"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal" -- Hannah More
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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal" -- Hannah More |
         
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Alive & Well ArchivesApril 2004**************************************************** TODAY'S QUOTE: “Before
you begin a thing remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible
for you to foresee are ahead….You can only see one thing clearly, and that is
your goal. Form a mental vision of
that and cling to it through thick and thin.”
-Kathleen Norris **************************************************** TODAY'S TOPIC: Reach Your Outcomes Have
you set any goals lately? If not,
what’s driving your life? The
best way to have what you want in life is to set outcomes for your personal and
professional life, so let’s discuss how to do that. There
are keys to an achievable outcome. First,
the outcome must be a specific result rather than a state of being.
For example, some people may set a goal to become happy or peaceful.
A state of being, such as happiness or peace, is not a well-formed goal.
These are states of being, and you can feel them anytime you choose to
feel them. For example, stop right
now, close your eyes and think of a time when you felt total happiness.
See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel what you felt when you
were totally happy. Now go ahead
and intensify the feelings. Then
open your eyes. If
you’re like most people, you will feel happy now or at least happier.
So you see, you have access to happiness, peace or any other feeling
whenever you choose. These aren’t
true goals or outcomes that you set for the future.
You can have them now. Achieving
your goals might bring more happiness or peace, but those emotions or states
should not be the specific goal. Rather
than set states of being as your outcomes, you want to make your goals
S.M.A.R.T., which is an acronym for achievable outcomes.
The “S” stands for “specific.”
If you set ambiguous goals, you’ll get ambiguous results.
Make your goals specific. For
example, I often have clients come to me and say they want to earn more money.
More money could mean $10 more. It
could mean $1,000,000 more. You
must be very specific in what you want. That
way, you know specifically what you’re striving for, and you’ll know when
you get there. If your goal is
“more money,” how will you know when you’ve successfully achieved your
goal? Make your goals specific.
The “S” in S.M.A.R.T also stands for “simple.”
Keep your outcomes simple. When
they become too complex, we often don’t know where to start, and we can’t
clearly identify action steps to take. So
keep your goals simple. The
“M” in S.M.A.R.T. stands for “measurable.”
Achievable outcomes
don’t go on forever. You must be
able to measure and know when you’ve achieved them.
What will you see, hear, feel, etc. when you have them?
For example, if you want to lose weight, set a specific target so you
will know when you’ve achieved it. You
can specifically measure your progress and know when you’ve reached your goal.
“M” also stands for “meaningful to you.”
The outcomes you set need to be meaningful to you. Many people want to
earn more money or lose weight because they *should.
* But these goals
aren’t meaningful to them, so
they often don’t achieve them. Make
sure your goals are meaningful, important and compelling for you.
The
“A” stands for “as if.” Act
as if you have already achieved your goals.
For example, if your outcome is to weigh 120 pounds, your written goal
should say, “I now weight 120 pounds.”
“A” also stands for “achievable.”
A well-formulated goal makes you stretch.
You may even feel nervous about it.
But even though it’s a stretch, it must still be achievable.
For example, it would not make sense to have a goal to lose 20 pounds by
next week. Instead, it may be
achievable to lose 2 or 3 by next week. It
may be difficult, but it can be done. The
“R” in S.M.A.R.T stands for “realistic.”
If you really want to achieve your outcome, it must be realistic.
Of course, you want your outcomes to be compelling too.
“R” also stands for “responsible.”
When you achieve your outcome, will it fit with the rest of your life --
with your career, your relationships and your health?
Will it fit with and benefit society?
How about the planet? Is it
good for the planet? “T”
stands for “timed.” You don’t
want your goals to go on forever. They
must have a definitive start and/or end date.
This gives you a specific date to aim for and directs your efforts.
Otherwise, it’s too easy to put off your goals.
Having
S.M.A.R.T goals is critically important in achieving the outcomes you want.
This is true whether it’s a large, difficult outcome or a small, easier
goal. It’s also important to have
choices in achieving your outcomes. If
there is only one way to achieve your outcome, it’s much harder to achieve it.
If you give yourself many options and choices, you significantly increase
your chance of success. You
also want to identify the last step. How
will you know when you’ve achieved your outcome?
What’s the last thing that has to happen?
What’s the last step? For
example, if your goal is to hit a target weight, the last step may be seeing the
scale with that number. Or maybe
it’s zipping up the pants you want to fit.
No matter what the goal is, you need to identify a last step.
As
a coach, I work with many people on achieving their personal and professional
goals and outcomes. We always start
with making sure they’re S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Once their specific goals are set, I have my clients visualize their
outcomes as if they’ve already happened.
Visualization helps you to achieve the outcomes, because when you
visualize, you consciously and unconsciously know what you’re shooting for.
This will help make your goals happen. So be sure you include
visualizations in the process. How
about it? Are you ready to achieve
your goals? Ready to have what you
want in life? Use the keys listed
above to make it happen. If you’re really serious about your goals, enroll in
my Success Group or get one-on-one coaching.
I’d be happy to work with you and assist you in achieving all that you
desire and deserve. ***************************************************** Coaching Challenge ***************************************************** If
you have already set goals or outcomes, check them to make sure they are
S.M.A.R.T. Be sure to include
visualization, and be sure to post your goals where you can see them daily.
If you haven’t set goals, make sure you set them, so you’ll have
direction and an opportunity to actually achieve them.
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