There’s a short video with an accompanying article at Mindtools, a personal development site with a business focus at http://www.mindtools.com/goals on goal-setting as a habit, covering both in terms of lifetime goals and shorter-term tasks and targets. My favorite part of the article (and the video) suggests using the mnemonic “SMART” to remember what makes a good short-term goal. A good target or short-term goal, the article recommends, is
- Specific
- Measurable (that is, afterward you can tell whether or not you accomplished it)
- Attainable (though it attainable with some preparation first is OK)
- Relevant (to your priorities)
- Timebound (you plan do do it by a particular deadline)
There are other good points in the article as well; it’s worth a look. (Thanks to Jeff Grundy’s podcast 30wastedyears.com for posting about this at http://30wastedyears.com/quick-video-from-mind-tools-on-goal-setting/ )