Posts Tagged ‘what is goal-setting’
Is it Focus or Tunnel Vision?
To achieve success you must narrow your vision on your plan. The question you should consider, is it focus or tunnel vision?
The former refers to bringing into focus, to adjust the focus of (as the eye or a lens), to concentrate attention or effort on the most urgent problems
Tunnel vision is constriction of the visual field resulting in loss of peripheral vision, like looking down a tunnel, unaware of what is going on around you. The expression “tunnel vision” may also be used as a metaphor for narrow-mindedness or to describe researchers or investigators (such as entrepreneurs) who pursue an investigation with their conclusion already decided and proceed by only accepting evidence that supports their conclusion and excluding any evidence that contradicts their assumptions.
Adjusting the focal length brings what you are viewing into a sharp focus. At the same time it makes everything else fuzzy. The mind is much like the eyes and adjustable lenses. If you go forth like a horse with side blinders on, ignoring your peripheral vision, you may miss danger signs or opportunities.
Sometimes we stare and unconsciously hold our eyes open without blinking. This causes strain and a feeling of dry and tired eyes. Keeping the eyes moving and changing the focus is the way to break this cycle. The mind can be put in a trance when we concentrate at one thing for a long period of time. This can produce a zombie like feeling and hamper production. Use your imagination to explore different ideas. This will keep you alert and you just might discover a gem.
It is necessary to focus on the area you are working in, but be aware of what is going on around you. One can get caught up in his creativity and think it is brilliant until it is compared with the competition. Concentrate on what you are doing, but don’t let it hypnotize you.
Your mind will be sharper if you feed it with a variety of things. Think about your plan, but always consider how you might improve it. You need to rely on your strengths and beef up your weaknesses.
Are you concentrating on your method so intently that it makes everything else blurred? Focus on other methods occasionally and then go back to yours. You might see something that you could adapt into your system to make it work better. Don’t ignore evidence that your plan is flawed. Inspect it closely and determine how to correct it.
Is your advertizing plan the best it can be? Do you track all areas to see which area is best and which is weakest? Have you compared your website with others to see how you measure up? What are they doing that you don’t do? How could you make yours more appealing?
Being an entrepreneur is about using your mind in the right way. It is easy to get to thinking the wrong way and make wrong decisions. Look at it from several perspectives to analyze it correctly. There must be a balance between performing your routine and doing research into the best methods. Spend time reading, but don’t be overwhelmed with an overload of information. There are many good articles and other sources available. Pick some of the best and learn from them.
Concentrate on your work but don’t focus so sharply that it becomes tunnel vision. Spend time relaxing with family and friends. Sometimes you get so close to your work that your mind becomes frozen. Taking a break will help you reset it, so that the course of action becomes clear.
This article may be published if the resource box is left intact. It would be appreciated if you notify me when you do at lynn_b2@yahoo.com.
Lynn Bradley is also the author of the book, “Climbing the Heavenly Stairs.” You were created for success. Discover what Jesus said about doing seemingly impossible things. Learn how to live life to the full. Read more by clicking on the following link. http://www.thelynnbradleybook.com
The Great American Dream Challenge
Pull Quote: “the secret to living a “dream come true” life is to believe in your dream simply because it matters to you.”
Making Your Dreams Come True
Years ago, people came to America in pursuit of their dreams-work hard, stay focused and you can achieve the American Dream. For many who have attained the basic American Dream?basic freedom, own a home, own a car, have a family, finding a dream that takes us to the next level of achievement can become a fragmented experience. We want this. We want that. We want everything. And ever since September 11th, we want to feel safer and more connected to family, friends and community.
There’s never been a more important time to set forth to achieve your dreams. Without dreams and vision, companies and countries fail, and without our personal dreams, hopes and aspirations, life can become meaningless. For this reason, I propose “The Great Dream Challenge” and I encourage you to take advantage of this support system to achieve your dreams.
The Challenge
If we define a dream as something that you want, that has heart and meaning for you and that you believe in, than what are your dreams? Even if you tend to be overly realistic, you still have dreams or things that you want for yourself and others.
