A BLUEPRINT FOR GOALS, SELF-REFLECTION AND INTENTION

Introduction: 

One of the greatest things we can do at least once a year is a deep dive into understanding ourselves and setting our goals. Over the years I have researched many different versions of these activities, so I decided to distil them into a comprehensive framework.

Why is this important?

Understanding what makes us tick, where we need to grow, and our potential to sabotage ourselves is all part of living with intention and getting the most out of the time we have on this planet. Too many people meander through their days on autopilot, doing the same things over and over, and yet feeling unfulfilled about where they are and where they are going.

When we take the time to do deep self-reflection, we can start to be more deliberate about where we spend our time and attention, our direction, and what lessons we need to learn from our previous selves to guide our future selves.

As the saying goes: “if you want to understand why you’re here, look at your past behaviours. If you want to know where you’re going, look at your current behaviours.”

I would argue it’s not only our behaviours (although these have the most impact), but also the way we think and feel that drives those behaviours and puts us on the path to either personal growth or stagnating.

While you might tend to follow this framework to set up your goals for the year, there are different time frames for setting and reviewing the elements in this guide. However, each element can and should be reviewed at least annually.

The elements of this practice are:

• Your personal VALUES
• Your MINDSET
• Your SOMEDAY GOALS
• Your ANNUAL THEMES and TOP TEN GOALS
• Your TRAP DOORS
• Your LESSONS

Some of these elements we have developed at Performance Lab, others I have borrowed or adapted from brilliant authors. Where I have borrowed from others, I will reference who they are.

I will also give examples of my own self-reflection to give you an idea of how each element looks and works in your journey of constant growth.

So, with no further preamble, let’s dive in.