How do you define then achieve your next 'big thing'?
One of the main roles of a performance coach is to help clients with this process. For such a critical task, it’s surprising how little rigour many of us put into it!
Here’s some basic concepts to help you in your own goal setting. This guidance is specifically for high performers; people that are in that 5% of the population that think opposite to the crowd; that take the rebel option. This is not for "I’d like to get a promotion at work” kind of goals.
Formulate the goal:
Think where you want to be in the future. The time frame can be something meaningful for you; 3 years, 5 years etc. (Remember that most people overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in a decade.)
Articulate your goal in one or two sentences.
Think carefully about any unnecessary constraints you have put on your goal and remove them.
Articulate your goal again.
Formulate the strategy. Once we have a crystal clear goal, we then must create a strategy to realise it. Here’s the short version of a proven method I have used, and that I use with clients:
Write out every voluntary action you take throughout a particular day.
In the evening, or the following day, place a ‘+’ next to actions which are moving you towards your goal, a ‘-‘ next to actions which are hindering your progress, and a ‘0’ next to actions which do neither.
Rid yourself of those ‘-’ actions. No exceptions.
Ask yourself what other ‘+’ actions are required to achieve your goal. (What does 'that kind of person' do every day?)
Ask yourself if there is extra skills or knowledge you require. If so, seek it out.
Decide to begin living as if you have already achieved your goal. Be 'that kind of person'.
Implement the strategy:
Focus on the goal every day. Meditate on it. Write it out. Visualise it.
Spend considerable time contemplating the downside of not achieving the goal.
Reward yourself at regular intervals for progress. If there are not definite milestones you have reached, you must at least reward the behaviour which is getting your closer. Regularly! This is essential for release of the dopamine required for continued action towards the goal.
Be absolutely convinced that you WILL achieve the goal if you continually focus on achieving it.
Never, ever give up.
Have you achieved something really big in the past? If so, what ‘process’ did you go through to make it happen?
Please share with us in the comments so we can learn from you!