The A-goal secrets adapted from my coach

Interested in improving your ability to focus on important weekly goals and accomplish them consistently?

If so, this email is for you.

Keep reading below to see the method I use for setting, tracking, and achieving weekly goals and how you can use it too.

The Origin Of My A-Goals

Years ago, I was introduced to A-Goals by a business coach, David Wood (such a great domain name for a business coach!).

Here’s the original method I started using in a group setting:

1. Make your A-Goals public. Share them with an accountability partner or group at the beginning of the week. This could be a friend, coach, mastermind group, or a shared document. Having your goals witnessed by others creates positive pressure.

2. Agree on a meaningful consequence if you don’t achieve an A-Goal that week. It should be something painful or unpleasant to motivate you, like paying $100 to a disliked cause, skipping a favorite activity, or doing a dreaded chore. A consequence makes you more likely to follow through.

3. Focus ruthlessly on a few goals. Limit your A-Goals to 3-4 per week. By narrowing it down, you identify what’s truly important. Other tasks are okay, but A-Goals take top priority.

4. A-Goals get done no matter what. Did someone make an A-Goal redundant by doing it for you? Doesn’t matter, you still do it.

Here’s a video with more details and background on A-Goals:

Recommended

Adapting A-Goals To Your Needs

I think setting goals alone is better now, but I used to do it in a group or with an accountability partner.

If you tend to miss goals or let things slide, I highly recommend starting with a group or accountability partner to build the habit of doing what you tell yourself.

Once you feel strong in that area, or if you’re already good to go, it makes sense to use the A-Goal method on your own.

A few things I’ve done to make it work well for me:

1. Every Monday, I review my active projects and brainstorm/set my A-Goals.

2. A-Goals get written on a whiteboard in my office that I see at least 20 times a day.

3. I allocate specific time at the beginning of the day to work on A-Goals. If they’re important, they should be worked on first.

There are many benefits to physically writing out your A-Goals.

Constantly seeing and crossing off tasks helps with focus and staying on track, reinforcing priorities.

If you don’t set weekly goals, try this method and see if it helps you hit your goals more consistently.

Extra Extra

• Good video from Carl Pullein about using a physical notebook to stay focused without overwhelm from digital task management systems.

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