The stress of it all

I set my self a goal with a reward & a consequence.

Now that I've achieved the goal, reflecting on what motivated me, it was definitely the thought of having to deal with the consequence of burning a rugby jersey I loved.

Sure I could've reneged on my deal with myself, but living with the fact that I didn't stay true to my word would be worse.

I can recommend this strategy for goal setting & will definitely use it again.

Carrot or stick

Listening to a speaker recently, he suggested that we don't just set SMART goals - but also have a reward & a consequence.

This idea resonated with me - and scares me a little.

We had to set a goal to achieve by 2 July.

I going to write a book that I've been putting off for ages.

If I send it to a publisher by then I will buy myself a nice pen. If I don't I will burn a favourite rugby jersey (which I definitely don't want to do). Yes, I am motivated to get the book to the publisher!

If you are serious about your goals, I recommend rewarding yourself & giving yourself a consequence to encourage you to achieve the things you want.

MDRT - Wellington - 24 April 2008

The Million Dollar Round Table is an organisation committed to the sharing of information and ideas. Our meeting in Wellington was full of excellent ways to improve business.

Walton Rogers - First Vice President MDRT

• Learn by teaching.
• Customise every customers solution.
• Learn to listen.
• Develop an agenda for every meeting including 3 blank items at the start.

Neil Kendall - Tupicoffs

• Make a meaningful positive difference for clients.
• Make sure business cards have a clear name, number & e-mail address.
• If you're not in your client's mobile phone you're not in their lives.

John Shackleton

• Focus on motivators (rewards & consequences).
• Use visualisation.
• Manage self-esteem.
• Set precise & SMART goals.
• Work towards your goals minute after minute, hour after hour.

Don't lose weight

That was the advice of John Shackleton at a session I attended today.

His advice was to focus on the desired outcome, not the negative process.

For instance, he suggested that losing weight was the process that people needed to go through that resulted in them looking slim, and that looking slim or fitting a certain clothing size should be the goal.

In other words, focus on the gain, not the pain.

What is success?

I felt despondent when I failed to achieve my goal of running 5kms in less than 25 minutes recently.

Today I decided to set new goals for my run.

Goal 1 - Run 8kms.
Goal 2 - Run the first 3 in less than 15 minutes.
Goal 3 - Say a cherry hi to people I saw.
Goal 4 - Feel good.
Goal 5 - Be in touch with my spiritual side.

I learnt that setting smaller milestone goals are just as satisfying as bigger goals.

The power of GOALS

The more goals I achieve, the more I believe in the incredible (& sometimes scary) power of setting goals.

For me, GOALS stands for:

G = GAME. It has to be fun, like a game.
O = OBSTACLES. I need to know what stands in my way.
A = ANALYSE. I need to know where I've been, where I'm going & how I'm going to get there.
LS = LASER SIGHT. As in keep focussed on my goal like a laser sight on my target.

Steps to success in 2008 and in life

The team from Red Hot Business Coaching spoke about it.

Rex Pemberton, the youngest Australian to conquer Everest, spoke about it.

The power of setting goals.

The really interesting thing is that they don't need to be realistic or achievable. They can be outrageous, unattainable and scary! The tougher the goal, the more inventive we become at how we might approach it.

So, step 1 is to set the goal.

Step 2 is to identify obstacles & develop strategies for overcoming them.

Step 3 was to know what we are passionate about because this will provide the fuel to attain the goal.

The next step was to develop the plan with milestones to achieve the goal.

Finally, get started! A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step - Lao-tzu

Lessons my kids have taught me #1

One of the best business lessons I was taught was at the end of our family holiday.

My 17 & 15 year olds decided a bungy jump at Taupo sounded like a good way to top off the holiday.

I thought if they can do it, I’m not too old to have a go (although I was upset I had to check the 41 to 64 year old box on the form).

It was an amazing sensation as I jumped off the platform & was thankful to the professionals who had secured me safely.

