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90 Day Plan - Smart Goals Worksheet Download

It's almost 2008. Most people are reflective of 2007. Some are anticipating what the new year will bring. I'm doing my best not to fall into the resolution trap. It's the temptation to make changes that I won't follow through on. It's the disappointment that many people feel around January 21, when they failed to form a new habit and fall back into old patterns.

So I'm leaving the  language behind and I'm focusing on creating SMART goals for the next 90 days. If you aren't familiar with the term SMART, here's a quick refresher:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

The 90 Day Plan - A SMART Goals Worksheet
Here's a simple worksheet that I've designed to help me through this process. I wanted to create something that would give me a Big Picture view, but then help me break everything down to be able to daily implement my plan. This worksheet lets me...

1. Write down my goals. If I don't get it on paper it doesn't get done. I want to have these goals in clear view and view them on a daily basis.
2. Calendar my plan and progress. I believe that calendaring is the key to accomplishment. If it doesn't get on my calendar, I don't make time for it.
3. Break my goals down. I use a simple number system to identify goals and the sub-goals that go with them.

The Breakdown
+ 90 Days
I may want to work on something for the entirety of 2008. But I won't have a clear plan unless I break it down. I like 90 days. It's 3 months. One quarter of the year. It's helps me to celebrate small successes which create the momentum to move forward.

Mark your start and end date on the worksheet. While a goal may extend past the 90 day mark, think about what you can realistically accomplish during this block of time.

+ List Goals
There is space to list up to 10 goals. That may be too many for some. That's okay. Don't feel like you have to use up every space. Instead of numbering my goals 1 - 10, I choose to use 10.0 - 00.0. With this numbering system, I can organize them a little better.

For example, my third goal (30.0) is to be able to bench press 310 lbs. I'm currently at 285 lbs. But I want to be able to break the goal down. So I will mark my steps to accomplishment like this: 30.1 - 290 lbs; 30.2 - 295 lbs; 30.3 - 300 lbs; and so on. These are the numbers I'll use on the calendar portion of the worksheet.

Also, let's say that I want to add a goal that relates to this goal. For instance, I want to be able to do a certain number of reps at a certain weight. I can add a goal in this category by numbering it 31.0, 32.0, 33.0, etc.

+ The Weeks
When you move to the calendar section, there is a space on the left column for marking the date of the week or numbering the weeks. I tend to work in weekly chunks with most of my appointments and planning. I use a revised version of the GTD weekly review to reflect and plan ahead.

+ The Calendar
The Calendar is my target. I want to put the goals or the broken down pieces of each goal on the calendar. If it's not on the calendar, then I'm not working on it. I want to achieve certain steps along the way.

The calendar consists of 7 squares across. I begin with Monday because that's how I view my week. I will go through and mark the date for each square in the upper left portion. I tend to write small, so the writing the date doesn't take up much room. You can also use the Date|# column to write down the dates for the week (ie.,1/1/08-1/8/08).

I will write the number of the goal (like 30.1) on the day that I hope to achieve the goal and circle it. When I've done this with all of my goals, it will give me a bird's eye view of my goal accomplishing plan over the next 90 days. Then I'll simply add these dates into my calendar (Google Calendar!) during my weekly review.

+ Notes
Over one quarter of the worksheet is for notes that I will make. I may draw a line from a certain goal and make a note describing what the number means. I may jot down progress made. It is an open space to write down whatever is helpful toward my goal's accomplishment.
_____________________

As with any of the tools/worksheets I create, I am always open to suggestions. One of these days I'd like to figure out how to put these things into an online, editable form that one can type into. But for now, it remains a single sheet of paper that you can download.

Download The 90 Day Plan - Smart Goals Worksheet v1.3[pdf.52kb]

 

Merry Christmas from Studentlinc

I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world."                      

          ~ Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), American Protestant religious leader, author.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...or good day (depends on when you read this).

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Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker

 

How Are Your Student Leaders Doing?

I've just revised and updated the eBook - Student Worker or Student Leader.

I WANT you to download this eBook and give it to all of those people you know who are student leaders or who work with student leaders. It is free! It is easy to read! It is useful for your student leadership development right now.

