We have all heard about the power of setting and achieving goals. There’s a great metaphor relating to a boat that drifts on the tide, going where the tide takes it, rather than having a specific endpoint in mind and making a plan to get to where they want to be.
I a nutshell, unless there’s a clear destination in mind and a firm plan in place to achieve it, you are at the whim of where the ocean takes you rather than consciously creating your destiny to get you to where you want to go.
A common mistake by entrepreneurs, is to focus so much on the finer detail of their vision, for instance to spend most their time looking into material aspects such as the best stationary, or insulated panels to use within their business – with less attention spent to the higher level thinking related to what they want their business and life to look like.
In this sense, it’s important to have goals that provide direction and motivation to our lives and businesses… as without long-term goals, we can get lost focusing on the day-to-day details of running a business; rather than plot a course with the end in mind.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at some tips to help you harness the phenomenal power of goal setting both in your personal life and business life.
WORK OUT WHAT YOU WANT
It might sound like a simple step, but so many people are completely unclear on what it is they actually want from life or their business. They might have an idea of the financial amount of money they would like to make, or the car they would like to drive, but at an emotional level few people take the time to connect with what they truly want from their life.
In this sense, many people drift through life, hoping for the best, without any clear direction or certainty of achieving their dreams, because they are unclear on what exactly their goals and dreams are.
The first step, therefore, is to get very clear on what it is you want; on both a practical and emotional level.
WORK OUT WHY
Many people set goals that they think they want, but perhaps don’t fully connect with, as we all want a “nice home”, decent car, and a loving partner – but you need to get really specific on why it is you want what you want.
In this vein, work out what feeling will that particular thing give you. For instance, whilst it might be an appealing prospect to fly first class, or even have access to a private jet, there is an underlying feeling within this that is the thing you actually want; as we are feeling beings – meaning we are motivated purely by our feelings above all else.
The private jet or fancy car is rarely the thing that people want – it’s the feeling this creates, as we are all feeling beings, driven by our emotional wants, needs and desires… for instance, the feeling of stepping left rather than right when entering a plane often brings about a feeling of significance and prestige; a feeling of accomplishment.
Therefore, spend some time connecting with the emotional driver behind want it is you want… as often, people end up working very hard to reach a goal they think they want, in that they think it will give them the feeling they crave… only to find it doesn’t fulfill them.
VISUALISE
There’s an idea that ‘thoughts become things”, meaning the thoughts you think become the experiences of your life. If you think good thoughts – you will attract positive experiences, whereas, if you think bad thoughts, you tend to attract a more negative experience.
Athletes will spend hours and hours visualising winning the race – as this creates an element of expectancy, conditioning your brain to expect a specific result, and this acts as a command to do whatever it takes to achieve that particular outcome.
WRITE IT DOWN
There was a recent study at the Dominican University that took 267 men and women from all walks of life; splitting them into two groups; those that did write their goals down and those that didn’t. The study discovered that of the people who committed their goals to paper, these people were 42% more likely achieve their goals – simply by writing them down.
The reason for this is that it activates your left, more logical side of the brain, which processes commands. When you’re in a ‘dream state’ that’ your subconscious and creative right side of your brain, whereas, your left side is more like a computer that views things as tasks to be completed.
Therefore, by writing it down, you are commanding your brain to now go out and find a way to achieve that particular thing.
START SMALL – BUT START
There’s a popular saying that suggests “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.
This means, you don’t need to see the whole path as to how you’re going to achieve a major goal – you just need to get into action, get started, and walk the path in the right direction.
Many people are stuck in a state of procrastination, where they are waiting for the perfect conditions to get started. The truth is, the perfect conditions will never come – we live in an imperfect world and you have to do the best with what you’ve got. Indeed, the wind will blow no matter what – it’s just whether you’re able to set your sail to take advantage of that particular wind… or if you’re going to let it topple you over.
Either way, it’s better to fall down and pick yourself up, rather than sit inside, waiting for the wind to calm down and the sun to come out. Get started today, no matter where you are, or where you’re going – just head in the right direction and you’ll be amazed what you can achieve.
- This post has been written for Morning Business Chat by an outside source.
