GOAL

SETTING
WORKSHOP

BY
THIEA ALHOZ

TA
 We all have goals...

B I G , S M A L L , S A F E , A N D B O L D .

YOU WISH TO BECOME AN ARTIST, TO BUY A HOUSE,

TO WRITE A BOOK, TO EAT HEALTHILY, TO EXERCISE

MORE, TO BECOME FINANCIALLY FREE, OR TO RUN A

MARATHON. THE LIST IS ENDLESS…

AND GOALS COME IN MANY TYPES. ULTIMATELY, ALL

GOALS BOIL DOWN TO ONE THING.

Change.

WE WANT TO MOVE FROM ONE STATE TO

ANOTHER, FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW TO WHERE

WE WANT TO BE.

So, how do we do it?

IF SOMETHING IS VITAL TO US, WE NEED TO MAKE PLANS.

GOAL SETTING IS WIDELY ACCEPTED AS THE MOST

EFFECTIVE WAY TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE

RIGHT PATTERN, TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS

WHAT WE WANT MOST IN LIFE.

GOAL SETTING PROVIDES US WITH A MEANS TO

NAVIGATE THROUGH A COMPLEX WORLD AND

ENCOURAGES OUR LONG-TERM PERSISTENCE.

SO IF YOU’RE READY, USE THE TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS

THAT FOLLOW TO INSPIRE YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU

WANT TO ACHIEVE, AND TO FIGURE OUT YOUR ‘WHY’,

AND HOW YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT.

 "Set a goal to become a
millionaire for what it
makes of you to achieve it,
for the person you become
by striving for it. The
purpose of the goal is not the
goal itself, but rather the
person you become while
pursuing it."

- Earl Nightingale.
LONG-TERM
GOALS
It might sound like a simple task to sit down and
write what you want to achieve in life.

But how aware are you of what you truly want? And
how certain are you that you can indeed achieve your
goals?

The answer should not be too difficult, nor should it

be too easy.

So if you’re ready to find out, turn off all distractions

for a few minutes and follow the steps in this
Workshop. They will help you uncover genuine
answers from within, enabling you to become more
aware of the most meaningful things in your life.
LONG-TERM
GOALS
(modified from Ivtzan, Chan, Gardner, & Prashar, 2011; Ivtzan, 2016):

1. Sit comfortably, rest your shoulders and close

your eyes.
2. Become aware of your breathing. Inhale deeply
and slowly. Concentrate on each breath; observe
it.
3. Visualise yourself in the future, living the life you
want for yourself and your loved ones.
4. Connect fully to the experience and visualise
more details. Try not to dwell on how you got
there.
5. Shift attention to your body and feel the
sensations and excitement that arise.
6. Breathe into and explore these sensations; let
them spread over your whole body.
7. Upon opening your eyes, take a moment to
reflect on the effects of your practice. Although
the intensity of these effects can vary among
individuals, do your best in creating a vivid and
realistic picture of the meaningful and fulfilling
life that you desire. This can help you become
more conscious of what brings happiness, joy, and
purpose to your life.
LONG-TERM
GOALS SETTING
It’s time to write down what you visualised during the
previous exercise. These visions are your personal
goals. Write them all down. And remember, the more
vividly they are captured, the more likely you are to
accomplish them.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

As you refine your goals, make sure they continue to

align with the picture you have created of the
meaningful life you want for yourself.

Try creating a manifestation journal or a vision board

to help keep your dreams front and centre. Make
visualising part of your morning routine to start every
day with your future in mind.
LONG-TERM
GOALS SETTING
Why are your goals important?

Which of your values do these goals express?

Will these goals require you to get out of your

comfort zone and exert yourself? How?

Will you be able to see whether you’re making

progress toward your goals along the way?

What resources or knowledge will you need that you

don’t have yet?
LONG-TERM
GOALS SETTING
What risks do these goals require you to take? What
can you do to be ready to face them?

How can you make yourself accountable to maximise

your commitment?

Among the people around you, who will be

supporters and who will be roadblocks?
Supporters:

Roadblocks:

What do you need to say “No!” to in order to focus

on your goals?
LONG-TERM
GOALS SETTING
How can you enhance your environment to support
your efforts to reach your goals?

How will you recognise and savour the successes

along the way?

How will you recognise when you’ve reached one of

your goals?

How committed are you to your goals?

S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #1 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #2 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #3 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #4 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #5 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #6 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #7 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
S.M.A.R.T GOALS
What is your #8 goal?

Specific
Is your goal written clearly so anyone reading it can
understand it?

Measurable
Will you be able to track your progress and know
when you reached this goal?

Attainable
Are you being realistic about your goal? Is reaching
this goal possible?

Relevant
Does this goal make sense with your vision and
values?

Timely
Is there a completion date?
SHORT-TERM
GOALS
Short-term goals can be very diverse, ranging from
daily tasks to weekly accomplishments or monthly
progress. They also serve as stepping stones for your
larger, long-term goals.

