalsoincludefeelingsofrestlessness(e.g.youdesireamorechallengingcareer),fear(e.g.youwanttoimproveyourhealthtoavoidanearlydeath),anddeeply-heldlonging(e.g.youdesperatelywanttotraveltheworld).

Next, we need to differentiate your critical umbrella aspirations from theimportant, but expendable aspirations. To do so, ask yourself two more

questions:

1. HowwouldIrankmyaspirationsinimportance?Eachoneundoubtedlydeservesyourtimeandattention.Unfortunately,youonlyhavesomuchtimeandattentiontoallocatetowardthem.Sowritethemdownandrankthem.

2. HowwouldIfeelifIfailedtofulfilltheseaspirations?Someambitionsappearimportantonthesurface,butseemlesssounderclosescrutiny.Answeringthisquestiongivesyouanopportunitytoexaminehowyoutrulyfeelabouteachone,anddeterminewhereyourtimeandattentionarebestspent.

Youranswerstothesequestionswillproduceaprioritizedlistofambitions.This list is your starting point. It’ll influencewhere you should dedicate yourlimited resources,andplayacrucial role inhelpingyou tocreate the life (andlifestyle)youenjoydowntheroad.

Ifyourlistcontainsmorethanadozenumbrellaaspirations,you’llprobablyneedtoabandonafewthatarerankedatthebottom.Don’tbetooconcernedthatyou’redoingyourselfadisservice.Thisprocesswillinevitablyrevealaspirationsthat are less important than they initially seem.Upon closer inspection, you’llundoubtedlyfindtheycanbeabandoned,oratleastrelegatedtothebackburner,withoutseriousconsequence.

AreYourAmbitionsRealistic?

You’ll note that none of the above questions address whether your umbrellaaspirations are realistic. That’s not an oversight. I assume you harbor nodelusions.Ifyou’reamiddle-agedmaleandweigh125pounds,you(hopefully)don’taspiretoplayintheNFL.Ifyoudetestwritingandstrugglewithcreativity,you(hopefully)don’taspiretobecomethenextJ.K.Rowling.

The more important question is, how do you know whether an umbrellaaspirationisrealistic?Threefactorsplayarole.

First, consider the associated cost. Will it cost time, money, energy, orattentional resources? How much of each? Are you willing to allocate theseresources in sufficient volume? For example, suppose you’d like to find amarriagepartner,butareunwilling tospend timemeetingpeople.This lackofwillingnessmakesyouraspirationtogetmarriedunrealistic.

Second,considerexistingconstraints.Someofthemmayberelatedtoyour

resources.Forexample,supposeyou’dliketolearnanewlanguage,butyourjoband home life leave youwith no discretionary time. Such a limitationmakeslearninganewlanguageunrealistic-atleastgivenyourcurrentcircumstances.

Third, consider external factors over which you have no control. Forexample, suppose you’d like to visitYemen. If you live in theU.S., travel toYemen is prohibited. This circumstance, one you cannot influence, makesvisitingYemenunrealistic.

Thisstep,pinpointingyourhighest-priorityambitionsanddeterminingtheirfeasibility,isoneofthesimplestinmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.Butitcan potentially require the most time and attention. Remember, this is yourstartingpoint.It’llaffecteverythingthatcomesafterward.

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R-REFINEYOURDESIREDOUTCOMES

our list of high-priority ambitions (HPAs) is useful, but only to theextentthatyoufleshitoutwithspecifics.Ontheupside,it’scomprisedof massive, long-term objectives that are important to you. That’s

helpfulbecauseitsharpensyourfocus.Theproblemis,unlessyourefinetheseobjectiveswithquantifiableoutcomes,it’llbedifficulttoknowwhetheryou’veachievedthem.

Forexample,supposeyouwanttoimproveyourhealth.Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Avoidingsugarysnacksfor24hourswouldlikelycauseasmalldropinyourbloodglucoselevel,whichwouldtechnicallybeanimprovement.Butdoesthisminorimprovementtrulyconstitutesuccess?Doesitmeanyou’vesatisfiedyourambition?

Withoutmeasurableoutcomes,successisdifficulttorecognize.Thepurposeof this step is to fleshoutyourHPAsbydevelopingmeasurableoutcomes foreachofthem.Thisprocessisconsistentwiththe“S”and“M”steps(“specific”and“measurable,”respectively)fromtheS.M.A.R.T.andS.M.A.R.T.E.R.goal-settingsystems.Italsoadherestothe“clarity”principleadvocatedbyLockeandLatham’ssystem.

The first step is to identifyareasofattention (AOAs)associatedwitheachHPA.Let’suseour“gethealthy”exampletofollowthisprocess.WenotedintheprevioussectionthatthisparticularHPAmightbesupportedbymultiplegoals,suchasthefollowing:

eathealthier

loseweightexerciseregularlygetmoresleepquitsmoking

ThesecondstepistothinkabouteachAOAinthecontextofameasurableoutcomewithrespecttoyourHPA.

Forexample,we’vedeterminedthateatinghealthierisanimportantfacetofimproving your health. We must now break down this AOA to quantifiablespecifics.Followingareafewideas:

eatnomorethan2,000caloriesperdaydrinknomorethan100caloriesperdayrestrictsugarconsumptionto100gramsperdaylimiteatingtothreemealsperday(nosnacking)limitalcoholtothreedrinksperweekeatfishtwiceeachweekconsume0.8gramsofproteinforeachkilogramofbodyweightperday

(Note: the above are not my dietary recommendations. They’re forillustrativepurposesonly.)

You now have a way to monitor your progress. Rather than relying on anebulous objective (i.e. eat healthier), you now possess measurable specifics.YoucanusethemtoensureyoustayontracktowardachievingyourHPA(i.e.improveyourhealth).

The third step is to assign a deadline for incorporating the quantifiablespecificsassociatedwitheachAOAintoyourlifestyle.Insomecases,itmaybepossible to make the necessary changes immediately. An example is to eathealthy.Othercaseswillrequireunhurried,measuredprogress.

For example, consider the AOA “quit smoking.” While some smokersexperience success by quitting cold turkey, others benefit from following aquittingplan.Suchplansmay include counseling, the use ofmedications, andintegration of coping strategies, all ofwhich support a gradual tapering off ofnicotineuse.

Deadlines are crucial for these types of AOAs. They inject accountabilityintothegoal-settingprocess.Theyalsocreateasenseofurgency.Moreover,theyspur us to take action toward achieving our ambitions, allowing us to benefit

frommomentumandforwardprogress.

HowToEnsureYourDeadlinesAreRealistic

Deadlines are only effective if they’re pragmatic. If you set impossibledeadlines,you’llonlyguaranteeyourfailuretomeetthem.Failureafterfailurewillslowlyerodeyourmotivationuntilyoulosethewilltosetgoalsaltogether.

