If you are setting regular and specific goals as a leader, congratulations. However, you may still be missing a big opportunity. Though many leaders say they are setting goals, few achieve their goals consistently.
The problem isn’t that we aren’t familiar with goals. And it’s not that we don’t understand the power of achieving goals. It’s more about continually being aware of our goals.
How many of you have ran to the grocery store to get a few things and came back from the store with everything except for that one thing your husband or wife specifically asked for?
Or, how many of you have felt like you were forgetting something, and then at 4:30 PM you realize that you were supposed to pick up your teenage son from soccer practice at 4:00 PM?
With so many things pulling at our attention during the day I often wonder why we don’t forget more!
One thing I started doing the last couple of years is to write down and/or set reminders in my phone of things I don’t want to forget.
And you know what? My simple methods work! They work because they create an awareness.
When it comes to attaining goals we need a similar awareness. With so many distractions it is easy for us to wander and forget how to get to our desired destination/goal.
So something I have implemented recently helps me create a regular awareness around my goals that is really easy and super effective.
I write my goals on a card and carry that card everywhere I go. I pull that card out a dozen or more times a day and review my goals. It keeps my goals at the front of my mind and helps me think strategically of how I will reach them on regular basis.
The neat thing about this simple goal achieving method is that by creating awareness you almost guarantee your success in achieving your goals because they are constantly in your sight.
Most goals are forgotten once we have failed the first time. If you have ever been on a diet, you get this. Your goal might be, for example, to consume so many calories a day. You do great for 2-3 days, but then you slip and eat a gallon of ice cream before going to bed – oh no! But instead of recommitting yourself right then and there, you quit.
By pulling out the cards a dozen times or more a day and committing yourself to continue pulling out the cards – you are committing and recommitting to your goals each and every time as well. Throughout the day, and even as you sleep, your mind is looking for ways to make your goals a reality. It’s powerful stuff.
You can even use a phone app and set dozens of reminders at different times during the day to review your goals. The key is to first commit yourself to setting up the reminders or pulling out the cards. The second key is committing or recommitting yourself to those goals each and every time.
What’s your trick to achieving your goals? We would love to have you share.
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