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THE FIVE SECRETS OF ACHIEVING GOALS
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Many individuals and organisations set new goals, only to end up being disappointed if they are not achieved. So how do you set and achieve goals effectively? John Harvey shares his thoughts … the five Secrets OF achieving GOALS Setting goals can be difficult. Very difficult. But believing you can attain the goals set is actually the hardest part – especially when the goal you have set has never been attained before. The most effective goals are those that are just out of reach but never out of sight, and yet these sorts of goals usually feel the most daunting. It doesn’t matter in what part of your life you would like to succeed – in business, in your social life, in dealing with a personal habit, or in sport – setting the goal and “knowing” you will get it is the secret. Imagination plays a major role. So does faith in your own ability (often referred to as confidence), and – most importantly – the ability to “live the goal” emotionally. I refer to this process as “internalising the goal.” This is the art of being able to imagine what it “feels like” to have already attained the goal. The euphoria of it, the feeling of accomplishment, the response from those around you, your own self-esteem, the feeling of being a “winner”. Internalising the goal means “living the result” even before you have obtained it….and that’s the hard part. That’s where imagination and reality cross paths. It really is the difference between “winning gold or taking silver”. Our imagination is one of the most powerful tools we have. Used correctly we can achieve just about anything we want. Used negatively, laced with pessimism and doubt, we can find ourselves quickly on a path of destruction. So what are the best “ingredients” for setting goals and achieving them? 1) The ability to clearly see the goal required Goals cannot be wishy-washy, cannot be approximates, and cannot be 'maybes'. 'I want a promotion'... 'I’d like to trim down and weigh around 60kgs'... 'I’d like to save some funds and maybe take a trip to the USA'... 'I’d like to get another job and possibly relocate to somewhere in the north'. These are not goals. These are just statements of hope. 2) Strong self-esteem Sometimes misconstrued as ego, self-esteem is actually essential. You can’t do well if you don’t feel good about yourself and believe in your own abilities. Self-esteem is the catalyst for better results in whatever you do. 3) Discipline The ability to stick to the task, to ride out the ups and downs. The ability to always be able to see the end result – the goal achieved – even when the path there gets a little rough. 4) Positive self-expectancy This is one of the most overlooked requirements for setting and attaining goals. We ALWAYS get what we expect!!! Whether it is the flu in July, food poisoning after eating at a foreign restaurant, a headache every time it rains, or intoxicated after just 2 beers…we get what we expect. If this is the case…then always expect the best. Set goals and EXPECT to achieve them. Regardless of what happens along the way, by having that deep down feeling of positive self-expectancy, your goal will always remain attainable. 5) Motivation Though motivation might sound like an obvious trait to have when striving for goals, it is quite surprising how many goals are set without motivation. The goal has to be your own. That’s where the motivation comes from. Giving up smoking because your grandmother wants you to do it – even though you and your partner both enjoy it – is a goal headed for failure. Motivation actually encompasses all of the four points above. See the goal clearly, feel good about yourself in setting out on the journey to attain it, believe strongly in your ability to do what it takes and in your steadfast resolve to follow through to the end, feel strong in the knowledge you have the discipline to stick with the task at hand, expect exactly what you want from setting the goal right through to achieving it, and always stay in touch with your self motivation…that deep down burning desire to do your very best at whatever task you have set, ensuring that at every chance, you internalise the goal and live the feeling and emotion as if it has already been achieved. By John Harvey © 2003 Email this link to others www.tirian.com/writing/corporate/goals.htm |
by John Harvey…(C) |
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John Harvey knows what it means to achieve goals. Through each step of his life he has been forced to carefully plan – to go beyond surviving so he can really live. John was diagnosed with terminal cancer 15 years ago. Today, at 52, he has just won 2 gold medals, holds several world records and is the fastest man in Australia regardless of age in indoor rowing – beating professional athletes half his age. This month he has been invited to the world titles in the USA. John’s secret to winning? Using cognitive psychology (optimistic self talk) AND learning to set and achieve goals effectively. John has worked with champion athletes at both Olympic and Commonwealth Games standard. For the past 15 years, John has been studying and researching the Psychodynamics of the human mind. He’s been featured on “Beyond 2000”, has been consulted by brain specialists in the USA, and was the keynote speaker at the World Symposium on “Subliminal Psychodynamic Research” in Los Angeles with over twelve hundred doctors and specialists in attendance. John is now successfully helping executives apply these principles to their organisations.
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