Goal setting - your Sat Nav to success!

Why are Sat Navs and Tom Toms so successful? They are successful because they take you exactly where you want to go - on a planned route, avoiding the pitfalls and wrong turns of an unplanned journey. Having personal and business goals is the same as having a Sat Nav for your life...

If you were asked to go on a car journey tomorrow what questions would you ask before leaving?

What’s the destination?
Why am I going?
What time do I need to get there and how long will it take?
Will it cost me anything?
Will I need to take anything with me?
What would be the best route to take?
What will I get out of it?

Once you have asked all these questions you then enter the relevant details into your Satellite Navigation and you are guided on your journey by a calm and confident voice. You know where you are going and why; and feel comfortable that you are going to achieve what you set out to.

Often in business we are so focussed on what we are doing, that we forget exactly where it is we are going.

To achieve the success that you want and deserve, you need to know exactly where your business is going, what you want to get out of it and how you are going to get there.

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Ask any really successful individual and they will be able to tell you exactly where they are going and what they plan to be doing along the way. Defining your goals doesn’t just make good business sense, it just makes sense.

So how exactly do you succeed at your goals?

Firstly, make sure you write them down. An important tool to making something believable is to see it. Be able to refer to it, use it to check your progress. It’s also a good starting point. If you don’t actually start something then how can you expect to finish it?

Be specific about exactly what it is you want. "I want to earn more money" is not specific, if you received a 1% pay increase would you be happy? Instead state, "By age XX, I shall be earning XXX amount of money." This is measurable, is positive and gives a timescale.

Identify why you want to achieve your goal. What will it give you? How will it make you feel? What are its benefits? Knowing why you want it will motivate you to achieve it.

How will you achieve it? Create a step by step action plan. Write down the specific steps you need to take to achieve your goal and the order in which you need to do them. Ask yourself if you have the necessary skills and if not how you can get them. Think about the obstacles you will need to overcome and how you will do that.

Get support. Join groups, associations or clubs that have like minded people, speak to your family and friends. Be positive, if the people around you are unsupportive; don’t share your goal with them. Find others that will support and develop your ideas instead of shutting them down.

The importance of setting an attainable goal is that without one you don’t know where to go or how to get there. Setting goals not only gives you the motivation to achieve them it also gives you direction to do so.

Your goal is the Tom Tom for your life!

Diane Birch is a motivational coach inspiring people to reach further than the limitations they set themselves. Diane has successfully worked with many small business owners and individuals as a Business coach, Mentor, and Life coach. For more information about Diane and the services she provides, visit her website at www.dianebirch.co.uk