Afterwards there was a feeling that we really can do anything we set our minds to. The important steps are:
1. To set the goal
2. Work out how to reach the goal
3. Ensure the right team is in place to help reach the goal
4. Take the leap & get started on the goal

The lesson I learned was that I am capable of more than I thought.

Setting stupid goals

I don't know why I did it - probably just for the challenge.

3 years ago I set a stretch business goal - and I achieved it.
2 years ago I set a higher goal - and I achieved that too.

Last year I set a goal that was twice the previous year. I didn't need to, but I wanted to see what would happen. As I got closer to the end of 2007, I resigned myself that I would go close but wouldn't achieve the milestone.

But 3 days before Xmas it happened! I achieved the ridiculously high goal. I was thrilled (and relieved).

My boss is already talking about a 10 percent increase in business. I'm already thinking about increases in multiples.

I have learnt goals are truly powerful motivators.

I encourage anyone who wants to achieve success to plan for it.

Movember 2007

Even though I had lots of positive comments, encouraging me to keep the horseshoe mo, I decided it was time for it to go.

I was tempted to take up an offer to wax it off for $1,000, but wimped out.

I was proud to be part of the effort that raised over $1.5 million!

At the beginning of the month I set a goal and I exceeded this.

That’s the amazing thing about goals - when you know what you’re aiming for in any part of your life you are more likely to get it.

It’s not to late to sponsor my Mo.

Please go to http://www.movember.com/nz/donate, enter my registration number which is 87413 and your credit card details.

A big THANKS to everyone who has sponsored the Mo so far!

Goal + Plan = Success

According to Brian Tracy we need to be goal (not wish) orientated.
The plan to achieve your goals is:

1. Decide exactly what you want.
2. Write it down & make it measurable.
3. Set a dead-line.
4. Make a list of everything you could do to achieve goals.
5. Organise the list.
6. Take action on your goal ASAP.
7. Do something everyday on your major goal.

Goal setting

Brian Tracy had some excellent thoughts on goal setting, including the importance of clarity.

A goal must be able to be measured & it must have some action.

Brian suggested that a child should be able to tell whether a goal has been achieved.

Winner or loser?

According to Brian Tracy, winners are action orientated and losers are excuse orientated.

Winners use phrases like: "I will achieve ..."

Losers use phrases like : "I will try ..."

Winners set goals, write them down and keep the goals in a prominent place.

Brian asked us to do a simple exercise. For me, it was a life-changing one. Write down at least 10 goals in 3 minutes. GO!

After the 3 minutes, choose the most important goal, circle it then do something in the next 24 hours to get you closer to achieving it.

Seek and you shall find

It’s so much easier to find what you want when you know what you are looking for.

For instance, if you think everyone is your customer it can be hard to find them. If you stop and consider what your ideal customer looks like it becomes easier to find them. For instance, if you work best with males, between 45 & 55, who are self-employed, it you are more likely to find them because you are looking just for them.

This strategy works successfully in other areas of your life too.

Looking for a partner? Write down what they look like & what attributes they have.

How about taking photos as a hobby? Giving yourself a theme narrows down the types of photos you take but helps you look more purposefully, making it easier than taking photos of anything and everything!

Looking for a new job? Write down what it looks like, what you'll be doing & how you will feel.

Work out what you are looking for, write it down – then get out & find it. You’ll be surprised how much easier it will be to find!

Goal setting - case study

My 14 year old son recently found a story I wrote for him when he was 2. It was called The Tractor Boy, after we spent a weekend on a farm. He gave me the words and I typed them up, it started "When I grow up, I want to have my own farm..."

He already owns 2 cows and 2 sheep and he's passionate about gaining farming skills.

If we set goals by writing them down and passionately work towards achieving those goals, we are more likely to achieve them.

It's never too late to start!

I use the following free websites to help manage my goals:

www.joesgoals.com

www.43things.com