Fortunately,wecanavoidthisscenariowiththehelpofalittleintrospection.First,consideralllimitationsandconstraintsthatmightserveasobstacleswhenincorporatingthequantifiablespecificsofyourAOAs.Takethemintoaccount,andplanconservatively.

Forexample, supposeyou intend toexercise regularlyaspartofyour“gethealthy”protocol.Butlet’salsosupposethatyou’re50poundsoverweight,leada sedentary lifestyle, and struggle with chronic joint pain. These factors willimpactyourabilitytoadoptadailyworkoutroutine.Itwouldbefoolhardytosetthe deadline for exercising daily for the following week. In this scenario,adopting a daily workout regimen might take several weeks. Again, planconservatively.

Thesecondstepistothinkaboutwhatyou’rewillingtosacrificetoembracethemeasurable specificsofyourAOAs,andhowquicklyyou’rewilling todoso. It’s tempting to race towardgoalachievement.But it’s sometimesbetter totakeaslow,measuredapproach.

For example, suppose you’re committed to cleaning up your diet. Theproblemis,youstrugglewithsugaraddiction.Halfofyourdailycaloricintakecomes fromsweets. In this case,quitting sugarcold turkey is likely to lead tosymptomsofwithdrawal(moodswings,achesandpains,anxiety,fatigue,etc.).Consider your tolerance for these symptoms when setting your deadline. Alongerdeadlinewillallowyoutograduallyreduceyoursugar intake,exposingyoutoless-pronouncedwithdrawalsymptoms.

Once you’ve examined yourHPAs, brainstormed quantifiable specifics foryourAOAs, and set realisticdeadlines for the latter,you’re ready tocreateanactionplan.

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I-IDENTIFYTHEACTIONSYOU'LLNEEDTOTAKE

oalsareachievedbytakingaction.Thequestionis,whatactionsmustyoutaketoachieveyourgoals?

ThisstageoftheP.R.I.M.E.R.methodwillrevealthem.Alongtheway,we’ll create an action plan you can implementwith full confidence thatyou’llexperiencesuccess.

Step1:DetermineEveryNecessaryTask

In the previous two sections, we pinpointed your highest-priority ambitions(HPAs)andidentifiedtherelevantareasofattention(AOAs).WethenbroketheAOAsdowntoquantifiablespecifics.

These details are essential to the goal-achievement process. They disclosetheactionsyoumusttaketobringaboutyourdesiredoutcomes.Tothatend,ifyou’ve completed thework in the previous two sections, you’ve already donetheheavyliftingforthisstep.

Let’sgothroughaquickexample.Recallthatourumbrellaambitionto“gethealthy”issupportedbythefollowingareasofattention:

eathealthierloseweightexerciseregularlygetmoresleepquitsmoking

Let’s break down “exercise regularly” to specifics. Following is a sample(note: this is merely for illustrative purposes and shouldn’t be taken as myrecommendedworkoutroutine):

exercisefourtimesperweekperformpushupsperformsquatsperformplanksperformjumpingjacksperformbicepcurlswithdumbbells

Thesearetheactionsthat’llsatisfythisparticularareaofattention.Notehowgoingthroughthisprocessdoestheheavylifting(nopunintended)foryouwithregardtocompletingthisfirststep.

You’llprobablyneedtoaddafewitemstofleshoutyourlist.Forexample,commit to exercising on the same four days each week. Also, commit toexercisingatthesametimesoneachofthefourdays.Youmayalsowanttoaddthefollowingtoyourlist:

recruitanexercisepartnerforaccountabilityandmotivationmaintainanexerciselogthatyoucanusetomonitoryourprogresssetoutyourworkoutgearthenightbeforetoreduceresistance

These actions support consistency. As they become part of your normalroutine,you’llexperiencelessinternalfriction.

Writethemdown.Don’trelyonyourmemory.Writingthemdownwillboostyourcontinualawarenessofthemandhelpyoutofocuswhenyourbraintriestodistractyouwithtemptationsthatofferswiftgratification.

Step2:EstablishMilestones

Nowthatwe’veidentifiedthenecessaryactions,wecandevelopanactionplan.Intheprevioussection,R-RefineYourDesiredOutcomes,wetalkedaboutthevalue of setting deadlines for yourAOAs.Deadlines generate urgency,whichpromotestakingaction.Thiselementiscrucialtocreatingmomentumthatleadstogoalachievement.

Inthisstep,we’llworkbackwardsfromourdeadlinestodevelopaseriesof

milestones.Thesemilestoneswillensurethatwe’remakingforwardprogressatanacceptablepace.

Let’ssuppose,aspartofour“gethealthy”protocol,wewanttoperformthefollowingworkoutwithinthreemonths.

50pushups40squatsthree60-secondplanks100jumpingjacksfivesetsof10bicepcurls(withdumbbells)

Three months is the deadline. Now, let’s work backwards to createmilestones.Following is aworkout routineyoumight aspire toperformat thebeginningofweeknine:

40pushups30squatsthree40-secondplanks75jumpingjacksfivesetsofsevenbicepcurls

Here’saroutineyoumightaspiretoperformatthebeginningofweeksix:

30pushups20squatsthree30-secondplanks50jumpingjacksfivesetsoffivebicepcurls

Continuing to work backwards, here’s a hypothetical routine for thebeginningofweekthree:

20pushups10squatsthree20-secondplanks25jumpingjacksthreesetsoffivebicepcurls

Andfollowingistheworkoutroutinewe’llstartwith:

10pushupsfivesquatsthree10-secondplanks15jumpingjackstwosetsoffivebicepcurls

Eachoftheseroutinesrepresentasetofmilestones.Atanypointduringthenext threemonths, you’ll be able to note immediatelywhether your efforts to“exerciseregularly”aregoingaccordingtoplan.Andimportantly,you’llbeabletotellwhetheryou’reontracktomeetyourdeadline.

These two steps, determining necessary tasks and creatingmilestones, areessential for developing an action plan. They work in tandem, each onesupportingtheother.

Onceyou’vedevelopedanactionplanforeachareaofattention,you’llhavethe components of a grander, comprehensive action plan that’ll help you torealizeyourhigh-priorityambition.

Butwe’refarfromdone.You’llneedtotakefurtherstepstoguaranteeyoursuccess.Oneofthosestepsinvolvesyourenvironment.

E

M-MODIFYYOURENVIRONMENTTOCOMPLEMENTYOURGOALS

nvironmental factors are commonly overlooked when setting goals.Manypeopletakegreatcareinidentifyingtheirgoalsandcreatingplansof action, but neglect to consider the impact of their immediate

surroundings.Yourenvironmentcanhelpyouaccomplishwhateveryousetouttodo.Orit

cansabotageyou.Thegoodnewsis,youcaninfluenceyourenvironmentsothatitdoestheformer.

