 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Achieving Your Goals
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series -- Much has been written about achieving your goals. For the Solo Entrepreneur, pursuing goals can be an even bigger challenge than most. The very independence that appeals to Solo-E's often leads to an extremely full plate. The weekly 168 hours is not enough to do everything on the list, to say nothing of pursuing goals. Stop for a minute and consider what could be different. 1. What Are My Goals? This sounds simple, but the answer can hinder your progress if not related to values and stated very specifically and written down. VALUES Goals reflect your values and what's important to you. For each goal, make a clear link to one of your values. Some common values are achievement, balance, commitment, honesty, self-respect, and risk-taking (there are many more). Therefore, you must know your core vales FIRST, and then see how your goals relate to them. SPECIFIC The more specific you are about your goals the more likely they will be achieved. A goal of "more money" is not specific enough. How much money? Name an amount, for example "$10,000 each month". A goal of "more clients" can be more specific. For example, "20 new clients within 3 months" is clearer. WRITTEN Another simple guideline that is regularly ignored. The value of getting goals out of your head and onto paper cannot be underestimated. Don't think about this one, just do it! 2. How Will I Get There? Consider these two important elements; a plan and an attitude. For the plan, create a written document. It should be no longer than one page. The format that I recommend includes answers to the following: A. What is the goal? (relate to values) B. What are the alternatives? C. What are the action steps? D. What could get in the way? E. What will I do and by when? On a regular basis, plan to review it and update it when needed. For the attitude, adopt an optimistic outlook and be open to surprises. Since even the most well-written plans have unexpected outcomes, stay flexible and open to opportunities while working your plan. 3. What If I Don't Have Time? This is the most common complaint. A CALENDAR MAKEOVER is the way to create time. Look at your calendar for the past week. Identify something that was "Urgent but not Important". Here is an opportunity to delegate to someone else, automate it with a system, negotiate for a different outcome, or just eliminate it. Now, think through last week and identify time wasters such as web or TV channel surfing, chatting on the telephone, or any activity that you did instead of your "to do" list. Most people can free up at least 2 hours/week or 8 hours/month with a rigorous calendar makeover. Imagine what could happen if this time were spent on your goals! 4. What Gets In The Way? Excuses for not taking action such as "being too old" or "too late to start". Sam Walton built the first Wal-Mart at age 43. Many people use previous rejection as a big barrier because they fear failure. The bestseller "Chicken Soup For The Soul" was rejected by over 33 publishers. What gets in your way? Identify it upfront and decide what to do to address it. TIMELY TIPS -- Write it Down -- Pick a Partner -- Get Very Specific -- Create a Visual Cue -- Practice Saying "NO" -- Practice Self-Care -- Be Willing to Try Again -- Celebrate Milestones Copyright 2004, Charlotte Farrior ____________________________________________ Charlotte Farrior of Coaching Connection (http://www.corporatecoaching101.com) and Founder/Team Member of Solo-E (http://www.Solo-E.com) is a corporate and professional coach. She works with professionals, entrepreneurs, directors, and executives to define and achieve the personal and business goals they set for themselves. She coaches in the areas of goal setting, skill development, priority management and career transitions. ____________________________________________ *********** Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com - Keeping Solo Entrepreneurs Juiced in Business and in Life. Our team of Solo Entrepreneurs are comprised of small business experts who support others in finding business success with the flexibility and freedom to have a life, too. Network with other freelancers, self-employed and Solo Entrepreneurs in our forums, enjoy our articles and newsletter, and find other online training opportunities. ***********
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Six keys to keys build vision - point four 4. Start somewhere (put to use what you already have)"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. Conquering Goals: The Battle Plan "To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe."(Anatole France) While these three items define success, without all of them success would be unattainable. One Single Secret to Goal Setting Success Perhaps you have never taken a stock of the most valuable and precious wealth of yours. Every person possesses it since the day of birth. Manifesting Your Dreams and Desires What are your dreams?Are you in a place in your life where part of it feels limited or exhausting? If so, it is the time for you to begin manifesting your dreams and desires. First of all you must remember that Miracles do happen and that it is time to reach for the top. Housewife....Is That All You Are? Scenario: You have taken care of the house, the kids, your husband and everything in between for years. You get a sense of happiness and joy taking care of your family, although you get tired sometimes. Broken Sleep For the past several weeks, I have not been sleeping well. I've been waking up after 4 or 5 hours, tossing and turning for the rest of the night. Develop Your Soul Goals! Occasionally when I talk with people about goals they seem to interpret the intention of goals as being to get more things. Naturally things are important but there is so much more to goal setting that I wish to share with you. A Winner Never Uses Chance or Luck to Win In games of chance, what separates a player from a winner and are they mutually exclusive?It takes some skill to be a good poker player. Certainly one needs to know the number of cards in a deck, how many suits in each deck and what the different hands are and which hand beats which. Breaking Goals Down To The Basics One of the primary reasons why people fail to execute their goals is they set forth unrealistic or overly complex goals. Most of us have the tendency to look at the finish line without paying much consideration to the distance between the end point and us. Finding Life's Candles for Dark Moments Tragedy doesn't make an appointment. It attacks! A terrifying surprise that explodes in the midst of a family. How to Turn New Years Resolutions into New Year's Results Are you ready to learn how to finally turn your New Year's resolutions into New Year's results? The key word here is "new", because you want to create "new" results. You must analyze your old year that has passed and your future, which means do not think "re-run/replay" instead think about forging forward into the New Year. Reaching for the Goal Can goals be easily reached? This question is in most of our minds. Some tend to think that goals are hard to achieve and that only very clever people can be true achievers!Remember the saying 'If there is a will, there is a way'? I bet many of you do. I Need to Accomplish Something Do you have trouble taking a day off? Boy, I do. When I take a day off I lie around all day, read novels, eat whatever I want, take a nap, and generally do whatever I want. Make Your Goals Stick The amazing thing about the future is that if you wait, it will always come to you. No doubt you sat down and created your share of New Year's resolutions to conquer this year. 7 Ways To Ignite Your Vision Probably the hardest skill to teach, and the one of the most vital to posess, is vision. Vision requires discipline in order to generate images of what you would like to become, both professionally and personally. Just Do It! Write Down Some Goals and Start Achieving! You have a choice it would seem - you can float along on the river of the life, don't worry about where it takes you and maybe disappear over a waterfall or go with the flow but steer your way towards your objective.If you want a chance at achieving something you have to set goals. The Psychology Of Success Everybody has a dream. A fantasy, if you like. Maximizing The Time of Your Life Setting goalsSetting personal and business goals are a must if you want to experience the benefit of time management. Setting goals outlines your intentions for what you plan to do and makes it real to you. Seven Deadly Enemies That Stop You From Reaching Your Goals Everybody on this planet has enemies, rivals and foes. Call them any way you like, but nevertheless they exist, chasing you at every step you make. How to Triple Your Productivity in 28 days - Part II If you've been diligent in doing the past 2 concentration builders you will notice you have a considerable increase in your productivity and your power to stay focused. In fact, you have probably also noticed that you are more organized, and feel more at ease.
|
|
|
 |
 |
