Are Your Goals Working For You?

Are Your Goals Working For You?

Are Your Goals Working For You?

By Mark Wager

It's now the beginning of February and if you are one of those people that have already given up on your New Year resolutions then you are not alone. Research has shown that 75% of resolutions will fail by the end of January and 90% will fail by the end of the year leaving only 10% who will follow through with their resolution. Despite people's good intentions to make positive changes to their lives whether it's a personal change like losing weight or giving up smoking or even a business resolution such as increasing sales or getting a promotion the reality is that there's a 90% chance that you will fail. It doesn't have to be this way, with just a few changes to your approach you can become one of the 10% and realise the benefits of your hard work and live the life you want.

Define success

The most common mistake that people make when making resolutions or just setting goals in general is that they don't clearly define success. Some of the most common goals are losing weight or making more money both of which are vague, how much weight? How much money, $100, $100,000? and when is this going to be done by? The goals that work are the ones that are so clear you know definitely when it's been achieved which means the goals can be easily visualised and what you can visualise you can achieve.

Be brave, be bold

I work with a lot of businesses and individuals, helping them achieve their goals and during this time I've learnt that the best goals are the ones that are just out of reach at the start. What you need to look for is to set a goal 6-10% beyond your current ability. If the goal is lower than this range then it's too easy to achieve and you quickly lose motivation. If the goal is higher then you quickly lose belief when you consistently fail to achieve, it's the range between 6-10% beyond your current ability that produces the best results.

Believe in yourself

Your level of achievement will always be limited by your level of self belief. If you want to raise your performance in order to meet your goals then you will need to raise your level of self belief. If you lack confidence then you will miss the opportunities that life presents to you. I know people who are looking for a promotion and when they read the job description they seem to have only seven out of the ten required competencies so don't apply yet there are others who look at the same job description and see that they only have three of the desired competencies but tell themselves that they have the three most important competencies and apply anyway . Ask yourself which person is likely to get the promotion?

Make your goals visible

To achieve your goals you have to live your goals and they have to be part of your life and be as visible as possible. The more the goals are on your mind, the more focussed and aware you will be of them. If its a personal goal then write it down and post it somewhere around your house so that you see it, either on the refrigerator or by the side if your bed so that you see it every morning. If its a business goal make sure the team can see it every day and here's another tip. Always word your goal as if it's a statement. For example instead of saying I will increase my sales by x amount within the next year, instead write your goal as on xx date my sales will be xx. The more positive and visible your goals are the greater the chance you will achieve them.

Have the right habits

Every great journey consists of many small steps. To reach your goal you need to know what your small steps are, what are the daily habits that you need to do in order for the long journey to be realised. Ask yourself if you want to lose weight what do you need to do each and every single day for this to happen. If you want a promotion then what do you need to do at work, how do you need to behave each and every single day. When you are able to answer this question then you will find out the same lesson that every other successful person has learnt and that is, success is never achieved through a grand gesture, it's achieved through a series of many small and sometimes mundane tasks. Get your daily habits right and success will follow.

If you have already failed your New Year resolutions then don't be disheartened and don't wait until the end of the year to set new goals, you can set them today and by using the tips above you can become one of the few people who not only sets goals but makes them happen.

Posted: Wednesday 1 February 2017


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