8 hints and tips on setting and achieving goals
Did you know that only 3% of adults have clear written goals? Perhaps more pertinent is that those people who set goals accomplish between five and ten times as much as people of equal or better education and ability!
Let’s start to address the challenge of goal setting straight away then!
1. Decide EXACTLY what you want. As Stephen Covey said about business executives “without paying attention to both personal and corporate values, they may climb the ladder of success only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall.”
2. Write it down - this makes it tangible. Unwritten goals can simply lead to confusion, misdirection and it simply slipping into obscurity. Write it down in the present tense as if they have been achieved - this makes the goals more effective. So "I have 10 retained clients who give me regular monthly work."
3. Set a deadline date on your goal – without this there is no beginning or end and therefore no urgency.
4. Make a list of all the things you need to do to achieve that goal – this gives you the clear course of action to follow.
5. Organise that list into a plan, by priority and sequence - this clarifies the order in which things need to be done.
6. Take immediate action on your plan – don’t go for perfect, go for good enough. An average plan vigorously executed is much better than a brilliant plan never carried out.
7. Resolve to do something every single day, this pushes you forward and keeps you moving. DON’T STOP.
And finally...
8. Share your action plan and goal with someone who is not only on your side but will challenge any lack of progress. Many years ago a young mentee asked me to be brutally honest about whether or not she could improve as her supportive parents told her everything that she did was wonderful. She realised this was not actually helpful!
I hope this helps ( *)>