For example, suppose you’re trying to concentrate on a task that demandsyourfullattention.Ifyou’reathomeandyourfamilyiscreatingalotofnoise,youcantakeshelterinaquietroom.Ifyou’reattheofficeandcoworkerskeepdroppingbytochat,youcanaskthemtodesistuntilyou’vefinishedyourwork.Doing so is an example ofmodifying your surroundings to complement yourgoal.

Thereare twoways toapproach this stageofmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goal settingmethod.Thefirstwayistoimplementyouractionplanandreactwhenobstaclessurfaceandthreatentosabotageyou.

The second way is to be proactive. Rather than reacting to detrimentalcircumstances,you take the initiativeby identifyingenvironmental factors thatmightposeaproblem.Then,youshapeyourenvironmenttosidestepthem.

ThisisthestrategyIrecommend.Thisstageconsistsoftwosteps.Neitherofthestepsisdifficult.Butbothcan

greatly influence the choices youmake,whichwill ultimately decide betweengoalachievementandfailure.

Step1-SingleOutPotentialEnvironmentalObstacles

Environmental obstacles to goal achievement come in two major forms:distractionsandtemptations.Someobstaclescantakebothforms.

Contemplate potential stumbling blocks for each area of attention youdefinedassupportiveofyourhigh-priorityambition.

Let’s return toour“gethealthy”example.Recall thatwe identified“eatinghealthier” as an area of attention relevant to this HPA. Let’s think aboutenvironmental factors thatmaydistract or tempt us from sticking to a healthydiet.Followingareafewideas:

junkfoodinthekitchenpantrylackofhealthysnacksathomesugaraddictionspecialsocialoccasionstoo-largeportionsizesatmealtimeslackofcookingequipmentfriendswhodiscourageus(e.g.“Don’tbeastickinthemud.Havesomecakeandicecream.”)

Thereare,ofcourse,manyotherpotentialdistractionsandtemptations,butyouget the idea.Oncewe’ve identified theseenvironmentalobstacles,wecanaddresstheminareasonablemanner.

Step2-BrainstormCompensatoryMeasures

In this step, we’ll examine each environmental obstacle and come up with apracticalway tomanage it.Doing so gives us the toolswe need to overcomechallenges without being deflected from our goals when such challenges reartheir heads.We’re essentially planning for potential hazards tominimize theirfutureimpact.

Let’s go through each of the environmental factors singled out above. I’llpresenteachonebelowandproposeacompensatorymeasuretoresolveit.

Problem:junkfoodinthekitchenpantrySolution:discardalljunkfoodimmediately

Problem:lackofhealthysnacksathomeSolution:fillyourkitchenwithhealthysnackfoods(e.g.almonds,hard-boiledeggs,beefjerky,etc.)

Problem:sugaraddictionSolution:abstainfromallsweet-tastingfoodsandbeverages

Problem:specialsocialoccasionsSolution:eatahealthymealbeforeyouarriveataget-together

Problem:too-largeportionsizesatmealtimesSolution:immediatelyreduceportionsizesby25%

Problem:lackofcookingequipmentSolution:purchasebasickitchentools(e.g.chef’sknife,tongs,colander,fryingpan,saucepan,slowcooker,cuttingboard,etc.)

Problem:friendswhodiscourageus(e.g.“Don’tbesuchastickinthemud.”)Solution:askyourfriendstorespectyourdietarychoices

There’snowaytoeradicatealldistractionsandtemptationsthatthreatentosabotage you. But if you plan for them, you can respond to them quickly,sensibly,anddecisivelywithoutdisruptingyourmomentum.

Andthatensuresyou’llmakeconsistent,forwardprogresstowardachievingyourgoals.

E

E-EVALUATEYOURPROGRESS

verystepoftheP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethodisimportant.Butthisstep is absolutely pivotal to your success. You must monitor yourprogress. Otherwise, you cannot know for certain whether you’re on

tracktoaccomplishwhatyousetouttodobyyourchosendeadline.Thegoodnewsis,thisstepiseasy.You’vealreadydonemostoftheworkin

previoussteps:

you’vepinpointedyourhighest-priorityambitions(HPAs).you’veidentifiedtherelevantareasofattention(AOAs).you’vebrokendownyourAOAsintogoals,eachaccompaniedbyquantifiablespecifics.you’veestablishedfeasibledeadlines.you’vecreatedanactionplancomposedofmilestones.

Evaluatingyourprogressisasimplematterofperformingaperiodicreview.Thispracticewillnotonlyensureyou’reontracktoachieveyourgoal,butwillalsogiveyouconfidenceandmotivateyoutocontinue.

HowToTrackYourProgress

We assigned quantifiable specifics to each AOA because numbers are moreprecise,andthuseasiertotrack,thanqualitativefactors.

Forexample,recallthatweidentified“losingweight”asanareaofattention

relevant toourambition to“gethealthy.”Aquantitativeapproachwouldallowustoeasilyobserveourprogressandnotewhetherwe’reontrack.Ifouractionplanconsistedoflosingtwopoundsperweek,evaluatingourprogresswouldbeasimplematterofwatchingthisnumber.

A qualitative approach complicates this process. Without the precision ofdata,we’relefttoevaluateourprogressbasedonunreliablefactors.Suchfactorsinclude how we appear, how our clothes fit, and whether other peoplecomplimentus.

So,thefirststeptoevaluatingwhetheryou’reontrackistorecordfactsandfiguresalongtheway.Forexample,ifyourgoalistoloseweight,steponascaleeach day and record the resulting number. If your goal is to save $100,000,record the sum and date of each deposit (or investment). If your goal is toperform100pushupsperday,writedownhowmanypushupsyoudoeachtimeyouexercise.

Next,comparethesenumberstoyourpredefinedmilestonestonotewhetheryou’remakingheadwaythat’sconsistentwithyouractionplan.Thisisdoneviathesecondstep:conductingaperiodicreview.

HowToPerformAPeriodicReview

Each review session allows you to note your progress, acknowledge yourmomentum, and ponder the feasibility of yourmilestones in the event you’refailing to reach them. And most importantly, each session gives you anopportunitytomakeadjustmentsasneeded.

Irecommendconductingweeklyreviewsessions.Doingsowillhelpyoutoformthehabit.Thesessionswilleventuallybecomepartofyourweeklyroutine,makingthemfeellesslikeachore.

Step1

Chooseaspecificdayoftheweek,andtimeoftheday,toperformyourreview.Thiswillfurtheringrainthehabitintoyourweeklyroutine.IdomyreviewsonSundayevenings(7:00p.m.).YoumightpreferTuesdaysat10:00a.m.orfavorFridaysat3:00p.m.Selectadayandtimethatcomplementyourworkschedule,homeresponsibilities,andlifestyle.

