Never Ending List… My 90 Day Goals.

My name is Kreestee and I have a problem with getting things done.  I’m a GREAT list maker but not so good at crossing things off.  Plus, I get all hyped about getting something accomplished, plan the hell out of it, and then promptly forget about it.  I can’t do that anymore and still do the things I want to do – personally, professionally, and financially.

I went to this great planning workshop and was able to put together a 90 day plan to help me achieve my goals at work.  I couldn’t wait to get home because I could totally see how I could use this for my personal life as well.  I also learned that people are more apt to achieve their goals if they A). write them down and B). share them with people.  I figured that putting my goals (and subsequent 90 day plans) on the web definitely counts as sharing them with people.  Once I get this up and running I hope to open it up for friends and acquaintances to post theirs as well so that we can support each other in getting things crossed off our never ending lists.  It’s an ad hoc support group for us list junkies 🙂

Here’s my process:

1). Figure out where I want to be in 5 years. Do I want to be at the same employer but making more money?  Do I want to have a new car?  How much do I want to have in my savings and/or retirement?  Do I want to be 10 lbs, 20 lbs, or even 50lbs lighter?  Do I want to travel abroad?

2). Determine where I want to be in 3 years. Will I be a stay at home mom? How much do I want to reduce my debt? Where do I see the status of our house remodel?

3). Calculate where I’d like to be in 1 Year. Do I want to have my VISA card paid off? Will things be ready for the baby? Will 2009 be the year our kitchen gets remodeled? Do I want to spend more time relaxing in the backyard? Will I be able to keep working out after the baby is born?

Think about what is necessary to achieve these 1, 3, and 5 year milestones. These goals need to be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and have a Timeline.

4). Prioritize my Year 1 Goals in different areas. I have three main goals that I need to work on in the next 90 days

• Have everything done for baby’s arrival including nursery, financial planning, and education by April 1, 2009.
• Reduce debt load by 10% – bills, credit, monthly expenditures by March 31, 2009. 
• Gain less than 15 lbs during the remaining length of my pregnancy (through April 2009).

There’s a ton of work that needs to be done towards all three goals but where do I begin?

5). Determine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These can be as simple as ‘credit card balance equals $X,’ ‘Baby’s Room is finished by X date,’ or ‘net paycheck is at least $X every 2 weeks.’

6). Develop Strategies for each goal. 

Some strategies for preparing for baby’s arrival:

• Nursery remodel
• Baby Shower / Registry
• Education
• Financial Planning

7).  Develop action items for each strategy.  This should be familiar because these items are present on our never ending lists!

Action Item examples  (with specific dates and who need to accomplish them!) for the Nursery Remodel Strategy:

• Empty nursery of all existing items – Kristy & Ben – 12/23/2008
• Pick paint color – Kristy & Ben – 12/22/2008
• Prep room for paint (hole filling, taping, etc.) – Ben – 12/24/2008
• Paint nursery – Ben – 12/26/2008

 8).  ACT on these action items and get them accomplished by the date that’s been set.  Tell someone about your goals and have them hold you accountable.