How To Set And Achieve Goals... by David Guest

New year is always a great time to take stock of our results during the year. I make it a habit of writing down the wins and lessons for the previous year first.

Reflecting on our past and taking the lessons out of our experience is a powerful way to make sure we don’t repeatedly make the same mistakes. So before I write my goals for the new year, I make it a point of making the time to really look at what I have done over the previous year.

Remember to pat yourself on the back for the wins you’ve had. It is always too easy to say “I stuffed it up…”, But, as long as you get the lesson, you can only move forward.

Every challenge you have is also a learning experience. So learn from your failures. Thomas Edison, who conducted more than a thousand experiments on filaments before he produced a practical light bulb, was once asked, "How did you keep going after you had failed more than a thousand times?" Edison replied, "I did not fail a thousand times; I learned a thousand ways that didn't work." Like Edison, try to look at failure and rejection in a different light--as a learning experience.

From "Edison The Man And His Work" by George S. Bryan 1926.

"The electric light has caused me the greatest amount of study and has required the most elaborate experiments.... Although I was never myself discouraged or hopeless of its success, I can not say the same for my associates.... Through all of the years of experimenting with it, I never once made an associated discovery. It was deductive... The results I achieved were the consequence of invention - pure and simple. I would construct and work along various lines until I found them untenable. When one theory was discarded, I developed another at once. I realized very early that this was the only possible way for me to work out all the problems."

So…here’s the…

5 Simple Steps To Setting Goals...
1. First review your old goals and see if they are still valid. Cross off the ones that don’t apply any more and add any new ones. When looking at the results refer to the formula for change …

D(dissatisfaction) x V(vision) + F(first steps) > R(resistance)

For the goals you didn’t achieve, ask these questions…
· Was it something I truly wanted?
· Was it inspiring to me?
· Was it congruent with my other goals and my personal values?
· Were the consequences of NOT achieving that goal great enough?
· Did I know what steps to take and did I have the skills to execute them?
· In hindsight, is this goal something I still want to pursue?
· What do I need to do differently to achieve it?

2. So once you have looked at the year in perspective, now move to writing your goals for the next year. This will include some old goals, but with an updated perspective and some totally new goals.

3. Then make sure these new goals fit the S.M.A.R.T. criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result Oriented, Time-framed). This is a sanity check to make sure the goal is not too big that my sub-conscious rejects it, and not too small that it is not inspiring.

4. Then, put each goal on a separate sheet of paper and start writing down all the steps needed to achieve that goal. Look at any obstacles that you feel will stop you from achieving your goals and write down a plan to overcome them. This is really a brainstorming list that will give you a step by step blueprint of how each goal will come into your reality.

My experience has shown that doing this process is the most important part, as it will create the first steps required to get me moving! I make sure these steps make it onto my calendar or even better I start working in them immediately. This momentum gives me energy and a sense of certainty that things are happening.

5. Make sure that your goals are placed somewhere conspicuous (like on the whiteboard in your office, or on a card in your wallet) so you can see them daily. This is an important step in keeping focussed.

Review them weekly and adjust your task list to make sure you are moving in the right direction. And celebrate any wins along the way to encourage good results.

This may sound like a long winded way of doing things, but I have found the opposite is true.

You see, our brains are a goal oriented mechanism like no other on earth. If you know how to program it, it can literally create miracles…

So, rather than learning to program your phone, computer or VCR, invest some time in programming the most magnificent computer in the world…Your Brain… and start getting the things in life you have always only dreamed of.

P.S. Here are some links to other great articles on setting goals…my process is only one of the ways to program your brain for success. There are literally thousands of ways. All you need to do is find one that will work for you!

http://www.relfe.com/goal_setting.html
www.mygoals.com
www.about-goal-setting.com


To discover more about Action Business Coaching and David Guest, go to http://www.actioncoaching/davidguest

Give the Gift Others Really Want!

Give your Presence!

What your friends and family want is to feel you really are there for them.

When you talk to them. Be present.
When you listen to them. Be present.
When you respond to them. Be present.

(The here's the secret... many of your future clients are looking for the same thing.)


What will your living an extraordinary family life plan look like this week?
Until then...
Trust you will make it a happy holiday!

Tom Stoyan

Canada's Sales Coach
Dedicated to changing the way Canadian Professionals Sell & Coach
www.CoachingandSalesInstitute.com

Proud recipient of the 2005 Spirit of CAPS Award

TODAY IS THE TIME FOR ACTION

You must be ready when opportunity comes before you.
Luck is the time when your preparation and opportunity meet.
There is a tide in your affairs, which, when taken at the flood,
will lead you on to fortune and success.

By the law of periodical repetition,
everything which has happened once must happen again
and again and again, not capriciously, but at regular periods,
and each thing in it's own period, and each obeying its own law.

As events tend to repeat themselves,
the tide of opportunity will come to you.
Be prepared and your chance for success is sure to come.
Look around you. Seize an opportunity to change your life.

You can change chance into good fortune if you are ready.
The only sure thing about your luck is that it will change.

