Goals Only Work When You Do

Goal setting seems to be a perennially hot topic! Could it be
that you hear and read about it so often because its a subject
that is easy to know about and difficult to practice?

It would be very surprising to find an adult in the work force
who has not heard about goal setting. A Harvard study of their
graduates over thirty years found that there were only a small
percentage (3%) of them who actually wrote down their goals--and
these were the most successful! You can be certain that every
one of those students had repeatedly heard the value of goal
setting. Yet only 3% actually wrote down their goals
consistently. Imagine what you can do if you both write down
your goals and, then, focus on them every day, every week, until
they are accomplished!

What is it the causes the "New Year's Resolution Syndrome"? You
probably know the one. People make resolutions, work hard at
them for a few weeks, maybe even a few months, and then forget
them. Next year, they make the same New Year's Resolutions. That
is the syndrome. It is self-defeating and self-sabotaging. So,
why do so many people do it?

They may be making goals that are too global, too extensive,
too unrealistic for the time frame, body type or current
finances. That is not to say that they are not worthy goals.
They need to be broken apart into smaller, more specific,
attainable pieces. The elephant analogy is still the best one I
know of to illustrate good goal setting. You probably know it.
"How do you eat an elephant? One spoonful at a time." So it is
with goals. Make spoon size goals and accomplish them. One
you've mastered those, get a bigger spoon!

You may have too many people in your life who consciously or
subconsciously are unwilling or unable to support you to reach
your goals. Everyone has a ‘personal tribe’ – their friends,
families, colleagues. You have created agreement among your
tribe members that you are a certain way, or you do certain
things. They are comfortable with you as long as you are and do
those things. They may even be enthusiastic about your desire to
change something or accomplish something new. Just know that, as
you change and accomplish, they may not like it. They may even
go so far as to put you down in small ways or make light of your
accomplishments. Do you know why? It is usually because your
changes remind them, on some levels, that they could be doing
it, too...and they aren't!

Surround yourself with people who want you to have what you
want for yourself. Be mutually supportive and you'll all achieve
your highest goals.

You may have filled your schedule with so many things that
there is little room for your goals to grow. We must be careful
not to confuse busyness with progress. Be selective about how
you use your time and what you focus on. Success often comes
when you know what to leave out, rather than what to include in
your life. Notice, too, how much time you spend on trivia. It
has a nasty way of taking your attention from what you say you
want to focus on, doesn't it? Have you ever just "had" to clean
your office before you could begin your project? Then you know
how this works!

Goal setting is like the pig and chicken who were out for a
walk in town early one morning. The chicken became really
excited when she saw a sign that said "Ham & Eggs, $2.99". She
said to the pig, "Look, we've got double billing again." The pig
grunted and said, "That's all right for you to say. For you,
it's all in a day's work. For me, it's total commitment." Goal
setting is all in a day's work. Goal achievement is total
commitment.