Whether you have a dream or are in need of a new one, whether your dream is for yourself, your community or the world, this is your chance to act, to get help in making it happen and to support others in doing the same. The Challenge here is simple, yet powerful. Pick a dream, at least one, small or large, personal or professional that matters to you and make the commitment to achieve it (or a portion of it) by a certain date.
Here’s how The Dream Challenge works:
- Identify a dream that you are passionate about-something that matters to you.
- Put it in writing, tell others about it who will support you and is committed to helping you overcome obstacles and achieve results.
- Join an organization or online community that will help you get closer to your dreams through volunteering, helping you to build skills, or providing support.
- Learn to make specific requests that will help you achieve your dreams and then share those resources with others.
- Create a broad “Dream Circle” for support and accountability.
- Take serious action.
Many of us think, “I’ll believe in my dream when I see that it’s a sure thing or at least when there’s proof that it’s likely to happen.” But the secret to living a “dream come true” life is to believe in your dream simply because it matters to you. In other words, looking for certainty out in the world is not the place to begin. The place to look is in your own heart. Choose to believe in your dream. Then take action to demonstrate ? to yourself and others ? you really do believe.
My Dream Circle
During tough times or those days when there is no evidence that your dream is possible, much less a good idea, it’s essential to have a place to turn for encouragement. It is important to have a support group around you who are also working to achieve their dreams. When we see dreams can come true, we are willing to dream bigger dreams. That is why I encourage you to create a Dream Circle of friends and accountability partners who are committed to be there to spur you on.
The reality is we all have good and bad days. Personally, there are days that I get distracted and forget my dreams. And then there are the days when the doubters and dream killers ? internally and externally ? become so overwhelming I want to give up. That’s when I turn to My Dream Circle who help me remember and reclaim my belief in myself and in my dreams.
This support system has assisted me through many hard times and the great thing is that it is reciprocal. I can to do the same for them daily. My Dream Circle provides support through ongoing encouragement, coaching, inspiration and, most importantly, accountability for taking risks. We are finding new dreams, partners, investors, volunteers, answers, creative ideas, mentors, friends and fellow dreamers. But beyond networking, educating, challenging and celebrating, we are a community with a shared commitment that is profoundly impacting our lives.
Your Invitation to Dream
If we bring our intentions, offer support and resources to aid each other, what could happen? During a time when many have lost hope, are afraid of dreaming or taking risks, this is the essential time for us to be bold. What would you do if you believed in yourself? What might you change if you believed in your dreams? And how would you alter your life if you knew people would stand by and help you to achieve your heart’s desire?
Dreams are precious and essential and can change your family, community and the world. Your dreams can make you a better and more passionate human being. If no dream is too big or too small, the real question becomes, simply: What matters to you and what are you willing to do about it?
The Great Dream Challenge is to believe in yourself, create a Dream Circle of support, take action and risk and to encourage others to achieve their dreams along the way. I challenge you to do what you need to do now to achieve your dreams and make them happen. The only thing you have to lose by not doing taking the challenge is your dream.
Marcia Wieder, America’s Dream Coach, is a best-selling author and speaker known for giving inspiring and moving talks to AT&T, The Gap and American Express. She appeared several times on Oprah and The Today Show. She’s also writes for The San Francisco Chronicle. To receive Marcia’s free e-book filled with simple steps you can take to act on any dream. Send a request to: info@dreamcoach.com. To experience a Powerful Weekend Designed to Help You Exceed Your Expectations & Achieve Your Dreams, visit http://www.dreamcoach.com
Increase Your Knowledge: Read-and-Reap
Did you know that you see with your mind as well as your eyes? The mind stores memories and highlights of past experiences as well as color intensity, hue and a variety of other details. How you see (your eyesight) and how the brain makes sense of what you see is at the heart of a total visual experience.
On Being Eye-Minded?
Human beings are eye-minded. This means that in our waking lives we are likely to think, imagine and remember in terms of what we see. Just think about that! Scientists report that being able to read as well as reading on a regular basis:
- Promotes brain cell production.
How to Develop a Reading Habit
When you form a regular reading habit, you reap untold benefits. Unfortunately, most of us just don’t seem to get around to it. So what’s a professional to do in this era of information overload?
