99% of the success stories we
hear about often began as a goal in the mind of the individual. No matter what
our aspirations are - financial security, better relationships, career growth,
great health and so on, they will never be realised until our point of
departure is crystal clear goal of EXACTLY what we wish to achieve.
Why do we need clear, specific goals before embarking on an objective instead of just shooting off and banging away at an objective with only a vague or fuzzy idea of what we wish to achieve? Clear and specific goals do 3 things:
- Firstly, knowing exactly
what you want makes it somewhat easier to come up with precise strategies to
get you there. Without clear strategies, just about any "solution"
will suffice and often times, because there is no clarity, people will expend
much time and effort bouncing from one solution to next - leading to
exasperation and finally quitting on the goal.
- Secondly, clear goals
provide focus. Focus reinforces the discipline and commitment to see the goal
through. I have found from experience with our students that once they set a
clear picture in their minds of exactly what they wish to achieve, it often
becomes difficult to get that picture out of their minds. Even when setbacks
have been experienced, people with clear and specific goals are far more
resilient and are more likely to bounce back much quicker than those with vague
goals; and as any successful person will tell you, success is a function of
focus and resilience.
- Thirdly, having specific
goals provide a feedback mechanism that allows us to identify what's working
and what's not - therefore allowing us to take corrective action much sooner.
The sooner we are able to take informed corrective action, the faster we can
achieve our goal.
The simple fact is this -
successfully achieving any goal requires clarity, a plan of action, focus and
commitment. If these are lacking, that goal will never be achieved and will
only remain a fantasy.
I often advise that the most
effective way of getting a vivid sense of clarity around the goal you desire to
achieve is by getting a real life experience of what it would feel like to have
achieved that goal. So go test drive that dream car you always wanted; every
weekend, visit the house show showcasing that multimillion rand home you've
always dreamed of; sneak into your boss's office, seat in that comfortable
leather chair and imagine running the business or your own business someday
(just don't get caught!), get picture cut outs of the type of body you wish to
have and look at it every day; get videos of where you wish to travel to and
watch those videos again and again and again. It works, trust me. Once, you've
seen it,
experienced it and felt it, this kick-starts something inside of you
that motivates you and propels you faster toward achieving that goal - a vague
wish will never have the same compelling and motivating impact. Once you feel
how it would be to have achieved the goal, you will be surprised at how it will
begin to positively impact and shift your behaviour and thinking as well as how
your mind will begin to open up to possibilities and opportunities that will be
the keys to the goal becoming realised.
At our motivational seminars,
I talk a lot about what I call the "killer of dreams" -
PROCRASTINATION! Success can only be achieved where there is constant momentum.
People who succeed are always doing something and constantly taking action that
is thrusting them towards their goals. The minute we begin to procrastinate on
taking crucial action that we know is important for our dreams to become
reality, we begin to sabotage our chances of success. So get to work, and
resolve to take some sort of action daily that is aligned to your goal. Resolve
to never let 48 hours go by, without you having taking some sort of
"goal-related action".
Secondly, without a plan of
action around the goal, a lot of energy and time will be spent producing weak
results. With very rare exception, most successful people got to where they are
by planning, planning, planning.
If you don't know how you're
going to get there (or at least have some idea), guess what? You'll never get
there or worse still, you won't know when you're there! People become
successful by intention not accident. Have some strategy of how you are going
to achieve your goals and if you don't have the slightest clue of how or from
where you are going to start, hope is not lost. Research vigorously. Hop onto
the internet and research how other people have achieved similar dreams as yours.
See and learn how they did it. How did they think, what did they do, what were
their beliefs, what challenges did they face, what mistakes did thy make, and
most importantly, why did they succeed.
Finally, commitment and
discipline is the glue that holds it all together. You may have clarity of
vision, a super plan of action, but unless you are willing to go the long haul
and commit body and soul, achieving the goal will remain impossible. You must
always remember one thing - whatever idea, ambition, aspirations or goals you
may have, there is always someone else, somewhere else with similar ambitions.
They will face similar or worse challenges than yourself however in the end
they will emerge successful. You know why? Simply because success must be earned
and while it sounds horribly clichéd, the fact is that success goes to the
person who wants it more, has a better plan of action, and is committed to keep
going until the goal is achieved.
Femi
Adebanji's growing reputation as a leading authority in the fields of
motivation, success and human potential development, has led to him becoming a
sought-after business motivational speaker. His unique ability to capture and
hold audiences spellbound has earned him the respect of blue-chip clients and
also the privilege of being invited to address thousands of delegates at
prestigious conferences in South Africa. Through his training company,
Pinnacle, he also delivers tailored development training solutions to his
corporate clients on topics relating to organizational development, staff
personal development, leadership development and motivation. For further
information, contact Femi
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