Think of your long-term goals as the ultimate desired

outcome that would not occur without your input.
And your input is the actions you take now to make
your larger goals achievable.

Let’s say that your long-term goal is to buy a house in

five years. Then short-term goals could be something
like:

- Pay off credit card debt in a set amount of time.

- Save half of the down payment by the end of next
year.
- Increase your monthly income and savings account
contributions by starting a side hustle project or
working on weekends.
- Reduce living costs by becoming a smarter shopper
and cutting off needless expenses.

In other words; your short-term goals act as the

milestones that keep you moving forward.
SHORT-TERM
GOALS
They’re achievable.
These goals should not be difficult to accomplish so
you can meet tight deadlines.

They create momentum.

Since you can achieve them quickly, short-term goals
provide a sense of accomplishment, which boosts
your motivation.

They keep you on track.

Short-term goals are most powerful when structured
to support a larger ambition. With the right planning,
they’ll bring you closer to your larger goals.

They ward off procrastination.

The shorter deadlines for your short-term goals will
push you to keep working towards your larger goals.

With that being said, keep in mind that not every

goal has to ladder up to a bigger one. If you simply
woke up today and wanted to finish work early to see
the sunset on your evening walk, that’s a perfect
short-term goal.

Regardless of where it fits into your plan, each step,

from small health goals to big professional goals, will
contribute to building the life you’re aiming for.
SHORT-TERM
GOALS SETTING
While there are many strategies for creating and
achieving short-term goals, there’s no one silver
bullet.

Successfully reaching your milestones requires self-

awareness and patience. It requires comfort with
failure and demands adaptability.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s help you set
meaningful short-term goals with these steps:

1. Visualise the finish line.

The first step involves identifying what you hope to
accomplish in the long run. We’ve already established
that your short-term goals depend on your long-term
ambitions. So keep your long-term goals in mind so
you can recognise the actions that you must take now
to achieve them.

2. Work backwards.
Now that you have your targets defined, create a plan
to achieve them step by step. Your plans can consist
of multiple short-term goals. Like a trail of
breadcrumbs, each will bring you to the next, guiding
you toward success. If you need to finish one short-
term goal to start on the next, like acing a midterm
to finish an online course, plan it out that way.
SHORT-TERM
GOALS SETTING
3. Develop your discipline.
When getting started, it’s important to take things
slow to minimise the risk of failure.

If you’ve ever overexerted yourself at the gym, then

you know the consequences of biting more than you
can chew. Instead of working out every day as you
planned, now you need days to recover.

The same idea holds for your goals. So to avoid

overwhelm and discouragement, start small and
gradually build towards your larger projects. This will
develop your discipline incrementally and encourage
you to keep going.

4. Schedule your goals and efforts.

Set aside regular blocks of time for achieving your
milestones. Whether it’s 20 minutes of reading every
day or spending 10 hours per week building your
business, block it off in your calendar, and use this
time for distraction-free work.
SHORT-TERM
GOALS SETTING
5. Track your goals.
To make sure your efforts lead you to your purpose,
review your progress often to stay motivated and
avoid getting lost in the process. Many goal-tracking
apps are available digitally, or you can go old-school
with a pen-and-paper method. Keeping a progress
journal is a great idea as well.

6. Reward yourself.
Probably the most underestimated, yet essential step
of all.

I left this one to the last because I know first-hand

that many hard workers are guilty of working around
the clock without taking the time to rejuvenate and
reward themselves with much-needed care and
attention.

You owe it to yourself to create an extrinsic

motivation system to reward yourself when you reach
your goals regardless of their size and impact.

Sometimes rewarding yourself means taking the day

off, or cooking yourself your favoured meal. You
know yourself better and know what resets your body
and energy and boosts your motivation to keep going.
 A Take-Home Message

IMAGINE ACTING ON THE DREAMS THAT YOU KEEP TUCKED AWAY,

THE ONES THAT SEEM TOO BIG OR TOO PERSONAL TO SHARE.

MAKE THEM REAL.

WRITE THEM DOWN AS GOALS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SIZE.

LET THEM INSPIRE YOU AND TRANSFORM THE WORLD AROUND

YOU.

USE GOALS TO BECOME THE BEST POSSIBLE YOU, AND TAKE

SMALL AND BIG STEPS EVERY DAY CLOSER TO THE LIFE YOU

WANT FOR YOURSELF.

SO, GO AHEAD, TAKE THE RESOURCES FROM THIS WORKSHOP AND

IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT GOALS THAT EXCITE YOU. IN WHATEVER

METHOD YOU PREFER, BREAK THEM DOWN, DEFINE THEM AND

TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE.

BY CRAFTING THEM INTO SOMETHING TANGIBLE AND WORKING

THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS, AND ENCOURAGING YOUR

LONG-TERM PERSISTENCE, YOU WILL GROW INTO THE PERSON

YOU NEED TO BE TO COMPLETE THEM.

DON’T LET YOUR GOALS REMAIN A LIST OF WISHES.