"Goal setting."

Does that phrase give you shivers? I know it used to for me. It seems so grandiose, right? It takes me back to when I was in high school and everyone asked "what I was going to do" after school. Most of us sort of mumbled our major or shrugged. I knew what was my major was going to be, but until I figured it out, it was nerve wracking, right?

So many articles have been written about goal setting that I don't think what I'm going to write here is new. But if you're new to this, here's an article from lululemon's website that talks about it.

Anyway, I'd always liked the idea of goal setting, but I was never very good at it. That is, until I found Lara Casey's power sheets (And no, this isn't an add for her. It's a great tool I use in writing that I thought I'd share with you. :) )

Basically, the Power Sheets break goal setting down into manageable chunks: short-term and long term goals, and most importantly, why you want to achieve these goals. The set contains six months' worth of sheets, and a lot of detailed prep work. But they are magnificent, guys. Each goal gets broken down into daily, weekly, and monthly goals, which is so helpful for someone like me, who needs that step-by-step accountability. For example, for the past few months "write three blog posts a week" was a goal. Then there was "daily writing 30 minutes", and in the monthly section, it was manuscript goals. I also have prayer and fitness goals.

No matter what your goals are--climbing Everest, finishing your dissertation, learning to draw, whatever!--these sheets will be an enormous help. If you're like me and need accountability, then checking off the boxes every day will be a big help.

Do you have goals you're working towards? How do you push yourself to accomplish them?