SELF IMPROVEMENT - 5

GOAL SETTING

I.Achieve Your New Year’s Resolution with SMARTer Goal Setting

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution, only to make the same resolution the following year?

You may make these New Year goals with the best of intentions, with a desire and determination for change, only to find that a few weeks into the year you find that your determination and confidence to achieve your goal has evaporated.

To maximize your changes of achieving goal setting success, we use SMARTer goal setting strategies with athletes, business professionals and students so that they can achieve success in their chosen field.

SMARTer goal setting is an acronym for the goal setting process.

S - Specific. Goals need to be specific. Specific goals focus your concentration on what you want to accomplish. For example, losing weight or becoming fitter are general goals which could be made more specific, such as "I will lose 5 pounds" or "I will run 4 times a week for 20 minutes".

M - Measurable. Goals which are measurable allow you to measure your progress for goal achievement. By having a specific and measurable goals you easily determine whether you are succeeding in your goals, and if not, they why not.

A - Action Orientated. OK so you have set specific and measurable goals, not you need to determine the steps that you are going to take to achieve them. What action steps do you need to take? Having a clear action plan is a step-by-step plan to goal achievement.

R - Realistic. If you have been inactive for a long period of time, it is unrealistic to set a goal to run a marathon next month. This will just set you up for failure and will result less confidence. However, a realistic goal does not mean that the goal is easy. You will not be motivated to keep working at your goal. A realistic goal is one that is within your capabilities, but that you have to focus on to achieve.

T - Time Orientated. As you are probably aware, once you set a deadline, the work takes on a level of priority. Well it is the same with goals. Having goals with no time frame, means that other things will become more urgent. Whether your goal needs to be achieved tomorrow, next week or next year, a timeframe firms up the priority of the goal. Goals with a time frame raise the priority of the goal.

E - Energizing, Exciting and Ethical Goals. Are your goals energizing and exciting. If you are not passionate about your goals then it will be difficult to remain motivated when things become tough. By having exciting and energizing goals you will have motivation and energy to achieve your goal.

At the same time, it is important to ethical goals. Ethical goals are goals that are aligned with your values and beliefs. A worthy goal which is aligned with your values gives your purpose and a sense of satisfaction upon completion.

R - Reviewed and Resourced Goals. Do you have the resources to achieve your goal. Every goal that you want to attain requires effort and time. Are you prepared to put in these two things? If you aren't, then it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve goal setting success. In short, are you willing to make the relevant sacrifice to achieve your goal?

Reviewing your goals are very important. Reviewing your goals on a daily or weekly basis allows you to measure your goal progress. It is important examine why (or why not) you are on target for goal setting success.

SMARTer goal setting maximizes your chances of goal setting success. Whether you are an athlete, a business professional, work at home or are a student, goal setting is one of the surest ways to achieve success in your chosen field.

II.How to focus for success

Ask any successful person one of the traits that they accredit to their results and they will tell you - the power of focus.

Having focus allows you to concentrate on exactly what needs your attention to create the positive outcome that you seek. I see many coaching clients and they complain about the results they have achieved so far in their lives. As I listen to their reasons (usually a list of excuses!)

I hear how they become distracted by, diverted by requests and demands from people and they wonder why they don't achieve all that they can. It is easy to become weigh laid by events and occurrences that happen day to day, we lose sight of our original goals and aspirations and soon if we are not careful our dreams disappear in amongst the day to day grind that keeps us from having what we really want and all because we lost our original focus.

It wasn't that they lost all focus; they just changed the direction of their focus. Focusing instead on what they didn't want and then attracting even more of it.

I know only too well as I once frequently complained about how shoddy my life was, when all I had been doing was focusing on what was wrong, how terrible it all was until I realised the huge pity me party was really not getting me anywhere. So I chose to change my focus and start taking actions that would drive me towards success, accomplishment and happiness instead.

With the right focus you can eliminate the distractions, as you hone in on the urgent tasks that need your attention. If you focus on things that you are passionate about, all consuming activities that energise and excite you that will bring you the rewards that you seek, then focus comes into its own.

Focus with applied action equals massive results for you. You can achieve many great things in life, more confidence, a sense of achievement, create new wealth, satisfaction, personal evolution. Here are my top tips for applying focus to your life or business life:

1. Decide what you actually want
2. Commit to making it happen
3. Set goals to put a time limit on your dream
4. Focus on what action steps to take each day
5. Keep focusing and act on those steps and the end goal
6. Once achieved, focus on celebrating your success!

With focus comes the opportunity to improve your performance, astound those around you with your go get it attitude. They will be amazed how much you get done on a daily basis. They will wonder how you do it. And all because you applied the rule of focus to your daily life!