©2005 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © notice

Going Home by Robert Paterson

"We, in the West, have been asleep for a long time." We've become accustomed to living in a Matrix. What we once aspired to achieve and earn, is now taken for granted. A new culture is starting to challenge this Matrix. A culture that will revive our sense of community and lead us home. - Robert Paterson

ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread.
http://www.changethis.com/

Getting Along with Your Boss

Your boss may be the second most important person in your career, second only to yourself. It is a special relationship, one that can be rewarding, or painful. Don't take this important part of your career for granted.

"My boss is a hothead...my boss is always out of the office or in meetings...my boss does not even know what I do."

Even if one of those describes your supervisor, you can still form a meaningful partnership.

"A partnership with my boss, you must be kidding!"

No joke. A partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship in which both parties respect each other. Isn't this the ideal supervisor-employee relationship? It is achievable. We'll give you some good ideas that may pave the way your partnership.

Before you read on, accept that your boss is human. Just like you, your boss has bad days, and makes mistakes too. You're boss brings value to the organization and to you. Even if their only value is determining your next pay increase and whether or not you are approved for a promotion.

A Little Research Helps

Know your boss' pet peeve? Now you know what to avoid.

What are his biggest issues? Here's your chance to solve them.

What info they need and when needed. Starting to see a pattern?

What makes your boss valuable to her boss? Help her shine.

What is the hot item at your company? Make sure you are in sync.

Pay Attention to Style

How does your boss like to be updated, or alerted? (e-mail, voicemail, drop by) Make sure you work around his preference.

Does your boss prefer a formal weekly meeting, or a spontaneous discussion? Whatever the case, follow the lead.

Does your boss require the whole story, brief highlights, or quick report and documentation ready if needed?

Building Trust and Confidence

Rather than take action without permission and apologize later, know your authority and stay within it.

Be aware that you are one piece of the puzzle. Don't take more than your fair share of your boss' time.

Don't dump problems at your boss' doorstep. Instead, present the issue and your plan for solution.

Keep your boss posted. Nobody likes to be blindsided.

Don't go over your boss' head, or steal glory from your boss. Respect communication channels set by your boss. In return you'll likely be rewarded.

When talking to or about your boss, avoid "us/them" statements, try using "we" instead.

Anticipate your boss' needs. Become your boss' best resource. If you had a good resource, wouldn't you keep that person happy?

Choose the right time for discussion, requests or questions.

Above all, be loyal and sincere.

Remember, you are both looking for the same things...
Trust,
Support,
Communication,
and Recognition.

Good luck in building your partnership. These suggestions will not guarantee your success, but they should improve your odds.

Copyright © 2000-05 TD Strategies LLC

The Difference between Vision and Goals

Sometimes people confuse goals and visions. One way to distinguish between the two is to ask, “What’s next?” A goal, once reached, is finished. A vision, on the other hand, offers clear direction for future activity—what you should do next. A vision continues to act as a beacon, guiding you in setting new goals once current ones have been achieved.

A vision

Helps you understand what business you're really in
Provides guidelines that help you make daily decisions
Provides a picture of the desired future that you can actually see
Is enduring
Is about being "great"—not just about beating the competition
Is inspiring—not expressed solely in numbers
Touches the hearts and spirits of everyone
Helps each person see how he or she can contribute

A vision is a picture of the end result; Goals are the intermediate milestones you pass on your way toward your vision. They are the signposts that let you know you are moving in the right direction.

Getting Started

Without a shared vision, how can you be sure that the individual goals and objectives being set for the coming year are building toward larger overall success? Setting a compelling vision is the first step in moving together toward greater achievement on an individual, team, or organizational level.

December is a great time for setting a vision that will provide the foundation for powerful goals at all levels. As you look at goal setting and objectives for the coming year, don’t forget to look at the role that strategic vision plays in supercharging this planning.

The Ken Blanchard Companies® is a global leader in providing sustainable, commonsense leadership, team, and organizational training and development solutions. For over 25 years, we have helped companies improve their performance, productivity, and bottom-line results.
http://www.kenblanchard.com/

NLP info for everyone!

Neuro-linguistic programming is a streamlined, practical and intensely effective set of practices for learning, communication and change. Training in NLP allows individuals more access to their best performance states and stronger abilities to connect with others. It makes individuals more whole and more wholly integrated into their families, workplaces, and communities.

Linda Ferguson has an interesting blog at http://www.nlpcanadatraining.blogspot.com/

* see more about NLP at http://www.nlpcanada.com/

* or at http://www.nlpworks.com/you.htm

How do you deal with change?

Do the important people in your life - such as your children, spouse, employees, or employer - see you as someone always after New Cheese or as someone who is attached to Old Cheese?

If you or your organization are going through ANY type of Change – whether it be new leadership, a merger, having to do more with less…this movie is for you! It is impacting and can help employees in your organization understand how to let go of their fears and prosper through change.

see more at http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/products/Video.html

YOU HAVE UNLIMITED CHOICES

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.

You steer the course you choose in the direction
of where you want to be today, tomorrow,
or in a distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

©2005 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © notice