Thursday, December 31, 2009

Pssst….Goal Setting Secrets that You Should Know About!

SECRET # 1-Believability Factor
Believe that what you are envisioning is possible and that you really do deserve it. Incongruence in this area can thwart the best-laid plans in the world. Put it to the test by imagining that you have already accomplished your goals, what are the worst-case scenarios that you can see occurring? What fears come up as you think about accomplishing your goals? Who would be disappointed or even angry if you accomplished them? What changes would you need to make in your life? What old belief systems are you holding onto that may not work to your benefit at this stage of your life? You may find that there are issues that come up and you can choose the path of awareness and push through them or involve yourself in some self discovery work on your own or with a professional. If you find that you are not actively taking action, this is an area to come back and examine.

SECRET #2-Own It
Your goals belong to you; though they may be supported by others they will ultimately be achieved by your own actions. If you are setting goals based on other people’s activities this can be loosely disguised as wanting to attempt to control others peoples actions vs your own. Change your focus and look at the areas of your life where you can make the most difference and create a personal sense of satisfaction.

SECRET #3-Paint a Picture
This secret is extremely powerful. Write your vision in sensory specific detail and in the positive, present tense. Include how it makes you feel and stretch yourself to “Dream Big”. We are constantly accessing how we feel either consciously or unconsciously in order to make decisions, purchases or take action. In the hurry, flurry of our lives it is easy to forget the very sensory nature of our beings. However, tapping into this wisdom will engage you at all levels in accomplishing your goals.
Example: I want a new car.
Revised Example: I have a sleek caramel, white jaguar with luxurious brown leather seats and a cherry burl wood grain interior that begs your fingers to glide softly across its shiny surface. I slide into the car, close the door and hear it click. I turn the key in the ignition and hear the motor spring to life and quietly purr. The sounds of my favorite Italian music come from the Bose stereo and surround me with a symphony of melody as the air conditioner sends a cool air breeze gently past my face. The smell of the new car interior wafts up to my nose and I smile glancing in the preset rear view mirror, as I watch the tan convertible top gracefully slip down into its casing before I set off for my trip up the California coast.
One way to test your vision and goals to see if they are interesting and vivid enough; is to ask yourself if you would enjoy reading your description before going to bed each night. If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track if not, then give them more “juice” so that they will appeal to all of your senses.

SECRET #4-“Recipe for Success”
Each of us has developed a very personalized “recipe” that allows us to be successful in life. For some of us we may need a tough deadline in order to actually get the work done. For others we might find that throughout our lives we were most successful when we had a significant person cheering us on from the sidelines. Still others may find that they will need to go through a period of “crazy making” before they actualize their goals. Now, you may want to change your “recipe” at some point or try something else, but in some situations it is just easier to work with what you have hardwired into your brain realizing that it’s just part of your process.

SECRET #5-Values Alignment
Base your vision on your values and not just on something that may be culturally “the right thing to do”. Understandably you will need to know what your core values are before you can check in to see if they are in alignment but be careful of contradictions. For example, if you want to make $150,000 a year to meet a core value of security that you have and believe that you will need to accomplish this by traveling 70% of the time for your job that is fine. It may be an excellent strategy, however if one of your other values is connection and you start to lose out on quality time with your family because of your time on the road you will be faced with a challenge due to conflicting values. That is not to say that you can’t meet both values with a different strategy, however, be careful of polarizing on one value and ignoring another area, sooner or later this has a tendency to catch up to you.

SECRET #6-Get S.M.A.R.T.
Use this method of clarifying your goal by checking to see if it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Then ask yourself if it is in concert with your vision, begin setting milestones and create a concrete plan of action that works in conjunction with the other secrets.

SECRET #7-Baby Steps and Leaps of Faith
You may find that you need to start with some baby steps in order to gather some momentum in meeting your goal. At other times, though you may be afraid, your goals will require you to summon your courage, take a leap of faith and really go for it. Trust yourself, do your research and due diligence then ask for help as needed. There is no need to judge yourself in comparison to others, everyone has their own pace, all that is required is that you take consistent action toward what you want to accomplish.

SECRET #8-T.L.C.
Give your vision plenty of tender loving care, just as if you had planted a seedling and needed to nurture it carefully while it established its roots. You may even find that there are people that you don’t share your goals with for a while because they may not understand or want to support you. Instead use the energy to carefully think through what you need to do, take action and begin meeting some milestones. Sharing successes has much more power and gives you the opportunity to discern who will be the best members of your support team.

SECRET #9-Personal Support Team
Surround yourself with the support of people who care about you, support you, have expertise, will ask you the tough questions, and are invested in your best interests. Surprisingly, support may come from unlikely sources so don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. Many times by sharing your vision, others will be inspired and want to be part of it and your efforts to succeed.

SECRET #10-Celebrate the Milestones
Celebrate your short-term goals so that you have a continued feeling of success, cherish the insights of learning along your journey and acknowledge yourself for all the steps you take. It becomes easier to build your confidence when you can base your next steps on the feeling of success in achieving previous milestones.

SECRET #11-Detours are not Dead Ends
Find something to love again when you get stuck or run into obstacles. Reaching the goal may not take the most direct route, but the adventure is actually in the journey. Be patient with yourself and refocus on what you want to accomplish, and then use creative methods and persistence to continue on.

SECRET #12-Goal Wisdom
For more inspiring information and success strategies to help you set and meet your goals learn from others who have gone before you and stuck with their visions despite any challenges that they may have encountered. Often knowing that we are not the only ones that have had a vision and that we can learn new ideas and strategies to make them a successful reality, makes a world of difference in continuing on when the going gets tough. The combination of persistence, hope, belief and determination is a powerful force to be reckoned with.


Heather Wieshlow is the owner of Turning Point Coaching and Consulting and helps professionals in career transition find work that is emotionally and financially rewarding. Her interactive teaching style is demonstrated at her speaking engagements, workshops, classes and personal coaching sessions. For information on doing a complete Year in Review Process that acknowledges the wins from the past year and sets goals for the upcoming year, call 949-643-5505 or email aturningpoint@earthlink.net; www.aturningpoint.com.

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