Here are a few tips to jumpstart your reading routine and develop an “oh-so-necessary” reading habit:
Since vision is our dominant sense, it is probably the most compelling way we communicate with others. As we read, we bring images into play in our minds and the minds of others; we speak a visual language of wisdom and insight.
Often our greatest successes come when we look at pictures of information, apply wisdom and insight gained from these visual experiences, and see the results in our mind’s eye. So?GO AHEAD! FORM A Read-and-Reap HABIT TODAY.
Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/
A Proper Mission Statement Can Drive Your Life Forward
Most people measure us by our accomplishments — what we’ve done. In my experience, most people compile their track record of accomplishments BY MISTAKE; that is, we don’t have a plan, we simply react to opportunities as they arise. In other words, our accomplishments are externally motivated, not internally driven. What this argues for, of course, is a consciousness of mission — what each of our lives is really about. That’s what this short article will discuss — your Personal Mission Statement. A Personal Mission Statement will help you to organize your entire life — your time, your thoughts, your priorities. Actually, a personal mission statement, conscientiously developed, will change the way you view everything in your life.
Your personal mission statement will force you to constantly re-evaluate who you are, what you’re about, and what you’re doing. As an example, just look at the Constitution of the United States. The essential mission statement there is “…to create a more perfect union.” Where would we be as a nation today if they had not outlined the goals and hopes of a new nation in those terms?
The basics of a mission statement are as follows:
1. Make it short and to the point. Nelson Mandela’s mission statement, developed over his 27 years in prison in South Africa, says just this: “End Apartheid.” Another great mission statement was developed by Abraham Lincoln upon his inauguration as President. “Preserve the Union.” Note that mission statements can change. Perhaps a mission is accomplished. Franklin Roosevelt started his presidency with a mission to “End the Depression.” By the time that was almost done another threat had arisen and the United States had become involved in World War II. Now the mission statement was “End the War.”
2. Keep your mission statement short, to the point, simple. Use direct language. Be sure that a 12-year-old could understand the statement and you’ll be more or less on track.
3. Make it memorable so it can be burned into your consciousness. The rule of thumb here is that if you can’t recite it from memory, it’s too long and too complicated. Remedy: simplify, condense, “laser” your thought process until you’ve said everything you need to say in the fewest and strongest possible words.
4. Eliminate excuses. Before you can write an effective mission statement you must clear away the excuses that prevent most people from writing one in the first place. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your job IS your mission. It’s only part of it…or not. Either way, remember that a mission is larger than a job. Your job may change, but your mission may not. In fact, there are times that a job MUST change in order that a mission be completed. So don’t lock yourself in a box that says that you ARE your work. You’re far more than that. Another trap…excuse…is “My role is my mission.” If you’re a man you may think of your role as “breadwinner.”
For a woman this might be “wife” or “mother.” The operating principle here is that your role, too, may change. In fact, as your life, evolves your role will almost certainly change. The third excuse — the one most of us don’t want to cop to — is that we may believe that we’re just not important enough to have a mission statement. Sure, it’s fine for a big company to have one, or for a country to have one, but I’m just one of the “little people,” so I don’t DESERVE one. Parenthetically, we almost never say this aloud. What we do say, at least to ourselves, is that we don’t NEED one. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!! Get rid of all that silly thinking. Focus. You’ll be glad you did.
Finally, clear out influences that have driven you in the past. A mission statement isn’t about what you think you should be doing. It’s about what EXCITES you. So instead of listening to all those voices from the past…the ones that told you you weren’t worth anything, that you’d never succeed, and so forth. Concentrate on your gifts, your dreams.
Copyright 2002, 2005 Optimum Performance Associates/Paul McNeese.
Paul McNeese is CEO of Optimum Performance Associates, a consulting firm specializing in transitional and transformational change for individuals and institutions through publication. His publishing company, OPA Publishing, is an advocacy for self-publishing authors of informational, instructional, inspirational and insightful nonfiction.
Email: pmcneese@opapublishing.com
Websites: http://www.opapublishing.com and http://www.opapresents.com
Goal Setting and Goal Getting: Here Are Some Quotes that Can Change Your Life
Here are several quotes about setting and achieving goals. My comments follow.
