Purposeful | Actionable | Continuous | Trackable
So what are PACT goals and how do we set them?
The PACT system is the most outcome focussed goal-planning strategy. PACT stands for Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous, Trackable.
The PACT system consists of:
- Purposeful: Goals help us assign purpose to our life, but they take energy. Before committing to the task first assign its purpose.
- Actionable: Implies execution, but also assigning value, which is something to consider when planning out your future actions.
- Continuous: Forming an unbroken whole, without interruption. Determining how you are going to accomplish something is essential to incorporate it into your lifestyle
- Trackable: What gets measured gets managed. Every set of goals requires definite criteria by which to measure progress.
These all tie together to create the structure for the PACT system for goal setting!
By following these steps you will dramatically improve your odds of reaching your goals. They will teach you how to make them achievable from the start, break large goals into smaller tasks, as well as how to set them up in such a way that you are more likely to stick to your ambitions as you climb the stairs of success.
Before we continue, if you are serious about setting and achieving your goals, then be sure to check out the rest of our series on goal setting:
Personal goals
Goal-setting
But for now
let’s get back to exploring the PACT goal-setting model!
Business goals
The Purpose in PACT goals
The “P” in PACT goals stands for purpose. Goals have a strange relationship with Purpose, we need a purpose in order to want to create one in the first place, yet once it’s created, it’s actually that provides our lives with purpose.
A life without purpose is one where you drift between dreams, never quite succeeding or failing at anything, the type of life where you float between moments without actually living them. It is for this reason that purpose plays such an important role when determining your goals because the purpose you create is the person you will become.
So what should we ask ourselves when assigning purpose to our PACT goals?
- Which direction is this goal going to take me?
- What results will I receive from completing it?
- Is it adding value to my life?
Identifying the purpose of a goal is identifying the need for it to exist. It’s this reason that drives us forward, but it’s also only the first step along the journey.
Are your PACT goals actionable?
Is there a valid reason for you to be undertaking this goal? Actionable doesn’t mean immediately taking action, instead, just as with finding purpose, actionable invites us to seek our reason for starting the task. Without a good reason, there is little to no motivation to take action in the first place.
Consider the following :
- Is this a good idea?
- Does it have enough valid points for me to merit the effort?
- How is this going to improve my life?
Without turning our goals actionable, they become more than a little meaningless. Being able to clearly identify why you are undertaking something, as well as how it will impact and improve your life is an essential part of turning them into reality!
How to make PACT goals continuous
Continuous means to be part of an unbroken whole
In the previous points, we discussed how to bring purpose and actionability into the picture. Now we add an element of continuity, or in other words, making sure the goals we set are repeatable over a long time horizon.
Continuity also helps us scale our goals, it is so easy to write up a list of goals set goals that are almost impossible to achieve, and the element of continuity helps us to compartmentalize and break down big tasks into smaller more manageable ones.
When you are setting continuous PACT goals, consider:
- Is this something I can work into my schedule
- How much effort am I going to be putting into this?
- What type of time horizon do I need to achieve this
- Can I break it into smaller steps?
Continuity and its considerations become a really handy tool when defining our goals and applying it will allow you to manage them better while ensuring their sustainability, and bringing you much closer to achieving them.
10 minutes of practicing something like guitar every day may not seem like much, but do it every day for 6 months with a dedicated mindset, and you will have learned the basics of the instrument, 30 minutes and you’ll have mastered them. Apply the same steps for a year or two and you will find yourself a competent musician.
It’s all about the continuous effort you are able to dedicate toward something!
PACT goals should always be trackable
If it cannot be traced or tracked then it simply isn’t a good goal, and definitely not a PACT goal!
We need trackability and the solid time horizon we mentioned earlier, to create a sense of urgency within ourselves. Otherwise, our goals inevitably get pushed to the back burner only to get forgotten most of the time.
When making your PACT goals trackable, consider:
- Do my goals have clear starting points, execution, and end dates?
- What am I using to measure success?
- How will I record my progress?
This is perhaps the most important part of the PACT goal-setting model. The emphasis is on creating a structure for yourself to trace your progress along a time horizon, which if you do long enough, eventually creates a habit, which you can revisit, refine, and improve as you progress!
The 5 Specific W’s of CLEAR goals
The 5 W’s are not part of the PACT model, however, they are such a great tool, that we included them as an extra to every one of the goal-setting models we cover on Things Learned After Thirty. By using them as a checklist to qualify your goals for the PACT model, you will be able to get twice the results, with half the effort.
The 5 W’s of goals setting are:
- Who: Who is involved in this goal?
- What: What do I want to accomplish?
- Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?
- When: When do I want to achieve this goal?
- Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?
Instead of saying “I want to lose weight“, rather set the goal of cleaning up your diet and cutting out specific unhealthy foods while implementing a weekly walking routine. The first creates a vague outline, while the second provides a specific solution.
Use PACT goals to change your life
Without a well-defined goal and specific plan on how to get there and by when you are really just stumbling around in the general direction of what you were planning.
PACT goals will help you prevent that and insure that your goals are Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous, and Trackable, which will allow you to create some great realistic, and achievable goals that will have you well on your way to achieving your dreams and changing your life!
If you are looking for great examples of the type of goals to set using the PACT model, be sure to check out our article on the 13 different types of goals, and visit our library, where you will find some great material to help build that good foundation!
Also, check out our other favorite goal-setting techniques:
PACT
GROW
CLEAR
SMART
We also have more practical articles relating to:
Financial Goals
Goal-setting
Business Goals
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