We are often asked
how did we do it,
leave our jobs, the
security of a steady
paycheck and move
across the country
to find a simpler
way of life. While
there are many
answers to these
questions, the one
thing that we did do
is "set our goals".
Byron and I are both
big believers in
goal setting, and
have used goals in
many areas of our
life.
How did we
set our goals? We
answered three
questions! Below is
a brief summary of
how to set goals:
On a separate
piece of paper,
answer these three
questions:
1.What three
things would I like
to achieve in the
next five years?
Make sure your
answers are specific
and measurable.
2. Where am I
today in relation to
my three goals, and
what actions do I
need to take to get
me from where I am
today to where I
want to be? Thus
question, in my
opinion, is the key
to successful goal
attainment: The
answer to this
question will help
you determine what
steps you need to
take to reach your
goal.
3. What is the
time frame required
in order to complete
each action step?
Putting time
frames for each
action step allows
you to monitor your
progress, and helps
to keep you on
track.
That's it….three
questions, but often
times there is
confusion between
goals and action
plans. Let's make an
important
distinction between
a goal and an action
plan.
Simply put, a
"goal" tells you
WHAT you want ; and,
an "action plan"
tells you HOW you
are going to get it.
For example,
let's say you want
to go on a vacation
next year.
You decide that
your goal is to take
a two week vacation
in Hawaii.
Obviously, you could
choose any goal
whether it would be
to simplify your
life, turn your
hobby into your
career, the list
could go on and on.
Your action plan
tells you what steps
you need to take to
reach your goal of
going to Hawaii. For
example, your action
plan would show you
how you will get
there, where you
will stay, how much
money you will need,
how you will budget
for it, and when you
will make
reservations.
So your "goal" is
your trip to Hawaii,
and your "action
plan" describes how
you will go about
achieving that goal.
Without action
plans, the majority
of goals are usually
not achieved. You
need to incorporate
how you will achieve
your goal.
An action plan
also helps you to
identify any
obstacles or
challenges that you
may encounter along
the way. Let's
assume you do not
have enough money to
go to Hawaii right
now. So, your action
plan would identify
funding as an issue
to resolve, and
highlight the
necessity to develop
a plan to ensure you
obtain enough money.
To summarize:
WHAT = Goal
HOW = Action Plan
WHEN = Time
Frames
Our goal to
"simplify our life"
had a time frame of
5 years, however,
due to unexpected
delays it ended up
taking us 8 years.
There were setbacks
that we did not
anticipate, but we
were determined and
very persistent to
reach our goal to
change our lifestyle
to one of
simplicity. Each
time we were faced
with a setback, we
would go back and
readjust our action
plans, but the most
important thing that
we did is that we
never lost sight of
our end goal.
Today, we have
achieved our goal of
a simpler lifestyle.
Our hope in sharing
this information is
that you will set
your goals and never
lose sight of your
end goal. If you
have determination
and persistance you
will reach it!
