Consultants and motivational speakers have talked about the
importance of written goals at least since Benjamin
Franklin. The 19th century Psychologist and philosopher,
William James, talked about clear goals, and Napoleon Hill
wrote about them in "Think And Grow Rich" in the 1930's. Of
course you should choose clear personal goals, write them
down, and stay the course!
And that's the rub. The daily grind of "staying the
course."
We all have goals of some sort. Some are written, some are
vague, some are almost dream-like, but we all have things
we long for. The rub is in making them happen.
Almost everyone I talk with - large audiences where I'm the
keynote speaker, small corporate trainings, and individual
clients - they ALL talk about distractions. They ALL talk
about interruptions and daily frustrations.
They ALL talk about how busy they are and how little time
they have.
And yet winners find the "secret" of doing first things first.
The winners in life have exactly the same amount of time.
They have the same resources everyone else has. They work
hard (like everyone else) and yet there is a huge
difference in their RESULTS. In the end, winners come out
on top because they have a SYSTEM for choosing their top
priorities and sticking to them.
Here are a couple of practical suggestions, starting with
the most basic fundamental I know: Decide what you really
want in life.
Most people don't think carefully about their most
important goals. They have goals that are vague or have
never been discussed and coordinated with family members.
Be clear. Talk it over with the people in your life and
focus on what you truly want.
But then, here are my suggestions for making specific daily
progress:
1. REVIEW your goals frequently. Brian Tracy and Napoleon
Hill recommended reading them every day, and they were
smart people. I review and re-affirm my own goals at least
once a month. If you aren't making progress on your goals,
the first step is to review and re-commit to them more often.
2. Work with a TEAM. I lead coaching groups using TEAM as
an acronym for "Together Everyone Achieves Miracles" and
you should do the same thing. Talk with your family. Review
your priorities with your boss. Get together with a master-
mind group every week. TALK ABOUT YOUR GOALS!
3. Each EVENING, plan the following day. What has to be
done tomorrow? What problems will come up and how will you
deal with them? What is your one major target for tomorrow?
Decide the night before.
4. Each MORNING, confirm your daily targets. I write my
three most important tasks on a 3x5 card each morning. I do
it with my morning tea. It helps.
For most of us, the key to daily action is a SYSTEM that
keeps us focused and brings us back to our most important
goals. On our own, we are too easily distracted. We lose
focus and waste time. Instead, use a SYSTEM that gets you
back on course, like an auto-pilot. Then, trust the system
and get to work!
importance of written goals at least since Benjamin
Franklin. The 19th century Psychologist and philosopher,
William James, talked about clear goals, and Napoleon Hill
wrote about them in "Think And Grow Rich" in the 1930's. Of
course you should choose clear personal goals, write them
down, and stay the course!
And that's the rub. The daily grind of "staying the
course."
We all have goals of some sort. Some are written, some are
vague, some are almost dream-like, but we all have things
we long for. The rub is in making them happen.
Almost everyone I talk with - large audiences where I'm the
keynote speaker, small corporate trainings, and individual
clients - they ALL talk about distractions. They ALL talk
about interruptions and daily frustrations.
They ALL talk about how busy they are and how little time
they have.
And yet winners find the "secret" of doing first things first.
The winners in life have exactly the same amount of time.
They have the same resources everyone else has. They work
hard (like everyone else) and yet there is a huge
difference in their RESULTS. In the end, winners come out
on top because they have a SYSTEM for choosing their top
priorities and sticking to them.
Here are a couple of practical suggestions, starting with
the most basic fundamental I know: Decide what you really
want in life.
Most people don't think carefully about their most
important goals. They have goals that are vague or have
never been discussed and coordinated with family members.
Be clear. Talk it over with the people in your life and
focus on what you truly want.
But then, here are my suggestions for making specific daily
progress:
1. REVIEW your goals frequently. Brian Tracy and Napoleon
Hill recommended reading them every day, and they were
smart people. I review and re-affirm my own goals at least
once a month. If you aren't making progress on your goals,
the first step is to review and re-commit to them more often.
2. Work with a TEAM. I lead coaching groups using TEAM as
an acronym for "Together Everyone Achieves Miracles" and
you should do the same thing. Talk with your family. Review
your priorities with your boss. Get together with a master-
mind group every week. TALK ABOUT YOUR GOALS!
3. Each EVENING, plan the following day. What has to be
done tomorrow? What problems will come up and how will you
deal with them? What is your one major target for tomorrow?
Decide the night before.
4. Each MORNING, confirm your daily targets. I write my
three most important tasks on a 3x5 card each morning. I do
it with my morning tea. It helps.
For most of us, the key to daily action is a SYSTEM that
keeps us focused and brings us back to our most important
goals. On our own, we are too easily distracted. We lose
focus and waste time. Instead, use a SYSTEM that gets you
back on course, like an auto-pilot. Then, trust the system
and get to work!
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