Goal Setting and the Magic of the Universe

Back in high school I remember talking to my first official boss, besides my dad who managed my paper route, about my burning desire to succeed. He asked me where I got this so called burning desire and til this day I cannot tell you where I got it or why I continue to have it. I can tell you that my desire to succeed has transformed over time and that is directly a result of me looking inward. I’ve learned so much, over the almost 50 years I’ve been on this planet, about life, living, desires, satisfaction, happiness, love, and yes, goal setting.

There are hordes and hordes of different kinds of goal setting, most of which I believe fails us. I want to give you a few simple ideas and strategies to help you make sure you stay on track to achieve your goals.

First of all, there are a bunch of different categories for which you can set goals. There is also an incredible amount of detail you can get into if you have the time, but I know most of do not. If you read my column last week you know that I like to set New Year’s principles not goals. However, I do set goals on a regular basis, all the time. I’m always redefining what I want and changing course as my desires change.

Looking at the big picture, you can choose a 1 year, 3 year, and 10 year goal. You can also use 3 simple categories of personal, health, and career goals. That’s obviously a wide range and view from the top of your life. I find that while that’s a worthwhile exercise, it’s more productive for me to set daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals as well.

My daily goals are simple. What 3 things am I going to do today that are going to make me feel accomplished? There is a philosophy from Brian Tracy where he talks about eating the frog. If you ate a frog first thing in the morning, everything else you did that day would feel easy. I try to shoot for eating the frog as soon as possible.

My weekly goals are things that I know need to be done weekly or a project I’m working on. For instance, I set a goal to manage my finances every Friday. I reconcile my books, make sure I know what’s coming in and what’s going out. I look at my investments and what I am looking forward to in the future. That is a scheduled event every Friday, but it’s also a goal of mine to stay on track. Then of course, that follows in the monthly, quarterly, and annual goals as well.

Here are a few basic things that you can do to make sure you stay on track with your goals.

Make Them Simple

Too often we get consumed by setting goals, but it doesn’t need to be so complicated. Choose something you want, whether it’s spending more time with your spouse or exercising more, and commit to doing it.

Read Them Daily

This will help you keep your goals at the top of your mind. It will increase your focus and allow you to achieve your goals more easily. I remember it took me years to quit smoking, but I always kept in on my list of goals. Eventually it happened and it was one of the best things I ever did.

Be Relentless

Take some time in meditation, visualize your goals, and begin to see yourself achieving them. Then take your visualization to the next level and see what the world is going to provide for you. Not only will you achieve your goals, but you will reach new heights that you never knew existed. That’s where the magic lies. And someday, you may even have a goal of doing a handstand on top of Haleakula Crate in Maui. I can help you with that one  and I’m always here to help you along your journey. You can find me @teddymcdonald.

Originally published  CLICK HERE

TONY ROBBINS - NEW YEAR, NEW YOU (2018 MOTIVATION)

Still relevant every year for me. Whats your thoughts?

The New 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Routine

People who set goals are more successful in life than those who don’t. Research proves it time and time again.

But here’s the thing: People who enjoy moderate success set LOTS of goals. And while they may achieve several of those goals, they struggle to define the ones the matter MOST to them. The end result? They don’t have a system in place of prioritizing their BIGGEST, life-changing goals.

That’s why nine out of 10 people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

If that sounds a little bit like you, don’t worry.

I’m going to teach you the solution to this too-many-goal problem. And together, we’re going to turn your moderate success into an amazing year.

How, you ask? With my 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Routine.

Here’s how it works (and I’ll start with resolutions, since 2018 is already upon us):

For some people, “resolutions” is a dirty word. But when you stick to them, they can change the trajectory of your life forever.

Resolutions (goals) have always been a big part of my work and personal growth, and they’ve helped inform my professional endeavors. For 20 years, my fitness businesses have helped millions of people set goals, change habits, and transform their bodies.

However, most people go about setting goals all wrong.

This was something I struggled with until my early 30s. That’s when my mentor, Mark Ford, taught me to replace my “shotgun-scattered” approach with laser-focused planning.

