The W.A.V.E Goal Setting System
The WAVE system is a 4 step system which gets the goal setter towards their goals fast because they spend less time managing them and more time achieving them! Write it down, take Action, Visualize and Evaluate.
First read through the process and then come back and go through it again with each of your goals. Lets begin:
Step 1: Write it down
When you write out your goal(s) write them out in the form of a journal. Like the log book of a ship which describes the details of the ship's journey, navigational information and an accounting of the day's activities aboard the ship, goal setting is no different.
First off write todays date in the top left corner of the page and then begin writing your goal down as if it has already happened. Write the goal in as much detail as possible allowing you to picture it in your mind in vivid detail. The more details, the more vivid the picture. You may not be able to come up with a lot of details about your goal at this time which is OK, so leave enough space to add additional details as they come to you, just like painting a picture over time.
Once you have completed writing out a goal, picture how it would be once you have achieved it. How will achieving this goal affect some or all of the major areas of your daily life? Now write down what it will mean to, or how will it change and improve:
- Your family & relationships
- Your health
- Your career
- Your finances
- Or your spiritual wellbeing
This part of the process accomplishes two things
- It clearly identifies to you how important achieving this goal is to you.
- Provides you with a level of motivation to get you working to achieve your goal.
Now go back to where you wrote your goal down and beside it write the date you would like to have achieved this goal by. eg. September 1, 2008. Be sure to write the full date down. This is important. It must also be an actual date. Writing 'next month' does not count and will not have the same result as righting down the exact date.
In the future, looking back at a journal of your goals it is very satisfying to be able to look back on what goals you have accomplished and how they have changed your life.
Step 2: Action
Now let's accelerate your goal achievement by preparing an action plan that breaks down the goal into smaller "bite size" action steps that are easy to accomplish in short periods of time.
Once you have listed all the activities, apply target dates for their completion. Each one of these smaller activities, once completed, takes you one step closer to your goal. The most important thing is to make sure that when you list your activities there should be one that you can do immediately. Whether making a phone call, or sending an email. The point is to never leave the sight of a goal without first accomplishing something toward its achievement.
Now go do the first step which you wrote down to complete right away. Don't worry, we will still be here when you get back! Go on now and take the first step!
Ok, if you have taken the first step, good for you. How does it feel? How does it feel to have made some progress toward achieving your goal? Let's continue.
Remember 'tomorrow' never comes. Be sure to write down an actual date. You also may not know how or when an item can be completed by as it may depend on something or you have no idea. That's ok. Try estimating how long it will take to achieve that step or write down when you would like to achieve it by. If you don't reach it by your estimated deadline, either push the date back or adjust your approach. Always be sure to keep an open mind.
Note: The interesting part about step 2 is that you may not know all the actions that you need to take in order to achieve your goal. That's OK! For stuff you do not know, add action items like 'call a specialist to ask questions' or 'send an email to my friend (who has done this before)'. The more people you get involved the faster resources and advice will come to you and help you get to your goal faster! Not knowing all the steps also means you are reaching into the unknown and 'stretching' yourself. This is a good thing!
Step 3: Visualize - Accelerating the process
One or more of your goals may be a giant leap from where you are now and that is fantastic. Even if it is small to someone else, but seems big to you that is ok too. These are great confidence boosters. In any case you have to believe the goal is attainable. You have to keep positive, persevere and have faith that you can accomplish your goal.
It is said that a person that can talk, act and think positively for a full 24 hours without once setting their mind on anything negative, they can accomplish anything.
The best way to strengthen your belief is through visualization. So every day spend some time picturing yourself having achieved your goal. Picture how it feels, how it smells and how it makes you feel. We recommend you do this process at least twice per day, however we do encourage more!
There are 3 different times in the day that we have found to be most effective.
- before you go to sleep at night
- before you get up in the morning
- during your exercise routine
Visualizing before you go to sleep actually gets your brain working to figure out ways to get you to where you want to be (a good reason to keep a pen and paper near the bed!) while you sleep. Also visualizing when you wake up focuses your reticular activating system (RAS) to help you notice things or alert you to opportunities throughout your day that will help you get closer to achieving your goals.
Working out is beneficial both physically and mentally. Visualizing during a workout helps boost your confidence and helps with your motivation towards your goal. It is also a great time visualize if losing weight is one of your goals. Picture yourself how good you will look once you have achieved your goal.
Step 4: Evaluate - The navigation of the goal
Evaluating your goals should be done periodically to determine if you are on track. We recommend spending a little time once per week reviewing your goals. When reviewing your goals make sure it is still something you want to achieve. Also write down on a separate piece of paper the next action to take for each of your goals. Then throughout the week when you have a little extra time or are 'bored' grab your Next Actions piece of paper and start working on that list.
Note: When reviewing your goals and deciding if it is still a goal to you do not let your decision be determined by the current state of your goal. What we mean by that is do not give up on a goal if you have come to a challenge or roadblock currently in your path to achieving the goal. Stick with it and try breaking down the roadblock into bite size steps and then add one to your Next Actions list.
Summary
Well you have made it to the end. Now start the process over and apply it to each of your goals. Remember to spend most of your time in Step 2: Taking Action and do not get caught in "analysis paralysis". Figure out what you want and start taking action!
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