Have you ever tried to discuss the importance of goal setting with someone who disagrees?

You will be familiar with the arguments that goal setting is not necessary:  

• “I don’t need to set goals, I just take opportunities as they come.”
• “Many people have succeeded in life without goal setting.”
• “I have it all in my head.”
• “It is difficult to plan in this complex world.”
• “I am not in control and don’t have much choice.”
• ……or many similar excuses.

A few may have succeeded without written goals, but for the vast majority of us, especially

those who depend on the input of others, goal setting is our first step on the ladder of success.

As Fizhugh Dodson put it, “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship

that has set sail with no destination.”

A whole and balanced life: Some people set goals, but only for one part of their life - and

sometimes neglect other parts. In our Clarity ==>Action ==>Results-Centered Leadership

program, we emphasize setting goals in the following six areas of life:

• Career and Financial
• Home and Family
• Friends and Community
• Health, Physical and Emotional
• Ethical and Spiritual
• Mental and Educational

If you were to conceptualize the balance of your life as a circle, divided equally into these

six areas, like a wagon wheel, and you measured the length of the spokes from the center

according to where you assess your current state of satisfaction, based on a scale of one

to ten, how round would your circle be? If this circle was a wheel on your car, how smooth

would the ride be?

Aim for the stars: Another problem people face in goal setting is that they do not aim

high enough. Many adjust their dreams to their means rather than the other way around.

They censor their dreams and crush their great ideas before they have given them any

serious thought. These people do not do themselves justice! They should heed the advice

of Karen Ravn who wrote, “Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I

go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”

Write down your goals: Goals which are not written are just dreams. Dreams become goals

when they are written down with a plan to see them through. As Larry Elder put it “a goal

without a plan is just a wish.” Write your goals in as much detail as you can, always in the

positive because our brains cannot process negative pictures.

Make your goals SMART: Goals must be Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic and

Timely. In addition, you should be able to live them in your imagination before they materialize.

You need to be able to visualize them in their complete form and even touch them. You should

be able to hear the sounds, smell the air and feel the environment around them. I find that when

I do this, especially with large, long-term projects, it motivates me to pursue them with

even more enthusiasm, energy and dedication.

Goal setting is a complete process: Once we have specified the goals and the expected

results, we need to develop the action plan and the implementation strategy. During the

execution, we need to constantly monitor the results like a pilot glancing regularly at the

gauges to ensure that the readings are in the right positions. If not, the pilot adjusts the

controls to put the plane back on track.

Persevere: Frank Clark said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t

lead anywhere,” and he was right. You are bound to run into obstacles along the way.

Adjust the sails and maintain the course, you will eventually reach the destination. If you feel

that the goals cannot be reached, take the advice of Confucius “When it is obvious that the

goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Goal setting is an art and a set of skills that can be mastered. It has to be learned and

practiced to achieve the desired change. Those who have applied it properly have reported

significantly better results. In our Program, we coach people on how to set SMART goals

and see them through to success.

“In the absence of clearly defined goals, people are forced to concentrate on activity

and ultimately become enslaved by it. Most people pay for attendance when they

need to be paying for performance and productivity.” Charles A. Coonradt

Adapted from
Dr. Mohammed Benayoune

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For more information, visit our website at:

https://cmassociates.coachesconsole.com/

Or contact:

Claudeville Mc Garrell

CMASSOCIATES

Tel: +(592) 223 0823

Cell:  +(592) 951 9846

Skype: claude.mcgarrell