Latest research has pointed out that more than 50 % of the people end up setting Goals before the beginning of the year but only 8-10 % diligently work towards it and a minuscule percentage actually get there.
Now for someone like me who is always looking at this kind of information, the first thing which did come to my notice is that – what is being done differently by those who get to their goals? Well actually nothing different! They work on their core habits which eventually make them get to their goals with consistency and regularity.
If you are someone who is working on your big goals, be it personal or professional then there is no sense in reinventing the wheel. However, you can hit the ground running by giving a close look at your habits and align it to the ones which I have mentioned below. These have worked for so many of my own clients over the last couple of years.
Be Very Specific On Your Goals:
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” These words from Alice in Wonderland between Alice and Cheshire Cat are so true when it comes to working on our own goals. This is one of the reasons why I always ensure that my clients are clear about their goals when they come to me for any coaching intervention.
The reason is a no-brainer and it has been proved that most of the people get derailed in their respective journey of working on goals which are not specific. The more specific you are with respect to your goals, more is the certainty and energy that goes towards it.
This also reminds me of another favorite time-pass of mine during my growing up days. We used to burn papers using the sun and the magnifying glass by redirecting the Sun’s energy to a very specific point. We were mighty happy when we ended up starting a fire by channelizing the energy of the Sun to one specific point.
The same logic works when we are very specific with our goals. We tend to channelize all our energy and effort into making these goals a reality. The more specific you are with respect to your goals, the better. Let’s take an example of losing weight.
Do read the below mentioned goals loudly.
Goal 1: I want to lose some weight in the next couple of months.
Goal 2: I want to lose 10 Kg weight by December 31st.
Which of the two goals mentioned above did make you feel connected in the gut while reading? There is a mind-body connect in the goals which are specific.
Goal # 2 is very specific – what you do want and by when. It is purpose & time driven. Hence, our energy does flow in the right direction when we focus on goal 2.
Your Goals Need To Be Written Down:
One of the most effective action step to do from this moment onward is to have clear written goals. There is magic when we put our thoughts onto paper and yes, I still belong to the old school when it comes to having clear written goals.
I always carry my own 3 top goals with me all the time and there are times I remove it from my wallet and go through it couple of times a day. Sounds funny – you bet this article from “What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School” will more than convince you to develop this habit from this moment onward.
This was also one of the most common habits I did come across when I interviewed some of the most successful Executives and CEOs for my upcoming book High Performance Alchemy
Most of them did have clear written goals with them all the time. In fact, one of the CEOs had a huge white board right in from of him with all the goals written specifically with the proposed date of completion.
He did have an interesting analogy to this, when I did ask him as to what was the reason behind the goals in front of him on a white board. He did mention that “Satish! I keep seeing the board at least a hundred times during the day and the goals written on the board reinforces my subconscious mind all the time. He also did share that he has a board in his house with respect to his personal goals.
I was not surprised hearing this because this is more of a ritual followed by the most successful people from across the world. You can begin small if you have not already inculcated this habit. Put your short term goals on paper and make it a habit to see it at least 3-4 times a day. You will be surprised how your own internal GPS will lead you in the right direction on a consistent basis.
This New York Times article will give you some amazing insights at the subconscious level.
Begin Small When It Comes To Your Goals:
I am a big believer of starting small and finishing big. When you hit the ground running with big audacious goals in mind, the sheer weight of the goal can more often than not derail you in the journey. We read about so many individuals or even organizations who took on more than they could chew and lost out in no time.
Breaking down the goals into smaller chunks is one of the most effective strategies to become successful and it is no different in going after your own goals. One of the key reasons this works is because you can create your personal milestone as you move forward in your respective journey.
Getting to smaller goals reinforces your own belief system and makes you refocus with more vigor. This is one of the reasons I always make my clients work on smaller Goals, when I walk with them to help each one of them to get to the biggest goals in their lives.
Work On 2-3 Goals At A Time:
Latest research has more than proven that you can’t focus on more than 2-3 things at the same time. This is also applicable to working on Top goals. If you are someone who does have more than 2-3 Goals, then you will be wasting your time going behind all of them at the same time.
