Setting and Achieving Your 2019 Goals

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For many people, goal setting is simply the process of writing down what they  want to achieve, then hopefully taking the necessary steps towards those desired outcomes and sticking to those steps.   Unfortunately, for many people simply writing down their desires without a plan does little to help them achieve their goals. 

To ensure a positive year of growth, many successful goal setters utilize the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Will), developed by business coaches Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore.  The advantage of the GROW model is that it leads to a clearly defined end-result through four clearly planned out phases. 

To structure your GROW model, take the following four steps:

  1. Set a SMART Goal, one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-sensitive.  When setting this goal ask yourself how you will know when you have accomplished it.
  • Examine your current Reality.  Ask yourself if you currently have everything you need to obtain your goal.  Are you at a good starting place?
  • Consider Your Options.   After you have explored your current reality, you can determine what is possible for you – meaning consider all the possible options for reaching your goal.

Helpful questions for exploring options are:

  • What advantages and disadvantages come with each option?
  • What factors should be considered to weigh each option?
  • Will achieving this goal detract from other important life factors?
  • What are your obstacles?
  • If you were confident that you could do anything without failure, what would you do?
  • Incorporate Your Will
  • Commit to specific actions that will allow you to move forward towards your goal.

The appeal of using the GROW model is that you don’t need to be an expert in goal setting or coaching. The GROW model utilizes a framework containing general questions to elicit goals, obstacles and options. 

Once you have developed some experience in goal-setting while using the GROW Model, you will know how to modify the model to work best for you in your unique situation.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals”. 

– Zig Ziglar

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