Got Goals?
To establish a clear, central purpose or goal in life
is the starting point of all success.
by Barbara Sibbing
_________________________________________________
Goals, I know that word can be very scary, but it doesn�t have to be,
especially if you know what to do. What is a goal? A goal is something
specific, something you want or need to accomplish in a specific period
of time. To establish a clear, central purpose or goal in life is the
starting point of all success.
There was a study several years ago at a business school and the results
of the graduates who had been out of school for at least ten years
illustrates the power of goals. Upon graduation the graduates were
surveyed and the following was found:
83% did not have goals
4% had vague goals
3% had clearly articulated written goals
When
their level of accomplishments were compared ten years later, those with
some sense of their goal earned three times more than those with no
goals. The 3% with clearly articulated written goals earned ten times
more than those without goals.
You
have goals; you may just not realize it now. I want to help you realize,
develop and achieve your goals. Your goals are your promises to YOU!
Goal setting is just like creating a blueprint. Lets get started
creating your blueprint!
Everyone needs to learn how to set effective, realistic and SMART goals.
Start the process by first creating a list of dreams. Make sure you list
places you would like to visit, things you would like to experiences,
items you would like to have, skills you would like to acquire and the
amount of money you would like to make. Maybe you want to travel to
Hawaii or Europe or you want a new house or car. You decide what you
want and write it down on paper. You will need this list to develop
SMART Goals.
There is no limit to the number of goals that you set. You need to make
sure your list includes goals that you are committed to attaining.
There are a few steps to take to set effective goals and we will cover
those here:
S=Specific
Your goals must be clearly defined and written.
M=Measurable
The goal must be able to be measured over time. You must be able to
clearly define what success on a goal will look like.
A=Actionable
There must be specific action steps you can take toward realization of
the goal.
R=Realistic
Your goal must be one that is realistically based on your current level
of skills, environment, and the time allotted.
T=Time Based
Your goal needs to have a deadline that you are
committed to.
Look
over each goal you have on your list and ask yourself, �is this a SMART
goal? Why or why not? Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself
about each goal you want to set:
-
Do I need help with my goal?
-
What may hinder the process of my goals?
-
Do I need more education to achieve more?
This is another major step in goal setting because
you may see and feel necessary changes in your plan.
After you have written your �SMART Goals� you need to prioritize your
long-term and short-term goals. This is a very important step in the
goal-setting process because it enables you to step back and examine
which goals are most important to you. This does not mean that you
should ignore the goals farther down on your list, but it does help you
to identify where and how to focus your efforts now.
Your
goals will change over time, you will achieve some goals, and others may
lose their importance as circumstances in your life change. As this
happens you need to re-examine and re-prioritize your goals.
Once
you have defined your SMART Goals you will need to define an action
plan.
An
Action Plan is an essential element of setting goals. The details that
you specify in your Action Plan enable you to see what you need to do
and avoid, in achieving your goals. As you develop your Action Plan, be
sure to keep the following in mind:
-
Write SMART Goals
-
Develop your goals with a positive attitude
-
Expand your knowledge
-
Shape your Action Plan and commit to it
-
Invest in developing effective skills and habits
-
Gain results by building relationships
Here is a great way to write your goals. Be sure to use an outline for
each goal you want to set. These steps will help you to define your
wants.
Step 1. List one of the goals you would like to
achieve be specific.
Step 2. List 3 to 5 reasons to achieve this goal. In
other words, why is it important that YOU achieve this goal.
Step 3. List the steps you need to take to achieve
this goal. Break the process down into reasonable steps toward achieving
your goal.
Let
me show you a sample goal so you can see what is involved in each of the
above steps.
Step
1. The Goal: You want a new red convertible 2005 Corvette with black
leather seats, automatic, with a 5 disc CD player.
-
You would like to have this new car by December 31,
2005.
-
The cost will be approximately $55,000.
(You can go into more or less detail about the car
and all the extras you would like to have, it�s up to you.)
Step
2. What�s in it for me (YOU)
1.
I will get the satisfactions of driving the
car of my dreams.
2.
I will feel important.
3.
I will be the first in my family to ever own
such a car.
4.
I will have achieved one of my goals.
Step 3. Steps to achieve your goal. You will need to
increase yearly sales by $55,000 and introduce 204 people to the
business opportunity.
1. I
need to increase monthly sales approximately $4,500 and increase my new
business partners by 17.
2. I
need to increase weekly sales approximately $1,125 and bring in 4/5 new
business partners.
3. I
need to increase daily sales approximately $150 and bring in no less
than 1 new business partner per day.
You
may want to go into greater detail than I did with this example. I just
wanted to share with you how this works. Your goals may not include a
car, it could be going back to school to get a degree, buying a new home
or re-decorating your current home. Whatever your goals, these steps
will help you to define them.
It
is also important to share your newly defined goals with your family,
friends and business associates.
A
few reasons why people fail at achieving their goals are:
1. People
take action without any real plan.
2. People
give themselves an unrealistic timeframe for achieving a goal
3. Their
reason for the goal is unclear, they have not properly defined the goal
4. Lack
of focus. Success demands focus.
5. Trying
to do it alone, nobody goes through life alone and you should not try to
achieve your goals alone. Ask for help.
6. FEAR
OF FAILURE!!!! This is the biggie out of all the above. Fear resides
where knowledge does not exist; the more knowledge you have about
anything the less intimidated you will feel. Replace your fear with
knowledge.
You
now have some of the tools to achieve your goals. MAKE THIS YOUR BEST
YEAR EVER!
_________________________________________________
Barbara Sibbing is an entrepreneur, business owner, wife and mother.
She�s a veteran Home Based Business Owner and has trained and coached
representatives both inside and outside of her sales organization. One
of her primary goals is to help others succeed. She can be reached
through her web site at
http://www.thegourmetcandle.com