The weakest ink is better than the strongest memory. – John Rickenbacker
Do you want to dramatically increase the likelihood of you meeting your goals for the new year? One of the simplest yet most powerful actions you can take is to write down your goals. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of everyday life that it then becomes all too easy to forget about your goals. I think the saying is “when you are up to your rear-end in alligators, it’s easy to forget your original intention was to drain the swamp.”
Put your goals down on paper. Keep them where you will see them everyday. Doing this will prevent you from saying around this time next year, “oh yeah, I remember those………”
Goals are dreams with deadlines – Diana Scharf Hunt
Set “achievement dates” for your goals. Otherwise, we get caught in the trap of “someday.” As in, someday I’ll do that.
Check out your calendar. You will find:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
What you will not find is:
someday.
So not only does someday never come, it doesn’t even exist.
Make your goals public – Dr. Philip Humbert
Go public with your goals. Share them with family and friends. It increases the likelihood of you reaching your goals in at least two ways:
1) those close to you can hold you accountable
2) those close to you can encourage you and cheer you on.
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. – Thomas Edison, Inventor
In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance. H. Jackson Brown – A Father’s Book of Wisdom
In any endeavor worth doing, you will encounter difficulties and slips. Never, never give up and quit. Don’t die of thirst just a few feet from the water. You never know how close you may be to reaching your goal.
Each and every time you fall short, you have just learned something very powerful: you now know at least one more way that does not work. Discard it and keep going.
It really can be as simple, and as difficult, as the following Japanese proverb that says
“Fall seven times, get up eight.”
Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
Six Keys To Build Vision – Point Two
2. Recognize the source and purpose of vision
· It’s purpose is to be shared with all those around us
Living life based purely on our own personal needs is really living life at the most primitive level. It makes no allowance for the wonder of investing into our fellow humans beings and the generations yet to come. The inheritance we leave behind is the materials that another generation will build upon. One of the reasons I love writing, is it is my personal investment to those who find my life helpful to theirs. The thought that someone one hundred years from now may glimpse my life and evaluate my thoughts, both excites me and empowers me to write more. A selfless life is committed to investing beyond our own needs and into the needs of another.
· Not wishful thinking or a good idea it is “supernatural”
If everyone planned their life as a result of their vision for it, we would call that common sense or just the natural process of living. The truth is, not everyone lives their life according to the ultimate purpose for which life is lived. Most people live life from one circumstance to another and plan in the midst of this process.
Living life with purpose and intent, or according to our destiny is supernatural. It goes beyond the natural approach to living, by taking responsibility for the decisions we are to make ahead of time. At this level of living we move beyond the norm and venture into the supernatural. Wishful thinking is really living life in a knee jerk fashion. Vision is all about purposeful living. Fashioning our daily lives according to the blue print, which we have seen ahead of time. Visionaries do not live their life by “chance”, they live their life out of purposeful action.
· Vision is not contrary to our creators will
Regardless of our spiritual persuasion, we need to accept that we are designed for greatness. Heaven and earth conspire to create a quality of life, which goes beyond temporal living. Living life at its poorest form is ignorance and at its greatest level, enlightenment. Life lived at a quality of total awareness, is a life lived with extreme potential. Vision is available to every person on earth. Poverty of imagination is poverty at it’s worst. As our mind begins to dream of potential, our will begins to change towards the probabilities of what can be.
As we each take up our personal responsibility to dream on a level beyond the natural, we enter in to a dimension of creativity. Creativity is the gift that we were all born with, but circumstances conspire to rob us of the initiative to birth the seed of creativity. The will of our creator is to empower each one of us with the same creative capacity.
· Not based on abilities and talents, though we may use them positively or negatively
Poverty of spirit is the main reason why many of us live it what could have been, rather than what can be. When we excuse our lack of achievement on our lack of provision, we exclude ourselves from the power of creativity. One only needs to travel into less affluent Nations to recognize the creative genius that appears as a result of need. Resources may well be in poor supply, but invention and creativity is never an orphan.
Starting where we are at is a fundamental philosophy to success. If we are waiting for all we need before we start we will never start. The hidden inertia that compels vision forward is initiative. Resources and provision are drawn to those who live by vision, and the momentum that gathers as a result of initiative is fair reward to those bold enough to act upon it.