In 2006, when I was 31 years old, I sat at my parent’s kitchen table prior to a New Year’s Eve party, writing out my goals for the next year.

At the end of my session, I had dozens of (minor) goals on a page in 10-point font. The next year, I achieved minor success in several areas but didn’t hit the major objectives that would have significantly altered my life for the better.

That’s when I asked Mark Ford for advice. He taught me to focus on just one goal for each of the four big areas in life—health, wealth, social self, and personal enrichment.

His advice was incredibly impactful. It freed me to write my book, start a business in a new industry, and, when I paid it forward, allowed my coaching clients to achieve 12-month goals in only 90 days.

Using the wisdom of Mark Ford as the foundation, I created the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System. It starts by picking a 90-day deadline alongside one outcome goal for each of two areas of your life (one personal, one professional), and outlining three major actions steps for each outcome goal.

I’ll bet you’re asking, “Why does this minimal approach work better than resolutions?”

Imagine waking up on New Year’s Day and saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” or “I want to make an extra million dollars.” That’s nice. But there’s no plan, no path, no focus, and no urgency. Your dream won’t come true.

The 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Formula fixes that.

I’ve received many questions over the years about this formula, so I’ll beat you to the punch and answer them now:

Why a 90-day deadline?

In my book, “The Perfect Day Formula,” I outline five pillars of success that take you from planning to measurable results. The fifth pillar is what the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Formula really takes advantage of: the BIG deadline.

Deadlines turn the abstract into the concrete, spur us to action, keep us going through tough times, and move faster toward the finish line.

That’s why we use a 90-day deadline in the 1-2-3 Goal Setting Routine. It’s not actually dissimilar to quarterly planning sessions for business sales—and many entrepreneurs and CEOs have enjoyed financial success setting up internal deadlines for their own growth and development.

You should enjoy the same kind of success.

What exactly is an outcome goal? And why is there only one of them?

An outcome goal is a numbers-based objective—like losing 10 pounds or making $1 million. It’s more specific than “losing weight” or “getting rich.”

I limit it to just one outcome goal because I want you to be singularly focused on the goal that has the most significant impact on your life. Think of the outcome goal as the bullseye on the target. If you hit the bullseye, it’s worth more than hitting the outside ring 10 times.

Ok, but why should I focus on just two major areas of my life?

This is where I’ve upgraded the system from what Mark Ford taught me 10 years ago.

Four goals are better than 20, but even then, the waters get a little muddy.

For the next 90 days, you are just going to focus on two major goals—one personal, one professional. That’s it. That’s extreme focus, and a clear path to success.

The great thing is, when you achieve major goals, pretty much every other area of your life improves. Plus, you open up more time and energy for other goals in your next 90-day sprint.

And process goals? What are those, and why three of them?

We need to use process goals because there is a serious FLAW in only setting outcome goals.

Let me explain. A good friend of mine, Alwyn Cosgrove, taught me that we do not control our outcome goals. There are always external circumstances influencing the final outcome. We might lose nine pounds instead of 10, or we might make $900K instead of an extra million. The final outcome is never fully within our control.

However, Alwyn added, what you DO control are the action steps that move you in the direction of your outcome goal. We control our weight loss efforts—our diet, our exercise, our sleep, and our water intake. We control our revenue-generating activities—setting up lead-generation systems, practicing our sales scripts, doing follow-up, and asking for referrals. If we do our best with our action steps (process goals), we’ll get as close as possible to our outcome goals.

So there you have it—a concrete, effective alternative to failure-assured resolutions. One outcome goal for each of two areas of your life—one professional and one personal—and three action steps for each outcome goal.

And let me allay your fears; this isn’t some fly-by-night methodology I cooked up to get clicks, either. My coaching clients have been using the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System for years. Some have doubled their income, others have achieved massive fitness goals, and still others have landed in happy, longterm relationships that they were seeking for years.

