Sunday, June 8, 2008

Success Secret – Properly Setting Goals to Achieve Ultimate Results




Goal setting is something that is often talked about as very important, but most people don’t know how to effectively set goals or get the results that goals can provide. Setting goals properly is one of the best kept secrets to achieving ultimate results.

The first mistake is that many of us think that we have our goals clearly defined in our head. The problem with this is that if you believe this, then you are probably misleading yourself. In fact, in classes that I have taught, when asked to write out goals on paper, most people (who say that they have goals) are completely stumped.

It’s easy to believe that you have something clear in your mind, but if you can’t write it out in 1 or 2 sentences, then you need to get more precise about exactly what you want to achieve.
Here’s a comparison that I once heard:

Goals are like buying a plane ticket. If you walk up to the ticket window and ask for a plane ticket, the person at the window will ask, “Where would you like to go?”

If your answer sounds something like, “Just somewhere nice and sunny. Maybe a place with some mountains or an ocean where my family and I can relax.” Then you are in trouble.

The person at the window will have NO IDEA where you’d like to go- and neither do you. You’d never plan a trip without knowing exactly where you’d like to end up- so why wouldn’t you plan your goals the same way?

So, in goal setting, it’s of primary importance to be clear about your intentions, and exactly what type of result you want to achieve. Here is a goal setting checklist of things that will help you achieve ultimate results:

1- The goal must be tangible, countable, or measurable. If you can’t count it, weigh it, or measure it in specific numbers or time, then it’s not tangible enough.

2- Your goal must be believable. If you don’t believe that you could ever achieve your ultimate result, then start with something smaller.

3- You need a time table. Deadlines get results, so if you don’t have a completion date defined, it will undermine your efforts by allowing you to procrastinate.

4- Write your goal down on paper. If you don’t have written goals for your life or business, then you are wasting your time. To reach your ultimate result, your goals must be written.

There are dozens of books, tapes, and seminars all about goal setting, but if you follow these 4 simple rules, you’ll be miles ahead of the pack. Remember, the secret to getting ultimate results is properly setting and following through on goals.

If you'd like more information on how to follow through on the goals that you've set, you may want to look at: The Producer Power Hour for a system that will help you succeed.

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