Tony Mckeown is a personal life coach and director of coaching 4 life New Zealand. He has a passion for empowering people to find their life mission and purpose.
He has authored training manuals, motivational rticles,numerous e-books and regularly hosts international tele-classes and conferences on vision. His practical approach to spirituality and leadership development are key qualities organisations seek him to impart. His clients are world-wide and can be contacted online.
His free monthly newsletter “get a life”,is by subscription and provides free motivational downloads from his coaching site: http://www.coaching4life.net.nz
Manifesting Your Dreams and Desires
What are your dreams?
Are you in a place in your life where part of it feels limited or exhausting? If so, it is the time for you to begin manifesting your dreams and desires. First of all you must remember that Miracles do happen and that it is time to reach for the top. Not to order from the bottom of the list, but to ask for what it is that you really desire. Go for the top. Go for the limitlessness. Show your fellow beings that through the process of releasing limited thoughts your cup is filled with the opportunities that the universe wants to bring to you. By daring to do this, you are teaching what you know. You have taken the courage to release. Now you must take the even greater courage to command and receive what you wish. You must stay in touch with the fact that you are in actuality manifesting every moment of the day what you desire.
Stretch your vision of yourself!
If you desire the bottom of the list, you are manifesting that as well. If you are looking for the top, you will bring that in. You will receive what you ask for.
You are in the process of manifesting your dreams through visualization.
It would be as if, you decided to go shopping at the clothing store. First you would pick the clothing store that is aligned with your style, not what is aligned with your budget, but with your style.
You see, what you need to do here is stretch your perception of self. The way you see yourself and the way others see you are two different things. When your Higher Self is in action, you don’t focus on a limited thought pattern. Open up to the highest and ask for support. When you are wondering if something is the highest for you, put out into the Universe and ask: Is this really the highest for me? You may do this in mediation or quiet moments.
You will be surprised at how little you are asking
You are asking very small. You need to expand.
All is available to you, but you’ve got to ask. This is sometimes a difficult process, but it is the most important piece that you can do, because without asking, you do not expand into the next level. Focus on places in your life where you know it is time to grow; as you are tired of the place you are in. Take the time to write them down and explore what your reality is and what your dreams are.
You can now go and just ask for the highest, and the highest good will come to you when you let go of the form it will take and any attachment to the outcome. It is important to practice expanding your visions.
If you write your dreams down on paper and think, “I couldn’t achieve that,” at least you have put it down so that there is something to work with.
Look at the issues of conflict and resistance here. If it feels like a piece of your dream isn’t coming to you, it’s because you’re not allowing for it to be received.
Allow yourself to receive the abundance of the Universe. Allow yourself to receive the energy of Love, true unconditional love without fear. Allow yourself to receive the energy and the true love and healing of who you are.
The Universe is bringing you all that you need now. All you need to do is ask. Much like you go to the restaurant and order from a menu, just order what you wish, and it will be brought to you. But just as you are ordering from a restaurant, order what is delightful and peaceful to the palate, not what is the essence of the budget. If you order bread and water, this is what be brought to you, so order from the highest categories, and you receive that.
The more you laugh, the lighter you dance.
Over and over in your life, you will see small ways in which this is performed and brought to you, and you will laugh. You will laugh at the signs; you will laugh with great humor at the ways these things fall into place.
Laughter, as you know, makes the heart so light.
Asking and Receiving Exercise.
Without asking, you do not expand into the next level of your consciousness. Most of us ask far too little of the Universe. Dare to acknowledge your deepest dreams and desires and dare to ask. Dare to ask big, and then open yourself to receiving. Expect miracles and stay open to receiving all the Universe has to offer.
1. Explore places in your life where you have not yet dared to ask for your dreams.
2. Affirm to the Universe, either through visualization, meditation, or in writing that you are formally asking for and are open to receiving whatever it is that you most desire.
3. Keep track of what you received and when.
About The Author
Shirley Knapp, Stowe, VT USA http://www.northwindsprod.com
Shirley Knapp is an internationally recognized spiritual teacher, and author of “Sustaining Joy” who leads groups in personal growth. She has been in a holistic private practice, teaching and embracing individuals and groups since 1986. Shirley’s goal is to empower us to move beyond personal barriers and limitations to lead a more empowered and joyful life. Browse our web site www.northwindsprod.com for other products with this focus in mind.