Step2

Chooseaplacetoperformyourreview.Whileyoucanevaluateyourprogressinanylocation,theconsistencyofdoingitinthesameplaceeachweekfurthersetsthehabit.IusedtoconductmyweeklyreviewsatStarbucksbecauseIenjoyedthechangeofscenery.Thesedays,IconducttheminmyhomeofficebecauseIfavortheprivacyandquietude.

Step3

Create a simple agenda to guide your review sessions. This agenda shouldincludea small checklist alongwith a fewprobingquestions, all ofwhicharedesignedtohelpyouappraiseyourprogressduringthepreviousweek.

Following is an example checklist for thegoal of losingweight.Note thatsomeof the itemsare taken from theenvironmentalobstacleswe identified inthesectionM-ModifyYourEnvironmentToComplementYourGoals:

AchievedweeklymilestoneAvoidedbuyingsugarysnacksHadhealthysnacksonhandAtesmallerportionsizesAbstainedfromsweetfoodsandbeverages

Followingisalistofexampleprobingquestions:

DidIhavesufficientenergy?DidIfeelphysicallyexhausted?WasIabletofocusonmywork?HowmuchinternalresistancedidIexperience?WhatdidIdowell?WhatcouldIdobetter?DidIfaceanyunanticipatedobstacles?

Once you’ve created your agenda, use it eachweek. If you come upwithadditional checklist items and questions that would prove beneficial to yourweeklyreview,feelfreetoaddthem.Thisisyourtemplate.Modifyitaccordingtoyourcircumstances.

Step4

Thefinalstepistolookforwardratherthanbackward.Afteryouevaluateyourprogressduring thepreviousweek, consider the followingweek.Reviewyourchecklistandquestionsinthecontextofwhatyouanticipateoverthenextsevendays.

This step reinforces your expectations. It also prepares your mind toovercome any internal friction you might experience. For example, you’ll bemoreinclinedtoavoidsugarysnacksduringthecomingweekifyoureflectonthefactthatit’simportantenoughtobeonyourchecklist.

Evaluating your progress may seem like a complicated process. Butremember, you’ve already done most of the work in previous stages of theP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.Onceyoucreateasimpleagenda,you’rewellonyourway.

Yourweeklyreviewsessionswilllikelytakenomorethan15minutes.Andafter it becomes a habit, a normal part of yourweekly routine, it’ll seem likehardlyanyworkatall.Ifyou’relikeme,you’llevenlookforwardtotheprocess.

Y

R-REVISITYOURGOALS

ou’ll recall that I highlighted the absence of this step in many oftoday’smostpopulargoal-settingsystems.Iconsiderthatomissiontobeasignificantshortcoming.Below,I’llexplaintworeasons.

Reason#1:LossOfRelevance

Manygoalsloserelevanceovertime.Theybecomelessimportant tousasourlivesprogress.Whenthisoccurs,it’sinourinteresttoabandonthem,oratleastput them on the back burner. Otherwise, we risk wasting limiting resourcestryingtoachieveambitionsthatarenolongermeaningfultous.

For example, suppose you’re dissatisfiedwith your job and decide to quitandstartyourownbusiness.Yousetagoaltosave12monthsoflivingexpensestoprovideafinancialcushion.Overthenextfewmonths,yousaveeverypennyyoucanforthispurpose.

Oneday,yourbosscallsyouintoheroffice.Shepromotesyoutoahighly-coveted position, one you’ve desired for years. The promotion causes yourdissatisfactiontoevaporate,andyounolongerentertaintheideaofquitting.

In this scenario, your goal of saving 12 months of living expenses hassuddenlybecomelessimportant.It’sstillaworthwhilegoal,butyounolongerhaveasenseofurgencystemmingfromyourplanstoquityourjobandstartabusiness. Revisiting this goal gives you an opportunity to decide whether toabandonit,freeingyourattentionformoreimportantpursuits.

Reason#2:LossOfFeasibility

Some goals become infeasible due to prevailing circumstances. When thisoccurs,it’sinourinteresttoidentifythechallengesanddecidewhethertoadjustourplansorrelinquishthegoalsaltogether.Otherwise,weriskwastinglimitedresourceswithnohopeofsuccess.

Forexample,supposeyoudecidetoadoptahealthydiet.Acrucialfactorinachieving this goal is cooking your ownmeals. To that end, you furnish yourkitchenwithbasiccookingtoolsandstockyourrefrigeratorwithnaturalfoods.Youalsocreateanactionplan,completewithweeklymilestones,thatyouintendtoexecuteimmediately.

Oneday,yourbosscallsyouintoheroffice.Sheinformsyouthatyoumustvisitseveralclientsover thenextfewweeks.You’llbeon theroadduring thistime.

In this scenario, cookingyourownmealsover thenext fewweekswillnolongerbefeasible.You’llneedtorevisityourgoalandadjustyouractionplantoaccommodatethechangeinyourcircumstances.

WhenToRevisitYourGoals

The best time to decidewhether your goals are still important and feasible isduringyourweeklyreviewssessions.It’sanaturalfit.

Ifyoudiscoverthatyou’refailingtoachieveyourweeklymilestones,you’llalready be inclined to investigate the reasons. You may discover that yourcircumstances have made the goal in question, along with its accompanyingmilestones,lesspractical.Insuchcases,it’snecessarytomakechanges.

Even if you’re achieving your milestones, this is still an ideal time toconsiderwhetherthegoalinquestionisstillapriorityforyou.Youmightfindthat,despiteyoursuccess,you’repursuinganambitionthatisnolongerrelevantgivenyourcircumstances.

There’s no dishonor in abandoning goals that are no longer important,feasible, or even beneficial. In fact, doing so is highly advisable. It frees upresourcesyoucanthendevotetomoremomentousaspirations.

Inmyopinion, this is a critical step in the goal-achievement process.Anysystemthatignoresitissuspect.

GOALSVERSUSSYSTEMS:WHICHSHOULDYOUFOCUSON?

Byrecordingyourdreamsandgoalsonpaper,yousetinmotiontheprocess of becoming the person you most want to be. Put yourfutureingoodhands—yourown.”—MarkVictorHansen

GOAL SETTING HAS EXPERIENCED aminor backlash over the last several years.Criticsnotethatsettinggoalsseldominfluencesbehavior,whichisthereasonsomanypeoplefailtoaccomplishwhattheysetouttodo.

Forexample,considerpeoplewhoannouncetheyintendtostartexercisingatthebeginningoftheyear.It’sacommonNewYear’sresolution.Andtruetotheirintentions,whenJanuaryarrives,theyjoinagym.Theyhitthemachinesafewtimeseachweek,enthusedaboutmakingapositivechangeintheirlives.

Thisgoesonforafewweeksuntilthevisitstaperoff.ByFebruary,mostofthesefolkshavestoppedgoingaltogether.

