Your IndustryMay 25 2016

How to net your goals

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You may even have set resolutions for your business – see more clients, do less admin and concentrate on what you are good at or even explore new markets.

Psychologists are fascinated by the drivers behind our resolution season. They have looked at the reasons people want to make these resolutions, and it is no surprise that recovering from the season of excess is a major reason, as 30 per cent of us want to cut down on alcohol, while a quarter plan to stop smoking.

The problem is that, usually, by the second week in January, our good intentions have failed.

Is this sounding familiar? If you want to change anything in your life, goals are much more powerful. If they are meaningful and relevant to you then they are what makes a difference in your life and helps you achieve real change and progress.

If we always do what we have always done, then change will not happen in our lives and the biggest danger is that we will allow others to shape the direction of our lives.

You may say you do not have the time to set goals, and it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day challenges and lose sight of the bigger picture. However, if you feel you are stuck in a rut, or if you feel you are treading water in life and feel out of control, then it is time for you to start harnessing the power of goals.

Then positive change can happen. Setting clear goals can help you stay focused on what you want to achieve — both in business and in your personal life — and use your time and resources more effectively. It can also reduce stress and provide positive mental wellbeing.

Setting goals gives you direction

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life, your career and business. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.

You will also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you away from your desired course.

More than this, properly set goals can be incredibly motivating, and as you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you will find that your self-confidence builds fast.

Goal-setting techniques are used by top-level athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields. They give you long-term vision and short-term motivation. They focus your acquisition of knowledge and help you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind.

You will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognise your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.

It can give you focus and clarity, and can make you less reactive and more positive and proactive. Goals can literally be the fuel that drives you forward.

Why are goals so important? In 1921 Dr Lewis Terman of Stanford University began a landmark study of more than 1,500 gifted children, all with an IQ of ‘genius’. The objective was to better understand the relationship between human intelligence and achievement.

After studying the children for decades, Terman found that IQ is not the most important ingredient for success.

Three other factors are far more important than pure intelligence:

• self-confidence

• perseverance

• a tendency to set goals

Let us look at the third, and most important, point (even for geniuses), and identify ways for you to start setting effective goals.

Eight ways to set meaningful goals:

Set goals that mean something to you. Too many people set meaningless goals and then wonder why they do not achieve them. If you do not believe in them then they will never be fulfilled. The purpose of goal-setting is to make a positive impact on your life or business. A goal needs to be motivational, and if you can visualise the impact it will make on you, then you have a higher chance of achieving success.

Goals should be achievable but stretching

Goals need to be achievable, but if they are too easy to achieve then where is the challenge? Yes, we all need the motivation that achievement brings, but always try to stretch yourself when you set your goals.

Be specific

Write down your goals and the steps required to achieve them. Use plain English and terminology you are comfortable with.

Make your goals part of your DNA

You need to commit to the goals you have chosen. They should become part of your daily routine.

Share your goals

Your goals should not be a state secret, be proud of your goals – share them with friends, family and colleagues. They can help you achieve them. It is very powerful to hear the words “I can help you”.

Have a plan

You need to prioritise your goals. No matter if your goals are short or long-term objectives, they require commitment and need to be worked on daily. Do not indulge in what is known as self-sabotage by committing to a number of goals at a time. Time is limited so use it wisely. Identify what are the most important goals for you and commit to them and follow the plan you have agreed with yourself.

Make your goals come to life

Use visualisation techniques to ensure you know what success looks like for each of your goals. This can be very powerful as you positively peer into the future showing yourself what life can be like if you achieve your goals.

Have a deadline

A goal without a defined deadline is one that you have not fully committed to and one which, to be frank, will not be achieved. Always have a deadline for your goals.

I am a passionate believer in the power of goals, and these should, and can, be set at any time. We can set our goals every day and every month of our lives, rather than having to wait until the start of the year.

Why not start goal-setting now?

John Joe McGinley is a principal of Glassagh Consulting

Key Points

If you want to change anything in your life, goals are much more powerful than resolutions.

If you feel you are stuck in a rut, then it is time for you to start harnessing the power of goals.

No matter if your goals are short or long-term objectives they require commitment and need to be worked on daily.