Setting and achieving goals is always a major part of my work with new clients. Carefully prepared goals are the foundation for a successful year, and avoid that sinking feeling on New Year’s Day of not knowing what the new year will bring.
‘A goal properly set is halfway reached.’ – Abraham Lincoln
Just in case your goals could do with a bit of spicing up you might find some of the following tips valuable. Perhaps the results might even exceed your wildest dreams? How good would that feel?
Any plan is better than no plan, so make space is your crowded life for some reflective thoughts, and so avoid Twain’s observation.
‘I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.’
Once you have decided on your goal, the more different ways you can remind yourself of your goal each day, the more successful you are likely to be. There are many ways to do this. Examples include writing the goal on stickers and fixing them to the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, using the goal as a screensaver on your computer, mobile phone, and alarm clock.
The more places you can think of to display your note, the more likely you are to reach your goal. It directs your unconscious mind, and helps to build a self-fulfilling prophecy. Keep in mind that writing is the doing part of thinking, and is a powerful connection to your unconscious mind.
Follow the process, and the results will take care of themselves
Now you have set your brilliant goals can you sit back and wait for the good things to happen? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? But as you guessed it is not quite as easy as that. Life has a habit of interfering with our goals, and despite your best efforts you may not hit all your targets. Many things are out of your direct control.
One thing that you certainly can control are your processes. Focus on all the small steps that make your goal a means to an end, and the result of doing other things skilfully along the way. Rugby coach Clive Woodward spoke the following words, after England’s unexpected Rugby World Cup victory in 2003.
‘Our success has not been a continual series of victories. We have had a number of devastating setbacks; how these are handled is the making of a great team… winning does not happen in straight lines.’
When you reach your goal, do not be surprised when you look back and realise that the real fun was the journey, and not the destination. Tony Robbins makes a powerful point that is well worth more careful thought.
‘Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfilment.’
Take the commitment vaccination
Another reason why we may not hit our goals is due to a lack of commitment. A classic example is the busy fitness centre in January that is empty in February. One simple way to vaccinate against any possible lack of commitment is to plant your goals into your unconscious mind, so that it can digest them at its leisure. Here is how it works.
- Good intentioned thoughts often remain as good intentioned thoughts.
- Spoken thoughts sometimes get done.
- Written thoughts often lead to unimagined success.
So write a few words in the Comments Box in the online version of this blog, and put the champagne on ice!
I have run out of time, but this is a fascinating story from the BBC for your interest – Totally blind mice get sight back
