Winning anything, is usually a combination of a person being able to facilitate set goals. Many people set goals, however most do not facilitate these goals. This usually leads to non-achievement, decreases in confidence and a replication of the pattern of non-facilitation of goals in the future.
It is not the setting of goals that results in achievement, but the purpose for setting that goal. If you are going to set any goals in 2012, you need to ask yourself why. We often talk about the “power of why” when dealing with the science of personal achievement. If you want to achieve, you have to have a good reason, a clear purpose and understand why you are setting a particular goal. If the goal is not really that important, you will not facilitate it. If it is important and it drives you, you will facilitate and achieve that goal.
In starting this year off, you need to sit down and list your goals. Under every goal write down why you want to achieve it. This ‘why’ needs to be so compelling that it gives you leverage over your willpower when those difficult times come and you want to give up. Your “power of why” comes from when it would be frightening to give up in the face of adversity.
Not only do you need to set goals and set the power of why, you must follow through. Set an action plan and follow that action plan. It is no good having a goal if you don’t have an action plan to facilitate it.
Hence, you should have a page which has three columns:
• Goals
• Why
• Actions
What is most important is that you do it now! This was brought home to me clearly over the Christmas break. I turned the radio to a station that I rarely listen to except when the cricket’s on. I forced myself to listen to the ABC.
Mark Holden, the former singer and Australian idol judge, was hosting the late night radio program. He was interviewing Judith Durham, the lead singer of the band The Seekers. For you young people, The Seekers were the leading Australian group in the 1960’s and early 70’s.
Mark Holden told of the story of his battle with throat cancer. The throat cancer was caught early and the subsequent operation has resulted in him being no longer able to sing. Judith Durham told of her husband who was a brilliant pianist. He developed a motor neurone disease which meant he could no longer play the piano.
Judith Durham said “we obtain a gift, which is only on loan”. This made me realise that any talent or gifts that I have could be taken away in a flash. Any gifts or talents that we have are not permanent they are only on loan. Failure to take advantage of opportunities which arise from our gifts and talents may be an opportunity lost forever.
We have made our goals for this year to “not waste anything”! If this year all of us set our goals around taking advantage of every talent that we have, we all have an opportunity to win.
From the team at Leverage and the Australian College of Professionals we wish everyone a prosperous and successful 2012.