Whatwentwrong?One school of thought critical to the practice of setting goals claims the

problemisthatpeopleareforcedtorelyonpersonalgrit.Whenthegoinggetstough, or when more appealing activities compete for their attention, theypredictablyabandontheirgoals.

Detractorsadvocatedevelopingroutinesinsteadofgoals.Thereasoninggoessomething like this: routines encourage habits.And according to these critics,habitsaremoreimportantthangoalsbecausetheformeraremorelikelytolead

tolong-termbehavioralchange.They’recorrect,atleastpartiallyso.Developing routines does indeed encourage developing good habits.

Moreover,oncesuchhabitsbecome ingrained inourheads, they influenceourbehavior.Theyeventuallybecomepartofournormalprocessestothepointthatwedon’tneedtorelyongritforthemtohappen.

Forexample,considerthepracticeofbrushingyourteethbeforegoingtobedeachevening.Itrequireslittlethoughtordiscipline.Ithappensbecauseit’spartofyournightlyroutine.Theresultisgooddentalhealth.

Sohabitsandroutinesareimportant.Cruciallyso,infact.Butneithernegatethevalueofsettinggoals.

The reason so many people fail to accomplish what they set out to do isfoundinthegoal-settingprocess.Thefirstproblemisthattheysetgoalsthatareeitherinfeasibleorunimportant.Theyeitherlacktheresourcestoachievethemorarelessemotionallyinvestedintheirgoalsthantheyimagine.

The second problem is the lack of an action plan. They neglect to breakdown their goals to subgoals accompanied by quantifiable milestones anddeadlines.

Thethirdproblemisexcessrigidity.Onceagoalhasbeenset,littlethoughtisgiventowhetheritcontinuestomakesenseascircumstanceschange.

These threeproblemspredictably lead to failure.Thegoodnews is thatallthreecanbeeasilyavoidedwhenyouusemyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethod.

Inmyopinion,there’snoreasontochooseroutinesovergoals,orviceversa.Webenefit fromboth.Here’s thebestnewsofall: ifyouusemyP.R.I.M.E.R.method,you’llfindthatyounaturallydevelopthehabitsandritualsyouneedtoachievethegoalsyouset.

Thatprocessisbakedintothesystem.

Goals,Habits,AndTriggers:TheSuccessTrifecta

At this point, you’re a bona fide expert ongoals.Youknowhow to set them.Andyouknowhowtobringthemtofruition.Youknowthestepsinvolved,andtheorderinwhichtotakethem.

Let’sfocusonhabitsandtriggers,andconnectthemtospecificstepsoftheP.R.I.M.E.R.goal settingmethod.Specifically,we’ll focuson the“I”and“M”partsofthemethod.

Inthesection“I - IdentifyTheActionsYou’llNeedToTake,”wediscussedcreatingagameplanforeachgoal.Acorepieceoftheprocesswastohighlight

everyrelevantareaofattention(AOA).Recallthatourumbrellaambitionto“gethealthy”includedthefollowingAOAs:

eathealthierloseweightexerciseregularlygetmoresleepquitsmoking

WethenbrokedowntheAOA“exerciseregularly”tothefollowingactions:

exercisefourtimesperweekperformpushupsperformsquatsperformplanksperformjumpingjacksperformbicepcurlswithdumbbells

Then,wecreatedalistofgoalsassociatedwiththesetasks,allofwhichweintendedtoachievewithinthreemonths:

50pushups40squatsthree60-secondplanks100jumpingjacksfivesetsof10bicepcurls(withdumbbells)

Finally,wedevelopedanactionplan,alongwithmilestones, foreach task.Followingistheplanwecreatedforpushups:

Week1:10pushupsWeek3:20pushupsWeek6:30pushupsWeek9:40pushupsWeek12:50pushups

If you were to stick to this plan, you would develop the habit of doing

pushups as a natural effect of the goal-achievement process. Doing pushupswould become a part of your routine. By the end of the third month, yourinclination to do themwould be less reliant on discipline andmore reliant onritual(similartobrushingyourteethbeforegoingtobed).

Thisishowthe“I”intheP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethodnaturallyleadstogoodhabitsthatsupportyourambitions.

Now,let’sconsidertriggers.Everyhabitisconnectedtoatleastone.Triggersarecuesthatprompthabitualbehaviors,bothpositiveandnegative,healthyandunhealthy.Forexample,spendingtimewithcertainfriendsmightpromptyoutosmoke. Or you may be conditioned to visit the vending machine at yourworkplace at 10:00 a.m.Or boredommight prompt you to immediately checkFacebook.

Many triggersare inherent toourenvironment.This isgoodnewsbecausewe can influence our environment, removing some triggers and implementingothersasourneedsdictate.

Inthesection“M-ModifyYourEnvironmentToComplementYourGoals,”we talked about identifying environmental obstacles that could sabotage ourintentions. We also discussed coming up with compensatory measures fordealingwiththem.

RecallthatoneoftheobstaclesweidentifiedforourAOA“eatinghealthier”was the presence of junk food in the kitchen pantry. Also recall that theprescribedsolutionwasto“discardalljunkfoodimmediately.”

Howdoesthisprocessaffectyourtriggers?Supposestressisacueforyou.Whenyoufeelstressed,youinstinctivelyreachforjunkfood.Byremovingsuchfoodsfromyourhome,youshort-circuitthistrigger,severingitseffectonyou.

The absence of healthy snacks was also identified as a potentialenvironmental obstacle to “eating healthier.”We cameupwith the solution to“fill your kitchen with healthy snack foods.” Here, we can create a trigger.Wheneveryoufeelstressed,reachforalmonds,hard-boiledeggs,orbeefjerky.Overtime,yourmindwillbecomeconditionedtodoso.

This is how the “M” in the P.R.I.M.E.R. goal setting method naturallyaddressescuesandhabitualbehaviors.Andimportantly,itdoessoinawaythatalignswithgoalachievement.

FinalThoughtsOnGoalsVersusSystems

Botharevitaltoaccomplishingwhateveryousetouttodo.Moreover,theycanbe highly symbiotic. A proper goal-setting approach will naturally establish

routinesandhabitsthatimproveyouroddsofsuccess.

PARTIV

WHATTODOIFYOUFAILTOACHIEVEAGOAL

“Everyadversity,everyfailure,everyheartachecarrieswithittheseedofanequalorgreaterbenefit.”–NapoleonHill

“Somefailureinlifeisinevitable.Itisimpossibletolivewithoutfailingat something, unless you live so cautiously that youmight aswell nothavelivedatall--inwhichcase,youfailbydefault.”-J.K.Rowling

Failing to accomplish a goal leaves an empty feeling. It’s a troubling andoff-putting sensation.Worse, it gives voice to our inner critics,which nag us andpoint to our failure as evidence of our inadequacy. This negativity, if leftunchecked,cansapourmotivationanddiscourageusfromstriving to improveourlives.