Motivation and Goal Settings ?The to Do List
What is it that you need to do in order to be successful in your endeavor?
One way to find out is to write a daily “To do list”. This “To do list” will supplement your goal settings. It will simplify yours steps towards achieving your long term goal(s).
You can write your “To do list” while having breakfast or perhaps before going to bed the night before. TIP: Writing a list before you go to bed not only will appease your mind for a good night sleep but will also start your day with a purpose (this is the motivation part!)
Example: The goal I will be working on for the next 3 weeks (it is said that it takes that long to change a habit, good or bad!), will be to regularly organize my home office (always a problem!).
This is the list I would write the night before (keeping in mind my main goal)
The more specific your daily list the greater you will achieve. Make it achievable not unreachable, thus the daily “To do list”, to break down your goal into smaller steps. Keep it Simple yet Meaningful till you reach your goal.
Always prioritize.
To finalized my “To do list”, I like to enumerate the task in priorities or by rationality. If I am going out I might as well do everything on my list that requires driving. And you guessed, the priority in this case, would be to archive my filing cabinet (this in any case would have to be done in order for this “To do list” to be successful). And if by the end of the day, you did not cross out everything on your list, don’t beat yourself up! You might have wanted to do too many things in one day – Be flexible, adjust accordingly. Write it down for the following day until it’s crossed out.
This useful technique will motivate you to stay focused on your goal. You will also feel like you have achieved a part of your goal, you will be thrilled and proud. Trust me.
Want more? Do you need a little motivation? Inspiration? A motivational quote will not only boost your energy but can also help you stay focused on your goals. Motivational quotes also have the power to rewrite negative thoughts. Motivational quote, tips, articles, recommendations, newsletter and more!
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Goals – If You Don?t Know What You Want, Then How Are You Going to Get It?
Recently, I spoke with a client who wanted me to do a workshop at an upcoming conference. I offer a number of different talks, so I asked her what the focus of the meeting was in order to be able to suggest a relevant topic. She said that although the committee members had already picked several programs, they had not yet identified a focus for the conference. My first thought in response to this was, “If you don’t know what you want, then how are you going to get it?” However, I am savvy enough not to insult people, so we spoke a little longer and we came up with a program that she wanted me to present.
It never ceases to amaze me that people do not identify outcomes they wish to achieve. While the above example is related to a conference, it is by no means limited to that area. Many people engage in activities in their careers and businesses, but they haven’t defined what they want to attain. They are completing tasks, but they aren’t focused on accomplishing clear-cut results.
When I was a human resources executive, I often worked with people to determine the appropriate jobs that were needed in their groups. Many department heads would complete job descriptions for key jobs, which described all of the tasks that the employees would be required to do. It took a great deal of effort for me to get these individuals to realize that employees in key positions are not paid to perform tasks, they are paid to produce results. Through much coaching on my part, we were able to identify the outcomes that the individuals were expected to achieve in the various positions.
Why is it so critical to determine outcomes for a job, a meeting, a department, or any other situation? Because if you don’t know what your outcome is, the odds are that you will spend a lot of unnecessary time and money trying to reach a fuzzy target. And there is a very strong chance that the target will not even be reached. Outcomes let you know where you are going. They give you important information about how to use your resources ? time, money, and employees. When you know your outcome, you can continually make important decisions ? is this going to help me reach my goal or will this take me further away from my objective?
Clearly defined outcomes can also be very motivating. I worked with a coaching client who had an idea about a new business that she wanted to start. When she first got the idea, she was very excited about it, however, she never took action to get the business moving. She continually came up with excuses about why she wasn’t doing anything to make the business a reality. I finally got her to sit down and write a detailed description of what the outcome was that she wanted to achieve with the business. That was the missing key. As soon as she wrote down the detailed outcome, she began to do the things that were necessary to get the business started. For her, defining the outcome spurred the action that is required in any business. Five years later, she has a very successful business that she absolutely loves.
