What is a Goal Sister?

By Ann Leach and Michelle Beaulieu Pillen

A Goal Sister is a blend of the best parts of your childhood and adult friends: a cherished confidante, buddy, cheerleader, muse, and guide. A Goal Sister is a woman who supports you to create and achieve your dreams and goals. Her values and beliefs are compatible with yours. She listens to your heart’s desires and holds your vision. She provides suggestions on how to make your goals become your reality. She validates your feelings, inspires you, and offers a different perspective on situations that may bog down your progress. A Goal Sister gently challenges you and holds you accountable for creating the very best life you can imagine. And she trusts that you can do it, in spite of and in conjunction with all the other demands you have on your time.

What kinds of goals do Goal Sisters achieve?

Goal Sisters are all kinds of women who have all kinds of aspirations: Some want to change careers, some want to lose twenty pounds, some want to be closer with their partners, some want to do more of the things they love, some want less stress in their lives, some want more meaning in their lives. Some want to make small changes, some want to maintain achievements, and others want to take giant leaps.

How do Goal Sisters help each other achieve their goals?

Goal Sisters meet to talk about their goals and support each other as they work on their goals. Some Goal Sisters meet monthly, others meet quarterly. Goal Sister meetings often take place over meals and typically last up to an hour. Goal Sisters create personalized action plans that encompass goals in the areas of job/career, physical and emotional health, significant other, family and friends, spirituality, money, personal growth, environment, creativity and play, and volunteer service. Goals Sisters check-in with each other on progress made since their last meeting; share information of interest; and exchange gifts. The meeting ends after Goal Sisters commit in writing to maintain current goals and/or achieving new goals.

What happens in between Goal Sisters meetings?

In between meetings, Goal Sisters maintain contact with each other via instant messaging, email, telephone, or in-person exchanges. If you get stuck working on your goals or if you encounter fears and self-doubts, you can contact your Goal Sister and she can help you manage these issues and problem-solve difficult situations. You can also help each other to find time in your busy schedules for self-care. As your Goal Sister friendship intensifies, you may take overnight adventures away from home. These adventures allow for more time together to have fun, to discuss issues more deeply, and to help each other work through the tough-to-achieve goals.

Isn’t it overwhelming to work on more than one goal at a time?

The reality is that achieving goals in one area of your life often affects other areas of your life. For example, the “get a new job” goal may raise financial issues, which may raise issues related to your significant other relationship. Recognizing the connections in your life, the Goal Sisters process helps you set and achieve different-sized goals simultaneously across multiple life areas. You can make your action plans practical and manageable; and take small steps toward realizing big dreams.

What happens if you don’t meet your goals?

It’s the moment of truth! You and your Goal Sister are getting together for your monthly meeting and she asks, “Did you do what you said you were going to do with your creativity goals?” What if you didn’t work on any of your creativity goals? Will your Goal Sister berate you? No. Will your Goal Sister get up and walk away from your friendship? No. Your Goal Sister will gently ask you what got in the way of achieving those goals. She might also offer suggestions on how to carve out more time for yourself and she might help you problem-solve about ways to keep stronger boundaries between your work life and your home life. Your Goal Sister is invested in your success and is there to nudge you toward meeting your goals.

Are you ready to make changes to your life by adding more fun and focus to a female friendship? If so, make it your goal this week to learn more about being and finding a Goal Sister by checking out Leach and Beaulieu Pillen’s new book and visiting their Web site at www.goalsisters.com. Then, start living la vida Goal Sister!

Based on the book Goal Sisters. Copyright © 2004 by Ann Leach and Michelle Beaulieu Pillen. Reprinted with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com or 800-972-6657 ext. 52.