In the book, Get Smart, by Brian Tracy he writes:
Only about 3 percent of people have clear, specific, written goals and plans that they work on each day. The other 97 percent have hopes, dreams, wishes, and fantasies, but not goals. And the great tragedy is that they don’t know the difference.”
Do you have goals, or dreams and wishes?
If you want to set yourself up for success and begin turning your wishes and dreams into tangible goals here are 3 easy steps to get you started (including one that can increase your success rate from 43% to 95%).
#1 Write Down your Goals
It’s a scientific fact there is power in committing your goals to paper. In fact, every time you write them down you are subconsciously programming your mind. To get started, just grab a sheet of paper and write down 10 goals you want to accomplish. Don’t worry about time frames, or making it look pretty on paper, just write them down. Put them in a place where you can see them every day.
#2 Set a Deadline
Set a deadline for when you want to complete each goal. It can be one week, two months, a year, anything you want. Be careful setting goals past 6 months as this can actually increase procrastination. You can break bigger goals down into smaller parts with their own deadline. If you don’t meet the deadline, it’s okay. Life happens and there are things out of our control. Don’t change the goal, just set a new deadline. Remember, goals are dreams with deadlines but you have to set one for it to make a difference.
#3 Hold Yourself Accountable
Get a buddy, join a group, or hire a coach they will all work. Studies show when you have an accountability partner your chances of success increase from 43% to a whopping 95%. If you truly want to make a change and succeed then surround yourself with people who will make you better and have your best interests at heart. Yes, that extra push can be uncomfortable but accountability sets the most successful people apart from those who fail.
It’s easy to make excuses and not reach our goals. Improving the ability to set and meet goals however will easily skyrocket your long term success.
The most important step in achieving your goals is to try. You will have great days and some not so great days but just don’t stop. You can be flexible with the plan, but not with the goal.
Happy Planning!
Jennifer