The busier your life, the more important it is for you to keep on track toward what matters to you and maintain a balance among all your roles; ensure you pay consistent attention to the things you value most, and take small steps that get you closer to what you want.
Roles
My roles are the hats I wear in different parts of my life. I’m a consultant, blogger, wife/partner, family member, meditator, homeowner, friend, family tree researcher, Integral Community Member, personal coach, mother, keeper of the temple (my body). Everyone’s roles are different and personal to them. Your roles reflect what you value; goals for roles fulfill your life in a way that matters to YOU.
Goals
As you consider your goals, think about the longer term. Look down the road a year or more, depending on what you find comfortable. These longer term goals inform the shorter-term goals that drive your weekly and daily plans. For each role, what’s the main thing you’d like to achieve in the long term?
For example, in my role of Family Tree Researcher, I’ve got an intention to create resources that future generations can use in their family research. For this year, I set two pretty big goals:
- Get my application in for the Daughters of the American Revolution so that my granddaughters and their descendants can use this proven lineage if they should want to join.
- Publish a website for my granddaughters’ family tree that gives other researchers access to my research results for free.
Possible monthly goals for this role:
- Register domain name
- Decide on software to drive the site
- Decide which UK chapter of DAR to join
- Get proofs of births for first 3 generations.
On Sunday evening, I plan my actions for the next week. Some possible weekly goals:
- Contact St James Chapter for membership info
- Contact Westminster Chapter for membership info
- Load WordPress to site and find out how to link The Next Generation software as a plugin.
- Send away for Dad’s birth certificate
Why do I set my goals this way?
I focus on my purpose and ensure the actions I take each day and week support my longer-term goals. Even though in some weeks I may not take active steps to move me towards a particular goal in a role, it’s important to me that I consider each goal in each role every time I make up a To Do list.
For me, the main thing in my Sunday evening planning session is to consider all my goals in my roles when I decide how to use my time this week. I’m confident I’m giving my attention to the things I value, moving forward toward what I want, and balancing the different parts of my life in a way that works for me.
How to set Goals for Roles
1. List your most important roles. Consider those where you spend most of your time, or maybe one that you value and would like to give more time to. Consider your roles at work, in your personal life and in your community. Of those roles you’ve listed, which are the most important to you? Highlight perhaps 6-8 roles. You may have more roles, but while you learn how to use this method, limit yourself the most important roles.
2. For each role you listed above, think about your general intention. What are you trying to do? If your life in that role were perfect, what would it look like? For my role as a family tree researcher, my general intention was to create resources that future generations can use. If Parent is one of your main roles, what’s important about that? To have children who succeed in school? To have open communications with your child? To let your child explore many activities and interests?
3. Once you are clear about your intention, set some specific goals about what you want to achieve. Maybe you are going to set and maintain regular study sessions for your children during school term this year. Or, you are going to keep your children involved in two sports activities over the summer holidays. Set SMART goals so you know when you’ve succeeded.
This approach supports you to make steady progress towards goals that you value, and keep a balance in your life among all the roles you play.
Related reading:
How to Set SMART Goals: Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound give you more chances for success.
The Power of Planning: How setting goals for roles contributes to effective planning.