So I urge you to start 2018 on the right foot and build out your own 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System. You can do anything for 90 days—and you may just change your life.

Craig Ballantyne, Contributor

Writer, Coach, Entrepreneur

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Achieving Goals

POWERFUL! Subconscious 90% of Brain Power, Conscious Mind 10% of Brain Power.

Which one would you use ?

Why coaching, not gadgets, is key to getting the most out of employees

Forget the gadgets and “lifehacks” to increase productivity, my research with Julia Milner shows that managers need to become coaches to get the best out of their employees.

Coaching means many things, from simply listening to staff, to helping them set personal goals or understand the company’s objectives. When employees understand the business goals, they can make their own decisions and not wait for someone to tell them what to do.

When employees are listened to, they feel valued and empowered. They have greater ownership and commitment to actions that they themselves have identified as necessary. As one manager in our study noted:

When you coach people rather than command people, you almost always win their hearts and minds, so loyalty, trust and confidence are built.

Our research shows manager coaching led to improvements in productivity, engagement and customer service. One manager reported that coaching led to an increase in output from 35% of the target to greater than 100% within 12 months. One organisation improved customer service by 450% within five months of introducing manager coaching.

Coaching also transformed some underachievers into star performers. For example, one employee who was described as “very lacking in self-confidence” developed enough confidence to apply for a promotion and became a highly effective manager. Coaching had helped the employee to identify solutions, by providing advice and expertise when needed.

Coaching in practice

Coaching is a conversation between two or more people to find a way forward together. The participants reflect on the current situation, agree on a goal, and identify options and actions for moving toward the goal.

In practice there are four things mangers should do during coaching:

Genuinely listen to their employees, allowing time to think out loud and come up with their own ideas.

Ask questions that help employees develop their thinking. If an employee identifies a problem the manager can ask what solutions they can think of.

Work with employees to set goals. Create an energising dialogue to make this task more than ticking boxes.

Give constructive feedback to help employees align with organisational goals and develop professionally.

The majority of the 580 general managers and human resource managers who participated in our research coached their employees at least once a week.

Organisations in our study used quarterly coaching sessions to set employee expectations, monthly sessions to review progress, and weekly sessions with new employees or employees in new roles. Informal coaching happens whenever opportunities arise – for example, discussing an incident the manager has observed and identifying alternative approaches. The employee can take ownership of the situation by choosing what alternative to implement.

Of course, implementing manager coaching is easier said than done. Most training in coaching does not address the complexities of the manager as coach.

For example, what should a manager do if an employee tells them something in confidence that they would not normally tell a manager? The best way to deal with this is by being honest and upfront about what can and cannot be kept confidential.

Managers also find it difficult to make time for coaching, although they may save time in the long run as employees don’t need their advice as often. This frees up managers to spend more time thinking strategically.

Managers in our study spent more time with new employees or employees in new roles than with employees who were already comfortable in their roles. They also recommended choosing the right time to coach – for example, not starting a session in the middle of a crisis.

You’ve probably heard of “executive coaches”. These people are like consultants who work one on one with managers on how to improve their leadership style, act as a sounding board for their ideas, or manage work-life balance.

But, as our research shows, there’s no reason for coaching to be restricted to outside consultants – managers should coach their own employees.

Coaching achieves fantastic outcomes for employees, for the organisation and for the managers themselves. As one manager in our study said:

Staff who believe their managers and organisations care about them by investing their time in coaching them are naturally more positive, happier whilst working. They are great team players. Their skills improve, they get promoted.

Most importantly this flows on to how your customers are treated. Treat staff well and they treat your customers well. Your business then flourishes.

If managers don’t know where to start, they should begin by listening to employees. They may be surprised by how much staff know and how much they appreciate being asked.

The greatest reward for a leader is seeing their staff develop and grow. Coaching is a practical way to achieve this.

theconversation.com   

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Programming your mind for success | Carrie Green | TEDxManchester

Inspiring words. Great focus on goal setting.

