O2 Business

“A goal properly set is half way reached” Abraham Lincoln

Goal setting is my thing.

I thrive on the process of yearly and monthly goal setting, the listing of tasks and the thrill of the red pen as it decimates the ‘to do’ list.

Having read many a book on the subject, I have settled on four principles of goal setting, which work, within both a professional and personal environment.

Principle 1 – Inspiration – Goals should be big beautiful and loved.

“Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success” David Joseph Shwartz

Goals should inspire. If a goal does not provide excitement, then it is most likely a task and not a goal. Two bricklayers are asked to describe the job they do; one sees his job as laying bricks, (the task), the other sees his job as building a cathedral (the goal).

Does it matter, if the job still has to be done?

Well actually it does.  Goal setting is as much a right brain activity as it is a left-brain activity.

The right brain provides the imagination, creativity and desire for the goal – the vision of where we want to be.  The left-brain provides the action and deliverance.  Both are important.  The best goals are only achieved when emotion and effort work hand in hand.

Goals should be big – but how big is big?

Only you can decide how big is big.  It has all to do with desire.

Most of us set pretty mediocre goals because they are ‘realistic’. But paradoxically the level of competition is fiercest for the realistic goals, making them the most time and energy consuming.  There are less people competing for the 10 million euro contract that than the 1 million euro contract.

But big isn’t about size.  Big is about desire.. You must really, really want your goal. The notion of standing up and presenting in front of 150 strangers may be just as big a goal as making your first million this year.  So only you can decide how big is big.

Principle 2 – Commitment – Counting the cost

“If I have this, I cannot have that” Old Chinese proverb

Whether it is buying a software system or doing the weekly food shop, we all have a rough idea of what it’s going to cost us.

It is no different for goal setting.

But this is where we are likely to fail in moving from goal setting to goal getting.

If the first principle of goal setting provides the desire for the goal, then principle two asks the thorny question of ‘just how much do I want the goal?’ What am I prepared to give up to get my goal? What’s it going to cost?

Achieving your goal is going to cost you in three areas:

- Resource – great goals will drain you of time, money or both
- Relationships – whether professional or personal, great goals will put demands on your relationship with others
- Yourself – all great goals will challenge you in terms of failure, rejection and de motivation.

But knowing this before hand is half the battle….

For every goal you set yourself, take a piece of paper.

On one side, the right hand side, write down ‘why I want this goal’. This will provide you with the inspiration required for great goals (if it doesn’t then dump the goal).

On the left hand side of the page write down all the things that you may have to give up, or compromise in order to get this goal, in terms of resources, relationships and yourself.

At this stage, before you take any action, decide if your goal is worth it. If it is not, leave it. If it is, you are ready for action.

Principle 3 – Action – the journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step

“If you have build castles in the air, your work need not be lost. that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them” Walden

Take action, however small, towards your goal.

There are two types of goals – outcome goals and process goals.

Outcome goals are the end point.  I will lose 5 kilos by Christmas.

Process goals get us there.  To lose 5 kilos by Christmas, I will go to the gym twice a week, I will give up eating chocolate, I will restrict my alcohol intake.

The wonderful thing about process goals is that they are under our control.  Outcome goals are not always under our control.

I may greatly desire promotion within the next 6 months and work very hard towards it, but ultimately the decision to promote is someone else’s.  I can however set myself process goals of gaining more experience in a certain area, spending time with someone in the job, gaining an extra qualification etc…

Success breeds success.  By achieving process goals, we are one step closer to the final outcome goal.

Principle 4 – Flexibility – When the going gets tough, the tough get clever….

“I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable” General Eisenhower

The author Tim Gallwey talks about the idea of goal mobility - “The ability to move towards our desired goals.  Not just to achieve them but to enjoy the process. To adapt and change as necessary and to achieve them in the right time and in the right place”

Be prepared to be flexible and adaptable with your plan, but always stick to your goal. Expect change, BUT always keep your purpose clear.

We all face obstacles when we work towards our goals.  We have three options.

Our first option is to look at the obstacle, get discouraged – say ‘that’s too much for me’ and give up.

Option two sees us fight it out -  ‘whatever it takes, I’ll get over it, under it or through it’.

The third and best option is to stop and reflect and say to ourselves:  ‘ before I try to get beyond this thing, I am going to try to find a vantage point where I can see what is over the other side.  Then if what I see is worth it, I will do what ever it takes to get over or around the obstacle’.

If it is not worth it, I’ll drop the plan, and find another path to my goal.

When the going gets tough, focus on how far you have come not on how far you must go.

Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.

And finally, one last thought….

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score” Bill Copeland

Dream, commit and take action!

Susan Mulholland is a consultant in Organisational Behaviour and a qualified coach with the Mind Gym.  She can be contacted on jobmatchireland@eircom.net

Tags: business targets, commitment, flexibility, goal setting, inspiration, motivation