In the TEL (Time-Energy-Life) Workshop, I go over five different types of goals, so that we can gear up for 2013 with a bit more clarity on what exactly we want to achieve.

Workshop participants will be asked to spend a week beforehand paying attention to how they spend their time, accounting for every single one of the 168 hours in a typical week, without trying to change anything.  Not changing a thing is technically impossible, bcing that the act of observing alone changes things.  That said, the goal is to figure out what our baseline lifestyle is, and what we typically achieve during a week.

So here are the Five Types of Goals, according to a system that I have created over the years, which works for me, and soon, will hopefully work for you too.

1. ET Type. Energy & Time allocation. ET implies the process of setting and tracking goals through the filters of how we allocate our time and energy.

2. AS Type. Achievements & Skills. “I want to speak Spanish fluently” or “I want to run a marathon”

3. IQ Type. Internal Qualities. “I want to be more confident.” (TASK: specify what that means; create a scale)

4. MO Type. Material Outcomes. “I want to have $1 million dollars.” Or “I want to get six pack abs this year.”

5. RQ Type. Relationship Quality. “I want to have a better relationship with my father.” or “I want to be regarded as a well-liked colleague at my company.” (TASK: paint a picture, of how that would look)

These distinctions are important because the approaches to attaining each Goal Type vary, and some, for example Material Outcomes, are often not under our direct control.  The Types are ordered actually, from what is most under our control to what is least under our control.  I encourage people to have all five goal types, but to separate them out in order to have some clarity.  There will be overlap, where certain goals fit into different types; in that case, I recommend assigning one as the primary type, and any others as secondary.

In the TEL Workshop, we will spend a good deal of time developing meaningful goals, as well as an action plan for attaining them, utilizing the Timebug PI (Personal Intelligence) App, and the associated methodology underlying the application.

Visualization Technique.  When listing goals, you are advised to state them all as facts, and envision them being true.  A fantastic and effective meditation is to close your eyes, concentrate on your breathing to clear your mind for 10 minutes, and then really imagine yourself having achieved these goals, as if it already happened.  What does it feel like?  Remember that feeling.