Here’sthegoodnews:thesenegativefeelingscanbeeradicatedbytakingaclinical approach to investigating the cause of the failure. There are manyreasons we might fail to achieve our goals. And nearly all of them point tofactorsthathavenothingtodowithpersonalinadequacies.

This section will take you, step by step, through an objective process ofevaluatingunrealizedgoals.Alongtheway,rememberthatfailuretoaccomplish

somethingisnothingmorethanfeedbackthatthingsdidn’tworkoutaccordingtoourplans.

Ourfocushereistofigureoutwhy.

W

PERFORMAGOALAUTOPSY

hen someone dies and there’s uncertainty regarding the cause ofdeath, a pathologist performs an autopsy. The purpose of theprocedure is to figure outwhy the individual died.Was it due to

injury?Wasitduetodisease?Howhealthywastheindividualpriortohisorherdeath,andwhatevents(e.g.diagnosisandtreatment)precededit?

There’s no emotion involved in this process. It’s an investigation, one thatsometimes reveals unknown circumstances, the avoidance ofwhichmay havepreventedtheperson’sdemise.

Whenyou’refacedwithgoalfailure,it’simportanttotakethisapproachtofigure out the reasons. Rather than accepting the failure at face value, and indoingsogivingyourinnercriticlicensetocondemnyou,investigatethematter.You’re sure to learn something insightful you can use to your benefit whensettinggoalsinthefuture.

So,howdoyouperformagoalautopsy?The followingsectionswillwalkyouthroughthemostimportantsteps.

Beforeyouproceed,commityourselftofiguringoutwhatwentwrong.Makethis objective your top priority. The details revealed during this goal autopsymaybeunpleasantasthey’llhighlightapparentweaknesses.Butifyoufocusonthe investigation, and remain clinical throughout the process, you’ll be betterabletousetheinformationtoyouradvantagedowntheroad.

G

DETERMINETHEROOTCAUSEOFTHEFAILURE

oal failure often stems frommultiple causes.But there’s usuallyonecontributingfactorthatgivesrisetotheothers.Thisistherootcause.

In many cases, it’s camouflaged by circumstances andpsychological blind spots.Our objective in performing this goal autopsy is tofindit,examineit,andlearnfromit.Thisprocedurewillrevealothercausesthatstemfromtherootcause,providingacomprehensivepictureofwhywefailedtoaccomplishwhatwesetouttodo.

We’lluseourpreviousgoalto“exerciseregularly”(partofour“gethealthy”protocol)toillustratethisprocess.

Step1:DefineTheProblem

This step may sound unnecessary, but it’s worth doing nonetheless. There’svalueinexpressing,withspecificity,theessenceofourfailure.

Recallthatourgoalwastoperformthefollowingexercisesseveraltimesperweekwithinthreemonths’time:

50pushups40squatsthree60-secondplanks100jumpingjacksfivesetsof10bicepcurls(withdumbbells)

Let’sassumewefailedtodoso.Tothatend,wedefinethefailureassuch:atthe end of three months, we are not consistently performing the exercises asplanned.

Withtheproblemclearlystated,wecanbegintheinvestigationinearnest.

Step2:IdentifyAllPotentialCausalFactors

Asnotedabove,manyreasonsmightcontribute toourfailure.Theproblemis,unless they’re listed plainly in front of us, some may remain hidden. And ifwe’reunawareofthem,there’snothingwecandotoresolvethem.

With that in mind, let’s brainstorm every possible factor that may haveplayedaroleinourfailureto“exerciseregularly.”It’simportanttobethorough,even to the extent that some of the listed factors had a nominal effect on theoutcome.Followingareseveralpossibilities:

lackofenergylackoftimelackofmotivationlackofworkoutclothesstressboredomduringexercisediscouragementfromlackofprogressburnoutsorenessnotransportationtogymcan’taffordgymmembershipdidn’tknowhowtousegymequipmentactionplanwastooaggressivenoaccountabilitypartneroftendistractedbymoregratifyingactivitiesnegativeself-talklackofsupportfromspouse,friends,andfamilymembers

There are, of course, many other possible factors. But the above list willsufficeforourpurposes.Let’sassumeit’sexhaustivesowecanproceedwithourhypotheticalinvestigation.

Step3:DetermineAProximateCausalChainForEachFactor

This sounds complicated. But it’s simple, although it requires a bit of time.We’regoingtotakeeachof thecausalfactorsidentifiedinsteptwo,andworkbackwardstoidentifyeventsandconditionsthatmayhaveledtoit.

Let’s use “lack of energy” as an example. Upon closer scrutiny, wedeterminethatitwasindeedamajorculpritthatplayedasignificantroleinourfailure.Solet’sbrainstormpotentialreasonsforourfatigue:

lackofqualitysleeppoordietdehydrationanemiadepressionthyroiddisorderemotionalstress

Let’s continue by building a proximate causal chain for “lack of qualitysleep,”thefirstitemontheabovelist.Followingarepotentialcauses:

stayuptoolateintheeveningwakeuptooearlyinthemorningpoordietdepressionstressandanxietyalcoholconsumptionselectmedicationsenvironmentalnoise(e.g.spouse’ssnoring,loudneighbors,etc.)

Let’sassumethatourlackofqualitysleepismainlydueto“stayinguptoolateintheevening.”Solet’sworkbackwardsfromthatparticularcausalfactor.(Normally,we’dgothroughthisprocessforeachofthelisteditems.Butforthesake of timeliness, we’ll do so for this item alone.) Following are possiblereasonswestayuplate:

watchafavoritetelevisionprogramworkonanimportantproject

surfingtheinternetenjoy“me”time(e.g.quiet,solitude,etc.)fearofmissingout

We can probably work backwards even further. But let’s stop here. Let’sassumethatwestayuptoolate intheeveningbecausewewatchepisodeafterepisodeofourfavoriteTVprogramonNetflix.

We’ve just completed a simple root cause analysis. Importantly, we nowknowwhattochangetoresolvethebiggerissue.

IfwechangeourNetflix-viewingbehavior,we’llgotobedearlier.Ifwegoto bed earlier, we’ll get more sleep. If we get more sleep, we’ll have moreenergy.Andfinally,ifwehavemoreenergy,we’llbemoreinclinedtoexerciseon a regular basis. Specifically,we’ll be inclined to exercise according to theactionplanwecreatedtokeepusontracktowardachievingourgoalattheendofthreemonths.

Root cause analysis only sounds daunting. The fact is, it’s easy. Moreimportantly, it’ll reveal the true reasons you had difficulty accomplishing aparticulargoal.

Andthatintelwillproveinvaluableasyousetnewgoals.