Some people have a great deal of difficulty in trying to determine outcomes. It is because they are looking into a future that isn’t certain and they can’t identify what it is they want. An easy way to get around this is to imagine that the outcome has already been achieved and then to describe what it looks like. Going back to the situation with the meeting planner, the question that I asked her was, “Let’s assume it is six months after the conference and you know that it was a huge success. What would have happened to let you know that it was successful?” People are much more able to describe the past then they are to identify an unknown future. By asking the question this way, I was able to find out that according to the planner, the criterion for a successful meeting was that the attendees would have the tools they needed to be able to more easily and effectively handle the many changes that were going on in their industry. When I discovered this outcome, I was able to suggest a program that would help the organization achieve this desired result.
Before you take action (small or large), you need to identify what your outcome is ? what do you want to achieve? When you do that, you will cut down your time, streamline your efforts, accelerate your progress, and reach your desired goal. When you know where you are going, there is a good chance that you will end up getting there.
Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who helps organizations achieve greater success by improving the performance of their people. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers ezine – send blank e-mail to subscribe@dellamenechella.com.
7 Effective Ways To Set Your Goals In Motion Today
1. Stop seeking approval from people.
You don’t need anyone’s permission to fulfill your dream. Trust yourself and give yourself permission to succeed. Having support from people whose opinion you value is a wonderful thing but it should not be the criterion for whether you begin acting on fulfilling your goals or not
If you really desire to turn your idea into reality, constantly floating it around and seeking the approval of people will waste your time and kill your dream. What will happen to your idea if you don’t get the approval of those whose permission you so desperately need? Nothing!
2. Don’t wait for perfection.
Waiting for a time when everything is perfect and in place will cause you to lose your enthusiasm and abandon your goal. Conditions may never be as perfect as you desire. You may never have all the money, time, or knowledge you desire to begin working on your goals.
You must take risks, learn and improve as you go along and then watch as everything begins to fall in place. If you have to wait for the perfect time to begin working on your goals?you will be waiting a long time!
3. Create time for the goal.
Many people have dreams, ideas or goals, which remain unfulfilled because they are too busy doing everything else but work on the goal! If you have a goal to accomplish, you must be ready to invest your time, and resources to ensure that it succeeds.
Making excuses about lacking the time to work on goals that are important to you is a procrastination tactic, which will kill your dream before it has a chance to see the light of day. There is always time to work on what we love and consider important. Create that time and see your dreams begin to unfold!
4. Decide once and for all!
The process of goal accomplishment, like most things in life begins with a decision. You decide what you want to achieve and then you plan how you intend to achieve it.
If accomplishing your goal is important to you, your inability to make crucial decisions about what you should do, how you should do it and when you should do it, will waste your time and choke your dream. Make up your mind and stop second-guessing yourself. When your mind is made up?nothing can stop you from making progress with fulfilling your goals.
5. Be bold and take the initiative.
Be bold! You are the one in charge of turning your dreams to reality. You need to be proactive and actively involved in the process of working on your goals to ensure you achieve them.
Just because you have shared your ideas with others does not necessarily mean that you are no longer responsible for turning them to reality. Don’t sit around waiting for others to make suggestions and guide your idea to reality. Don’t leave your dream entirely in the hands of others. Nobody cares about your dream like you do.
6. Invest in your dream.
No idea is self-funding. Don’t be deceived into thinking that people will invest or finance your idea just because it is brilliant. If you are lucky, someone may invest in it, but if you are not, you will have to invest your time, energy and finances towards activities that will fortify and fulfill your dream.
You may have to invest in the acquisition of knowledge or expertise that will help you achieve your goals. It would be a good idea to keep some money stashed away to finance your goal.
7. Do one thing at a time.
Commit yourself only to projects and activities which are connected to your main goal. Whatever you do should directly or indirectly add up to a move toward your main goal. Failure to do this will confuse, overwhelm, sidetrack, and drain your energy.
To get started on achieving your goals, you need to plan for it and make it a priority. If you keep crowding and cluttering your life with what does not matter, you many never, ever accomplish your goals.
Remember that you can’t do all things, but you can do one thing!
About The Author
Caroline Jalango is a life coach for unstoppable women who are willing to step up to the plate and take a shot at living exceptional lives wherever they are. www.motivationzone.com
