Seven Strategies to Improve the Odds of Reaching Your Goal
May 20th, 2008 by Matt
- Know the required resources. Desire to attain a goal is a good starting point, but you’ll need money, time, education, or some other resources to achieve it. Know at the outset what you’ll need and make sure it’s available or attainable.
- Work with compatible goals. When you’re working toward more than one goal, make sure your goals are compatible. For example, if your goal is to pursue a doctorate at the same time that you are trying to engineer a turnaround in your sales organization, you may well find these goals are in conflict since they are both competing for the same resource: extra time.
- Ask for help. Is there a way in which someone else could help you toward reaching your goal? You’ll find that most people, when asked, are happy to help. Who do you know with specific skills or expertise that could help you reach one of your goals?
- Accept responsibility for doing the work. When roadblocks arise, some people spend more time blaming others for their lack of progress than they do working toward their goals. Don’t fall into that trap. Accept at the outset that the going might get tough and be ready to apply time and energy to solving the problems that stand in your way.
- Minimize interruptions. Every day, time wasters show up disguised as urgent matters. If your goal is to put out 20 phone calls first thing every morning, then don’t check email, don’t take incoming calls, don’t check voice mail, don’t stop and chat with coworkers until you’ve made your 20 calls. Very little is so urgent it needs your attention this very second. Ask yourself: do you control interruptions or do interruptions control you? If it’s the latter, and interruptions are impeding your progress toward your goal, come up with specific ways you can minimize interruptions – and handle them swiftly when they arise.
- Be flexible. While a good plan speeds progress toward a goal, we all know things happen. Circumstances change. The economy tanks. When an unforeseen event or occurrence throws your plan off track, first evaluate for damage control, and then alter your course or goal as necessary.
- Know the benefits. What’s the benefit to you of reaching your goal? A sharp boost in income? Prestige? The chance to take that vacation you’ve been dreaming about for 10 years? Whatever the benefit, review it regularly. “Knowing and wanting the goal’s benefits are key factors in motivating you to apply your time, energy, and resources,” say Wilson and Dobson.
Posted in Sales and Marketing |
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One Response to “Seven Strategies to Improve the Odds of Reaching Your Goal”
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September 9th, 2008 at 7:37 am
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