The “Secret Sauce” for Successful Goal Achievement

Is there a “secret sauce,” or special ingredient that increases your chance for success in achieving your goals and dreams?  I think so, and here’s why…

Everybody has dreams they would like to make reality.

Some translate those dreams into a vision – a vivid imagination of what could be.  Some translate that vision into written goals.  Some take those written goals and break them down into smaller actionable goals.  And some take action on those goals and make them a reality.

With each step, the number of people who actually take the step gets smaller and smaller.  Why?

Because everyone has a dream, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to make that dream a reality.  We’re not all willing to fully prepare, actively do the work, and pay the price to make it happen.

There’s one last step – the “secret sauce”, if you will – that greatly increases our chance for success in achieving our goals – but an even smaller number of people do it:  The weekly review.

The Weekly Review

The weekly review is a regular time set aside for you to review and track your progress in achieving your written goals, in pursuit of your desired vision or outcome.

Benefits of a Weekly Goal Review

There are many benefits to doing a weekly goal review:

1. Keeps your stated vision fresh and right in front of you.
2. Allows you to follow your progress in real time.
3. You’ll never get off track or behind…at least not for long!
4. Keeps you focused on doing what it takes to achieve your goals
5. Gives you a chance to catch up.

How to do a Weekly Goal Review

1. Set aside 1-2 hours on your calendar each week, somewhere toward the end of your week.  I prefer to do it on Friday, personally.
2. Create a simple chart or tracking sheet that lists each goal, along with the tasks that need to be done, that are in pursuit of your vision.
3. Throughout the week, as you accomplish tasks or goals, check them off your list.
4. At your set-aside weekly review time, go over your list and identify the things that you did accomplish, and the things you didn’t.  Ask yourself, “What helped me move toward achieving my goals?” and “What kept me from achieving them?”
5. If you didn’t accomplish all you had hoped to, take the remaining review time to finish as much as you can.  Or set aside more time later that day to accomplish it.
6. Create next week’s plan now.  This is a great time to think about next week’s schedule, and make sure you set aside enough time to accomplish the tasks and goals you want to do.

Like many, I can get excited about a vision and set of goals and can make a strong start toward achieving them.  But if I don’t set aside time to regularly review my progress, there is often little progress to review.  Why?  Because it is so easy to lose the focus and intensity that is created at the start.

The weekly review is the “secret sauce” that helps me stay focused, keeps the intensity going week after week, and improves my success in achieving my vision and goals. Let me know how a weekly review works for you.

Recommended Reading:

• The weekly review:  inspect what you expect
• Best employers for work-life balance
• Setting goals and achieving them