I wrote this eBook because I was struggling with the number of students that were elected or selected to serve in student leadership positions - but they weren't doing anything that even closely resembled leadership. These students thought they were student leaders because they had the nametag, or got to go to the student government meetings, or because they were chosen.

The fact is, they were working (often very hard) but they weren't leading. And as I write on the cover of the eBook:

Most students often confuse being a student worker versus being a student leader. Both are necessary. Yet many consider themselves to be student leaders when in reality, they are mostly a student worker. Do you know the difference?

I worked hard on providing a redesign of this eBook that would make it easy for you to print it off and pass it out to your students. If you are a student leader, I made sure there was plenty of white space for you to write down your thoughts and notes as you work through each one of the differences.

Download Student Leader or Student Worker

What you can expect:

• Have a better understanding of the various roles that both student workers and student leaders play in your organization.
• Know where to put your focus.
• Know when learning to lead becomes more important than your personal best effort.
• Understand why you can't do everything.
• Why you should identify your weaknesses and lead from your strengths.
• 18 easy-to-read pages.
• Challenge to be the leader you were meant to be.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you know if you're a student worker or student leader?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: After you've downloaded and read the eBook, leave your comments below.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Speaker & Consultant

Studentlinc knows student leadership.

Are you a student leader? Do you work with student leaders? Have you ever seen a student leader? Then you've come to the right place.

This site contains articles, ideas, tools, resources, downloads, audio, forms, documents, strategies, and much more. Everything is geared toward helping student leaders learn to lead by leading.

Below are the latest articles and blog posts. To the right is a menu of items you can use right away!

Keep Your Vision, Values, and Mission In Front Of You

I sat in a meeting that was becoming heated over the direction the organization was going. I wasn't in charge, in fact, I was only there as a requirement of my position. The debate was going nowhere and I was squirming due to the lack of leadership being taken in the discussion.

At one point, I finally broke into the fray and made this statement:

"I believe this group is at a crossroads and won't be able to come to a reasonable decision because this organization is ill-defined."

The obvious quiet that followed showed me that I hit a nerve and that I had now put many of them on the defensive. One of the key members of the group turned to me and asked, "What do you mean by ill-defined?"

I replied, "There is no corporate sense among you that you know what it is you are striving for, trying to achieve, what this organization actually stands for?"

I was in it now. No turning back. We went back and forth. He wanted to solve the immediate problem and I wanted the group to consider solving the problem in light of the Big Picture. What was the guiding, consistent direction that the group should adhere to in not only this decision, but in every decision?

Finally, he said this: "You know, we already have a mission statement."

To which I replied, "What is it?"

He began to fumble through his 3 inch notebook full of papers, notes, minutes, etc. Finally, he turned back to me and said, "I can't find it right now. Do you expect us to go through the whole process of creating one again?"

At that point I left the question hanging and remained silent for the rest of the meeting. It was apparent to me (and to others) that I didn't have to answer it. While the group had a mission statement, had adopted a vision, and had compiled a set of governing values - they weren't using them.

They had fallen into the difficult position of keeping their vision, values, and mission BEHIND them instead of in FRONT of them.

I don't mean they need to keep those ideas, dreams, and concepts on pieces of paper physically in front of them (although that appeared to be necessary). I wanted them to keep those things in front of where the group was headed.

To keep it in FRONT of them meant:
+ They strived to accomplish them.
+ They framed every decision, every discussion by them.
+ They guided the group as a whole.
+ They were the focus and not merely an exercise that ended up in the back of a notebook.
+ They were constantly referred to.
+ They were known (well known) by every member of the group.

I mentioned that there was a lack of leadership in the discussion above. The main reason I felt that way was because the leader of the group had allowed the vision, values, and mission of the group to merely become an exercise that was quickly forgotten. This person didn't do the thing that leaders have to do - keep the vision, values, and mission of the organization in FRONT. That's why they are called guiding principles.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you know what your organization's vision, values, and mission are? Are they in FRONT or BEHIND you?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: How do you keep these things in FRONT of your team?

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Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net