I often share information here on how to set and stick to goals, but this year, I’d like to offer a few tools that will help you do exactly that. Sometimes, a tool that either walks you through the process or helps you do a piece of it is exactly what you need to finally take action.

The first three are true goal-setting tools — they help you figure out your goals. The rest help you maintain the activity that will help you reach those goals.

1. Passion Planner

I learned about the Passion Planner from a friend who contributed to its Kickstarter campaign and I’m hooked. This tool helps you dream big (or small, if that’s what you’re comfortable with), identify the steps you need to make that dream come true, and get those steps into your calendar so you schedule time to make them happen.

The eight steps in the system start with making a wishlist and prioritizing to setting dates and working at it.

You can download the entire product in PDF form for free if you share information about it on social media (the site outlines the specifics).

If you decide to purchase the printed version, please provide my email address in the referral box on the order form so I get credit — with three referrals, I’ll receive a free printed planner. My email address is sbATbuildbookbuzz.com (thank you to anyone who does this).

2. Create Your Shining Year planners and goal books

Leonie Dawson has created a couple of versions of this workbook that has completely transformed how I approach goal-setting (please note: that’s an affiliate link). There’s a “Life Goals Workbook” and a “Business Goals Workbook;” I use the latter. Both are available as printed products or digital downloads.

One of the key pieces for me from this system has been reviewing the current year’s accomplishments before looking ahead to the next year. This provides an important attitude adjustment because I sometimes end the year frustrated or disappointed because I didn’t do everything I wanted to do. Reminding myself of what I did do gives me important perspective.

The information page for these products is beautiful, but busy. I recommend skipping all the chatter and clicking on any “order now” button to get a clear and distinct product list.

3. Goals on Track

Goals on Track  is both an online tool and smartphone app that helps you create the right goals from the start, create an action plan, track your time and actions, and stick to the process (please note: that’s an affiliate link).

For your first step, start on the website and use the pop up window to subscribe to the free newsletter. That will give you access to a free, downloadable goal-setting template that’s based on widely accepted best practices. I use it; it’s really helpful. Subscribing to the newsletter also gives you access to other free, relevant, downloadable resources.

There is a free, 30-day product trial available, but you have to provide credit card information to get it. The trial will give you access to both the web-based tools and the smartphone app.

4. Goal-buddy.com

Goal-buddy.com, a free online tool, prompts you to take seven steps to identify your goal and make it happen. It even lets you schedule email or text reminders so you stay with it.

The site also offers goal templates, but the selection is so limited that you might want to use that option to create your own templates.

5. Way of Life app

The free Way of Life app helps you change your habits so you’re using your time to achieve your goals. Set your goals, get reminders, and track how often you do what you’re supposed to do to reach those goals.

For example, imagine you’ve created the goal, “Do one thing every day to promote my book.” (To help with that, check out the new Build Book Buzz 365 Daily Book Marketing Tips sent to your inbox, one a day, every day, for just 99 cents.) You add that goal to your goal list, then set reminders.

Set a reminder to pop up on your phone at the time of day you are most likely to take action on that task so it gets in front of you at just the right time in your schedule.

Search your smartphone app store for similar tools, including Balanced and Productive.

6. Joe’s Goals

Joe’s Goals is a simple, but effective web-based tool that will help you track your goal-supporting activity once you’ve set your goals.

Create a free account, then start adding tasks and how frequently you need to do them. Check in and check off according to your schedule. This resource works like an app, but it’s not phone-based — it’s online.

7. Tools you have already

While I love and use these resources, you might prefer good old-fashioned paper and pencil, a Word doc, or an Excel file.

Really, it doesn’t matter what tool you use to create, write down, and track your goals. What counts is that you do it. If you haven’t been doing it consistently year to year, it could be because you haven’t had the right tools. I hope this article gives you an option that resonates with you and spurs you to take action.

As you move into 2016 with well-defined goals and a good start on a plan that will help you reach them, remember these words from author Melody Beattie.

Do you use any tools or resources to help you set goals? Please share them in a comment. 

Or about how if you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know if you’ve arrived?

The point is: You need to set book marketing goals. And now’s the best time to do it.

I’m working on my goals today because I’m meeting with my goal buddy Marcia Layton Turner, founder of the Association of Ghostwriters, on Friday to review them. We’ve been doing this annually for years because we both understand the value and importance of goals to our business.

We make sure that our goals are “SMART” —

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

Two-step process

We use a two-step process with our goal setting.

First, we review our goals from the previous year and evaluate why we did or didn’t reach them.

Second, we use what we learned from the evaluation process to plan for the coming year.

I find this review process particularly helpful because over time, it has helped me spot patterns that I’ve factored into the next year’s goals and action plan.

Goal-setting tools

We both use three primary tools with our goal-setting process:

1. The Create Your Shining Year biz e-book business planner from Leonie Dawson.
2. A Word document where we list our goals with bullet points.
3. An Excel file where we track monthly goals and the tactics that will help us reach those goals.

I start the process with Leonie’s $9.95 “biz” planner. Marcia and I started using it two years ago and it has completely transformed the process for me. (That’s why that link is an affiliate link — I like to support tools I use and love!) My planner documents each year have become a permanent record of the progress I have (and haven’t) made with everything from my social media accounts to the types of products I create. Her system has transformed the goal-setting process for me.

Once I’ve filled out the planner pages I use, I pull up a Word document so I can record my goals there. The biggest challenge for me as I list my goals is being realistic. I have lots of ideas about what I’d like to do and accomplish, but experience has shown me that I rarely accomplish as much as I’d like to. There just isn’t enough time in every day to do everything I’d like to do. Because I’ve learned from my experience, my goals each year have become more attainable — and as a result, I’ve been much more focused and less frustrated than in the past.

I start by listing what I’d like to accomplish along with what I need in place to accomplish it. My goals relate to income, the types of work I do, and overall quality of life. Others might approach goal-setting differently, but this works for me.

When I’m satisfied with the list, I open an Excel file and use one sheet to create monthly income projects that will lead to the amount I’d like to earn. On another sheet, I list milestones for other goals — it might be the number of Twitter followers I need or the conferences I attend. On a third sheet, I create a calendar with the tactics I’ll need to execute to reach that month’s goals as well as the goals in another month, since so much of what I need to do takes months and often years to accomplish.

Why bother?

With goals in place, I am much more focused. As a result, I accomplish more of the right things.

Book marketing goals will help you determine where you want to go with your book and how you will get there. For example, if your goal is to sell 10,000 paperback books in the next 12 months, you’ll skip the local book signing and focus on those activities that will help you reach a national and perhaps even global audience with your message.

If your goal is to use your book to become a national speaker within three years, you’ll set goals for the number of presentations you need to make in 2015 and outline what you’ll need to do to get them. And you’ll set goals for the kinds of media and other exposure you’ll need to help you get those speaking gigs.

Again, failing to plan is planning to fail.

Set goals this year so you know not only where you need to go, but how you’ll get there. You won’t regret it.

Do you set goals every year? What’s one of your goals for the coming year?  If not, why not?