With experience over the Years I always work with my clients only with their Top 3 Goals, which is very specific and clearly written down. In fact, my whole website does begin with these statements and the reason behind this is very obvious.
You can get more clarity on chunking your goals by reading this previous blog article of mine.
Schedule Specific Time For Your Goals:
If you are serious about your goals, then you need to ensure that you schedule some specific time during the day, when you are most productive. The time I spend working on my own goals is sacramental and nothing does come in-between me and my goals.
When you are committed in mind and body to work on a schedule by taking consistent steps towards your goals, this is when the magic happens. Also, it is very important to schedule this time during the most productive time of the day when one’s energy and focus is the highest.
I always work on the most important tasks connected directly to my own goals first thing in the morning because from years, the first 60-75 minutes of the day is the time when I am most effective and with 2-3 hours already gone with my morning rituals of either yoga or a run in the park I am brimming with new ideas.
See what works for you and the sooner you get into a schedule, the better you will be in getting to your goals.
This article by Rebekah Epstein about Sticking to a schedule is articulated wonderfully.
Be Accountable:
When you are Accountable to someone or something, then there is a sense of purpose which is developed. Not all of us can work alone. No man or woman is an island is a fact more when it comes to working on your goals.
You need to have someone whom you are going to be accountable to. A mentor or a Professional Coach can do wonders to your confidence and help you keep persevering in times of insurmountable obstacles. This is one of the reasons why people who are extremely successful in their profession or business always work with Mentors/Professional Coaches.
This does give them a sense of purpose and makes them more accountable. You can take some time out and go through my own clients Testimonials and you certainly find most of them mentioning about being accountable, which eventually brings in the much needed change in their respective journey.
This short article by Joseph Grenny, New York Times Best seller and another one by Deborah Mills Let’s bring back Accountability is a great read on the aspect of Accountability.
Focus On Goals That Also Help Others:
When you are working on your most important goals, it is imperative to be self-motivated. What I have noticed over the years is that when someone links their own goals that help others, they tend to develop a spring in their step.
I always do believe that the path to our success should never be walked alone. Make an honest effort to win like-minded people on to your side and ensure you spend some time in developing them also and adding value to their own life.
The law of the universe is certain to empower you with more Zeal and enthusiasm when you begin to consistently work towards your own goals keeping people who walk with you also in the mind.
Believe In Yourself:
You have to believe in yourself and your abilities even before anyone begins to do this. This, according to me is the core when it comes to getting to your biggest goals. When I say believe – what I do mean is that you have to feel deep down in the gut, that you are absolutely certain that you will get to your goals without an iota of doubt.
You cannot expect others to help you in this journey if you do not ignite the spark deep inside you. It does take some time to nurture this deep-down feeling, however you can use the power of visualization to help you to work on your goals at the subconscious level.
Over the years, I have developed a sharp eye to notice how strong is the belief structure of people who interact with me and I pace myself accordingly when I do work with people.
You can refer one of my previous Blogs here to help you work on your own belief structure.
I am sure that the above mentioned action steps are certain to help each one of you to start motoring towards your goals. However, if you are still clueless and not very clear as to how to go about it, then you will be happy to know that you can also sign up with me for an absolutely
No Obligation Strategy Call
Here we can discuss personally as to what your Goals are and How I can help you to get there. I only have a few slots left for this month. I only work with a limited no. of clients nowadays.
If you are an executive in an organization and are looking at “Employee Transformation” then you will be glad to hear that I do “Strategic Intervention” personally for your core team. By the end of this intervention your team will be able to
1.Work on their Stretched Goals with absolute clarity and focus
2.Double or even triple their productivity, by developing laser-like focus
3.Create an absolutely clear road-map in their own Goal Setting Journey.
You can see how our Strategic Interventions can help your core team to perform at their best by clicking on
High Performance Alchemy
You can also reach out to my team by sending out a mail to the following email id enquiry@satishrao.in
One of my team members will be happy to reach out to you and discuss about these “Strategic Interventions”.
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