3 Tricks For 2015

Title:
3 Tricks for 15

Word Count:
598

Summary:
2014 disappeared at a speed that quantum physics is yet unable to explain. Thank goodness I had a goal to achieve!


Keywords:
goals, objectives, planning


Article Body:
2014 disappeared at a speed that quantum physics is yet unable to explain. Thank goodness I had a goal to achieve!

Let me start by saying I don't do new years resolutions. I do however like to set goals that are practical, measurable, and achievable. I share them with others so I feel a sense of commitment. Last year I established a goal to run at least 5km (3 miles) every other day. I had just gotten back in to running after a "brief" 25 year absence and thought this would be a good challenge. I was successful. I averaged 6.18km (3.8 miles) per run over 182 outings last year. A resulting benefit - I dropped 39 unneeded pounds. I feel great, not just physically but mentally knowing I exceeded my goal. What did it take? Some good running shoes, a heart rate monitor to make sure my 50 year old ticker didn't stop ticking - that would sort of defeat the whole purpose, a supportive and encouraging wife, and lastly, the tenacity to run in sometimes challenging conditions - every second day.

So what about 2015? What about you? Have you set your goals?

Congratulations if you already have! You get extra kudos if you have committed them to paper. You get the first place big blue rosette if you have also shared them with others.

If you haven't established your 2015 goals, get at it!

I offer three tricks to setting your goals.

1. Make them personal. Set your goals for you, not someone else.
2. Make them practical. They can be personal or work related, or both.
3. Share them with others. This helps you commit to your success.

Actually there is no magic to this exercise. Just ask yourself, "What do I really want to accomplish in 2015 before it turns into 2016?”

I work with sales professionals; their livelihoods depend on their ability to generate sales. I still can't believe the number of talented folks I speak with who have not taken the time to write down their goals, nor have they mapped out their supporting strategies to achieve their goals. I shutter to think how much more successful they would be if they set tangible goals, developed a plan to reach those goals, and shared their goals with their sales manager, a peer or their partner - or all three!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Victor Hansen a few years ago at a sales conference in Hawaii. Mark is co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and is truly an inspirational and humorous speaker. Mark spoke about goal setting and I want to share one memorable suggestion he made. Mark had left small cards on the tables for us to complete. He asked us to write down one goal, the time frame for completion and then he asked us to have two or three others sign the card, not to agree or pass judgement on your goal, simply to acknowledge it. I have embraced this simple concept ever since, it really helps!

My last recommendation is to keep your goals visible. They do you no good tucked away in a binder or shoved in a drawer. Post them in your office, carry them on a small card in your wallet or purse, and put a copy on your closet door to look at every morning when you get dressed, or consider putting it on your computers screen saver. Subliminal reminders work. And don't forget to track your progress. I found keeping my running log updated every second day was all I needed.

Plan to have a great year. I wish you success in exceeding your 2015 goals!

BONUS : Title:
3 Ways to Advance Your Goals

Word Count:
624

Summary:
"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never scoring." -Bill Copeland


Keywords:
goal setting


Article Body:
1. WORK WITH THE END IN MIND- OR FOCUS ON SUCCESS

Beginning with the end in mind is the endowment of imagination . If you are the programmer, write the program, says, goal expert- Stephen R. Covey. Goals help us to focus, and the quality of our attention is enhanced by a having a project so cool and interesting that we can’t help but make a leap. Let’s say, you want to organize your workspace so that everyone is inspired to do their best work. The in-between steps: like ergonomic concerns & planning comfortable lighting, in-and-of itself can seem mundane, but joined together they name a bigger accomplishment and by doing so, asks us to spice up our expectations & upgrade who we are. Focus on success & keep in mind how you want things to end up--And you’ll soon enough be successful.

-- name the accomplishment

-- give your project a title

-- what needs to be done by when

-- how would you like things to end up

-- identify upbeat reasons for pursuing the goal

2. RAISE THE BAR-OR SHOOT FOR THE MOON

Define greatness, challenge the limits, double the goal, or try something new...These are just some of the sentiments that put our plans into action and move us towards revolutionary results. Look around and witness the very essence of commonplace activities being tested and re-imagined. Such as schools re-defining Physical Education by bringing in activities ranging from kickboxing to more esoteric offerings like tai chi and yoga. And with the introduction of Blogs, an international conversation is in full swing with millions of links and a central clearing house inspired by immediacy, intrigue and tension. Raising the bar on a project can simply mean taking one extra step, having an allegiance to a weird idea, or devoting to a regular practice. Commit to a goal in a meaningful way, personalize it & make it your own, and then watch an otherwise sleepy project wake up and give way to a new found energy, creativity and distinction .Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

-- double the goal

-- challenge the limits

-- create a regular practice

-- raise your standards,values or beliefs

-- make it a game

3. GO THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE-OR SHOW ME THE SHORTCUT

Sometimes a goal deserves a break. TIME MAGAZINE reported that after 8 hours of sleep you'd be more than twice as likely to find a shortcut for solving a problem. Suggesting that taking it easy is good for the brain, and what’s good for the brain is good for the overall psyche and soul. Are you doing too much, not getting nourished and being exhausted? Well perhaps its time to consider another path. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Pick up a book written by an expert, join a group that's geared around your project, sign up for an informational newsletter , or ask someone to buddy up & help. For instance, if I was writing a screen-play and struggling with a self imposed deadline, I could simplify my project just by signing up for a writing class. What with weekly writing tasks & in-class exercises this alone would expedite the development of my script. Another over looked short cut is to consider smaller steps. The smaller the increments the easier the goal. Deng Ming-Dao, writes in EVERYDAY TAO, An inch in one direction, then an inch in another already makes a span of 2 inches. Gradually we can improve on that. Go the path of least resistance, it’s a gift of energy.

-- don’t reinvent the wheel-find someone who’s done it before

-- slow down or change the pace

-- keep to minimum daily standards

-- write everything down--loose ideas vs. lost ideas

-- the smaller the increments the easier the goal