B

REASSESSTHEGOAL'SIMPORTANCETOYOU

ackwhenIwasakid,I’dregularlyaskmymotherformoneytobuyaSlurpee® at the local 7-Eleven.Mymother, always averse to givingintosuchpleas,wouldoffermeadeal.IfIagreedtopulltheweedsin

thebackyard,dust thefurnitureinthehouse,orwatertheplantsoutside,she’dhappilygivemethemoney.

Inotherwords,Ihadtoworkforit.Ofcourse,I’duseeveryrhetoricaltacticatmydisposaltotrytopersuademy

mother to give me the cash immediately. But it was never to any avail. Shewould always respond by saying, “If you want the Slurpee® badly enough,you’lldowhat’snecessarytoearnit.”

Frankly, I hatedhearing thosewords as a child.But today, I recognize theinherentwisdom.Andthelessonhasstuckwithmefornearlyhalfacentury.IthinkaboutitwheneverIfailtoachieveoneofmygoals.

Howbadlydid Iwant to accomplishwhat I set out todo?How importantwas it to me? And if I decide to once again pursue it, what am I willing tosacrificetoachieveit?

Thesearecrucialquestions toaskourselves in the faceofgoal failure.Wemaydisliketheanswers.Afterall,theyrevealafatalmisalignmentbetweenourdesires,priorities,andintentions.Butthebrutalhonestythatstemsfromaskingthesequestionshasenormousvalue.

First, it identifies ambitions that are less significant than we originallyimagined. That gives us permission to abandon them so we can devote ourlimitedresourcestowardmorerewardingpursuits.

Second,itallowsustorealignourambitionswithourpriorities.Itgivesus

anopportunity to recognize thecostofachieving the failedgoal, anddecidingwhetherwe’rewillingtopaythatcost.Oftentimes,weunderestimatethecostinterms of time, attention, energy, and capital, even when we’re armed with apracticalactionplan.Reevaluatingafailedgoal’simportancegivesusachanceto adjust our cost expectations, and decide whether or not to pursue itaccordingly.

I

REVISITYOUR“WHY”

nthesectionReason#6:YouHaven'tGivenYourselfACompelling"WHY,”wetalkedabouttheimportanceofhavingapowerfulreasonforachievingeachgoal.Apowerful reasongivesuspurpose.Thispurposedrivesus to

takeaction.Considerour“gethealthy”example fromearlier.Supposeyourdoctor told

youthatyourcurrentlifestyle(i.e.noexercise,poordiet,excessweight,lackofsleep,andhabitualsmoking)wasputtingsignificantstrainonyourheart.Let’salsosupposeyourdoctorsaidthatwithoutseriouslifestylechanges,yourqualityoflifewouldplummetinthecomingyears.

This isapowerfulreasontopursuebetterhealth.Ifyoutookyourdoctor’swarningseriously,andgenuinelyfearedasubstantialdeclineinyourqualityoflife,youwouldalmostcertainlyachieveyourgoal.

Butlet’ssayyouhadreceivednosuchnewsfromyourdoctor.Asfarasyouknow,you’reinrelativelygoodshapeeventhoughyouleadasedentarylifestyleandmaintainseveralunhealthyvices.Youroriginalmotivationto“gethealthy”waspromptedbyavaguedesiretoappearmoreattractive.

Thisisnotapowerfulreason.Atleastnottotheextentthatit’llpromptyoutotakeactionwhenyouexperienceresistance.Forexample,let’ssayyouaspiretoexercisedailyinpursuitofbetterhealth.You’dbeinclinedtoforgoexercisewhenever you’re distracted by more gratifying activities (e.g. sitting on thecouch and watching Netflix). After all, the desire to “look better” carries nourgency.

Thisis thereasonit’s important torevisityour“why”wheneveryoufail toachieve a goal. It’s possible that your original “why” wasn’t sufficiently

compelling. Or perhaps it was compelling, but your circumstances havechanged,makingitdecidedlylessso.

There’snodishonorinfailingtoaccomplishsomethingyouhavenoreasonordesiretopursue.Onthecontrary,recognizingthegoalfailureinthislightisempowering.Itallowsyoutorefineyourfocusanddevoteyourselftoambitionsforwhichyoufeelatruersenseofurgencyandconsequence.

W

DOARESET

hatifyoufailtoachieveaparticulargoal,andyoudecidethegoalisstillimportanttoyou?Whatshouldyoudoinsuchacase?

If you’ve conducted a root cause analysis as described in thesection Determine The Root Cause Of The Failure, you’ve identified theproblematic factors. Thatmeans you can adjust your process to prevent themfromsabotagingyougoingforward.

Such adjustmentsmight entail formingnewhabits that better support yourambitions.Forexample, supposeyoudeterminea lackofenergy ispreventingyoufromexercising.Duringarootcauseanalysis,youdiscoverthatapoordietis the culprit. In this scenario, you’dwant to form a habit of eating nutritiousfoods.

Adjustmentsmightalsoentailcurbingoldhabitsthathamperyourprogress.Forexample,supposeyourlackofenergyisduetopoor-qualitysleep,which,inturn,iscausedbyalcoholconsumptionintheevening.Here,you’dwanttocurbsuchalcoholconsumption.

Youmayalsoneedtoadjustyouractionplan.It’spossible theplanyou’vecreated, alongwith itsmilestones and deadlines, is overly-aggressive. If that’sthecase,you’llneedtoaltertheplantomakeitmorerealisticaccordingtoyourcircumstances.

Remember,goalfailureismerelyfeedback.Itdoesn’tdefineyourworth.Itsimplyindicatesthatyourplanisn’tworkingasyouimagined,andprovidestheimpetustoinvestigatethereasons.Assumingyourgoalisstillimportanttoyou,and you’re willing to pay the costs associated with achieving it, this is anopportunitytodoareset.

Andanewplanwithminoradjustments,combinedwithacompelling“why”and a renewed commitment to success, can hold the key to accomplishingwhateveryousetouttodo.

S

FINALTHOUGHTSONTHEP.R.I.M.E.R.GOALSETTINGMETHOD

ettinggoalsseemsasimplepractice,atleastonthesurface.Andwiththerightapproach,itdefinitelycanbe.Theproblemis,withsomanygoal-settingsystemscurrentlyinuse,it’sdifficulttoknowwhichoneholdsthe

greatestpromise.Choosing the right method is a pivotal matter as the wrong method can

crippleyourefforts.Thepurposeofthisbookwastointroduceyoutothesystemthathasworked

formeover theyears. Icredit theP.R.I.M.E.R.methodfor themajorityofmysuccesseswithrespecttosettingandachievinggoals.It’sarecipeIdevelopedbycherrypicking the most important ingredients found in other goal-settingsystems,andleavingtherestbehind.I’vefoundittobeveryeffective.

IsmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethodtheidealapproachforeveryone?I’llbe thefirst tosayno.Eachofus respondsuniquely todifferentstimuli.Giventhis fact, it’soutrageous toclaimoneparticular systemworksequallywell foreveryone.Youmay find thatmyP.R.I.M.E.R.methodworks surprisinglywellforyou.Oryoumayfindthatadifferentapproach,suchasBSQ,OGSM,ortheS.M.A.R.T.E.R.system,ismoreeffective.

Soletmemakeaproposal.TestdrivemyP.R.I.M.E.R.methodforyourself.Put it through its paces. Followmymethod, step by step, andnotewhether itproducespositiveresultsforyou.

Ifyou’vereadmyotherbooksoryou’reonmy“productivitytips”emaillist,you know I strongly advocate personal experimentation. Don’t assume yourexperienceswillbe thesameasmine.Instead, testeverythingandevaluate theresultsaccordingtohowtheyimpactyourlifeandlifestyle.

I’mconfident thatmyP.R.I.M.E.R.goalsettingmethodwillpromptyoutotakepurposeful action that can literally transformyour life. It canhelpyou todiscovernewpotentialinyourself,inspireyoutomakeboldcommitments,andrackupimpressiveaccomplishments.

Itstartswithasimpleexperiment.TryoutmyP.R.I.M.E.R.method.Giveitatrial run,usinga singlegoal asa test case.Follow the stepsandmonitoryourprogress.Ihaveafeelingyou’llbeabsolutelydelightedwiththeresults!

F

MAYIASKYOUASMALLFAVOR?

irstandforemost,thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadTheP.R.I.M.E.R.GoalSettingMethod.Ihopeitwasanenjoyableexperiencethatofferedactionableinsightsthat’llhaveapositiveimpactonyourlife.

Ifanythinginthisbookresonatedwithyou,I’dloveitifyouwouldleaveareview for it on Amazon. Reviews may not matter to big-name authors likeDavidAllen,TimothyFerriss,andRayDalio,butthey’reatremendoushelpforlittle guys like myself. They help me to growmy readership by encouragingfolkstotakeachanceonmybooks.

Second,ifyou’dliketobenotifiedwhenIreleasenewbooks(typicallyatasteepdiscount),pleasesignupformymailinglistat:

http://artofproductivity.com/free-gift/

You’ll receive immediate access tomy 40-page PDF guideCatapult YourProductivity:TheTop10HabitsYouMustDevelopToGetMoreThingsDone.You’ll also receive actionable advice on beating procrastination, creatingmorningroutines,avoidingburnout,developingrazor-sharpfocus,andmore!

Ifyouhavequestionsorwouldliketoshareaproductivitytipthathasmadea measurable difference in your life, please feel free to reach out to me atdamon@artofproductivity.com.I’dlovetohearfromyou!

Untilnexttime,

DamonZahariadeshttp://artofproductivity.com

OTHERBOOKSBYDAMONZAHARIADES

80/20YourLife!HowToGetMoreDoneWithLessEffortAndChangeYourLifeInTheProcess!

Achievemore,createmore,andenjoymoresuccess-whiletakinglessaction!It'stimeto80/20yourlife!

TheJoyOfImperfection:AStress-FreeGuideToSilencingYourInnerCritic,ConqueringPerfectionism,andBecomingTheBestVersionOfYourself!

Isperfectionismcausingyoutofeelstressed,irritated,andchronicallyunhappy?Here'showtosilenceyourinnercritic,embraceimperfection,andlivewithoutfear!

TheArtOfSayingNO:HowToStandYourGround,ReclaimYourTimeAndEnergy,AndRefuseToBeTakenForGranted(WithoutFeelingGuilty!)

Areyoufedupwithpeopletakingyouforgranted?Learnhowtosetboundaries,standyourground,andinspireothers'respectintheprocess!

TheProcrastinationCure:21ProvenTacticsForConqueringYourInnerProcrastinator,MasteringYourTime,AndBoostingYourProductivity!

Doyoustrugglewithprocrastination?Discoverhowtotakequickaction,makefastdecisions,andfinallyovercomeyourinnerprocrastinator!

MorningMakeover:HowToBoostYourProductivity,ExplodeYourEnergy,andCreateAnExtraordinaryLife-OneMorningAtATime!

Wouldyouliketostarteachdayontherightfoot?Here’showtocreatequalitymorningroutinesthatsetyouupformoredailysuccess!

FastFocus:AQuick-StartGuideToMasteringYourAttention,IgnoringDistractions,AndGettingMoreDoneInLessTime!

Areyouconstantlydistracted?Doesyourmindwanderafterjustafewminutes?Learnhowtodeveloplaser-sharpfocus!

SmallHabitsRevolution:10StepsToTransformingYourLifeThroughThePowerOfMiniHabits!

Got5minutesaday?Usethissimple,effectiveplanforcreatinganynewhabityoudesire!

The30-DayProductivityPlan:BreakThe30BadHabitsThatAreSabotagingYourTimeManagement-OneDayAtATime!

Needadailyactionplantoboostyourproductivity?This30-dayguideisthesolutiontoyourtimemanagementwoes!

TheTimeChunkingMethod:A10-StepActionPlanForIncreasingYourProductivity

It'soneofthemostpopulartimemanagementstrategiesusedtoday.Doubleyourproductivitywiththiseasy10-stepsystem.

DigitalDetox:TheUltimateGuideToBeatingTechnologyAddiction,CultivatingMindfulness,andEnjoyingMoreCreativity,Inspiration,AndBalanceInYourLife!

AreyouaddictedtoFacebookandInstagram?Areyouobsessedwithyourphone?Usethissimple,step-by-stepplantotakeatechnologyvacation!

Foracompletelist,pleasevisit

http://artofproductivity.com/my-books/

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

DamonZahariadesisacorporaterefugeewhoenduredyearsofunnecessarymeetings,drive-bychatswithcoworkers,andadistraction-ladenworkenvironmentbeforestrikingoutonhisown.Today,inadditiontobeingtheauthorofagrowingcatalogoftimemanagementandproductivitybooks,he’stheshowrunnerfortheproductivityblogArtofProductivity.com.

Inhis spare time,he showsoffhis copywritingchopsbypowering thecontentmarketingcampaignsusedbytoday’sgrowingbusinessestoattractcustomers.

Damon lives in Southern California with his beautiful, supportive wife and their frisky dog. He’scurrentlystaringdownthebarrelofhis50thbirthday.

www.artofproductivity.com

Copyright©2018byDamonZahariades

All rightsreserved.Nopartof thispublicationmaybereproduced,distributed,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopying,recording,orotherelectronicormechanicalmethods,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionof the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in criticalreviewsandcertainothernoncommercialusespermittedbycopyright law.Forpermissionrequests,contacttheauthorthroughthewebsitebelow.

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