5 Steps To Becoming The Most Productive You In 2018

1. Clarify Your Goals

As were coming into the new year take some time over the next few weeks to sit down and set your goals. Set your own personal goals, your business goals, and your health and fitness goals. Create both long and short term goals.

Not only do you need to identify your goals but you also need to make sure that they are realistic and achievable. Losing 10 pounds and finally getting those abs you’ve always wanted is a great and attainable goal but if you want it by tomorrow it is unfortunately unrealistic and unachievable. This is why you must attach a time frame to every goal you set. Make the time frame realistic but also challenging. Allow it to create a certain level of urgency. If there isn’t a clear and concise time frame the goal is often procrastinated. To avoid this, set your goals and set a time frame in which you would like to achieve your goals. Identify and predict any setback or challenge you may face. Make your goals attainable and absolutely crush them! Let’s make 2018 YOUR year!

2. Annihilate Excuses And Distractions And Work In Laser Focus

First, identify any challenge, setback, or distraction you may encounter while reaching your goal. Identify why it has the power to set you back and defeat you. How bad do you want your goal? Is this challenge significant enough to stop you? Will you let it stop you? Are you allowing yourself to use this challenge as an excuse to not accomplish your most important goals in life? Second, create a strategy that empowers you and pushes you through the pain of the challenge into the pleasure of the achievement.

Work in laser focus. Focus on the one thing each day, week and month that will get you closer to your goal. Become a master at focusing on your most important tasks at all times. What needs to get done immediately? When you find yourself getting distracted consider asking yourself if the action you are currently doing serves you? Is it pulling you towards your goal or pushing you away from it? If you find that, like many, you struggle with this or need some extra resources in this area, check out the book The One Thing by Gary Keller.

3. Know Yourself

Know yourself and how your operate. What makes you excited about the work you're doing? What aspects are you not so excited about? What time of day do you do your best work? Early in the morning or late at night? Do you work better before or after a workout? What environments allow you to thrive? What environments compromise your work?

Figure out all the answers to these questions and then some. Once you do this give yourself a 90 minute block of extreme focus. Extreme focus means no distractions like your phone, your coworker, your business partner, your email and everything else that has the potential to distract you. Dedicate those 90 minutes to complete whatever challenging task you are determined to get done.

4. Progress Is Power

Often times success is viewed as the direct influencer of happiness and achievement. I have a much different view. I believe that progress is our biggest driving force. Progress and becoming better than you once were creates a certain level of happiness, fuffillment and achievement. To encourage this, come up with some benchmark goals that you can hit along the way to your desired goal. Frequently review and reflect on your goals and progress.  Remind yourself often of how far you have already come, of all the challenges you have already faced. Give yourself credit for the ability to overcome these difficult challenges and continue on this journey to reach your goals. Remind yourself that you are awesome and you can conquer anything! Success is great but progress is the driving force that holds the real power.

5. Become Habitual

If you take away one thing from this entire article it is to become habitual. Find what works for you and triple down on it and do that consistently. By consistently I mean every single day. Create a morning and night time routine that is designed for productivity and success. Optimize the time you have before your day starts and as your day is coming to an end. Optimize this time by creating rituals that propel you towards your goals instead of holding you back. Do something at night that will set you up for success for the next day. Watching an hour of cat videos on Facebook or binge watching an entire season of netflix before bed is not helping you. Instead, try reviewing your day. What worked well and what didn’t serve you? How can you can improve the little things you did today to have a more productive day tomorrow? Ask yourself these questions each night before going to bed and when you wake up in the morning ask yourself how do you want to attack the day? Do you want to attack it with positivity and productiveness? If so, create habits and rituals that encourage and reinforce these positive emotions, actions and overall mental state.

Start and end your days as strong as you possibly can. Do these rituals consistently every single day until this becomes effortless and natural. Become habitual in your productive patterns. Know what works for you and create a morning and night time routine that is optimized for your success. Trust me on this, watch how implementing daily rituals will influence your life in 2018...

Jennifer Cohen , CONTRIBUTOR
I help executives & entrepreneurs boost productivity through wellness.

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