Goals: 6 easy ways to improve your chances of success
May 30, 2023
One of my goals in writing this blog is to look at everyday scenarios in new ways. My coaching practice is focused on performance. Each engagement is split into Sets, and Sets have Session A - where we unpack an issue and discover the current reality, the facts and the mental models that are in place for the client. Session B is focused on moving beyond the current state and setting some goals around progress that can create a sense of motivation and accountability.
There have been countless articles written about goal setting - SMART, SMARTER, Stretch, I could go on. However most of these articles say basically the same thing - how to set a goal. They don't necessarily get to the crux of how to improve your chances of actually reaching those goals; or why most people fail in reaching their goals. For the record, I am talking about goals in all walks of life - relationships, business, personal development.
With that in mind, I have pulled together my top 6 tips for goal 'achievement maximization' below.
1) Have a good idea of where you want to end up and how that will feel
A visualization, a draft of a newspaper article written in the future that describes your success or a mind map of the benefits of being successful all help to identify where you want to end up. A clear picture of what success looks like makes it easier to keep your eyes on the prize when you encounter obstacles or barriers which can distract you from your goal. I liken it to Batman firing a grappling hook to climb a wall. It makes it much for him easier to climb up a wall / building by having secure idea of his end point and a line to pull on - and no doubt he will feel better about reaching that hook!
2) Identify why this goal is important to you - at an emotional level
Many people set goals because they rationally feel they should. However asking yourself why this goal is genuinely important to you gives you a WHY! Indeed a goal that is important to you is far more likely to be achieved than one that isn't. It sounds simple doesn't it? So why are so many of you stuck in jobs you are apathetic about, or worse still, that you hate? If your company's goals aren't important to you...… well, need I say more?
At a personal level, "Because I want to be thinner" is a less compelling reason than "because I want to be able to run around with my children and see their happy smiles as I chase them on the beach". Being emotionally linked to a goal is far more powerful motivational tool than milestone achievement or fiscal liquidity. So ask yourself - why do I really want this?
3) Work out what you need to do to get started - what are the first three steps?
Strategies take a long time to pull together. Gannt charts and project plans can be tedious. Absolutely they have their place but actually getting started in a thought out way is key. List the first 3 steps you will take in detail, and how those steps fit together, and see the difference. Three steps are ideal because they are manageable to conceive (Tim Ferriss talks about chunking goals down) but also if you can't plan the first three steps seamlessly, it may be worth looking into points one and two again to check in on the validity of your goal. Also, if you can achieve the first three steps, you are often more motivated to continue with the rest of the goal. A running coach I met once said that whilst a client's overall goal might be a half marathon, the first three steps are always:
- learning basic running techniques,
- to be able to run 5km everyday without resting,
- and find a running buddy to keep them honest.
I've never forgotten it.
4) Plan contingencies for risks / barriers to your success
Many slimmers and "resolutionists" set themselves goals such as losing 30lbs/15kgs in 3 months. Businesses set targets for their sales people such as "grow 5% this quarter" and then they wander why they fail. Often failure occurs because people haven't considered birthdays with cake at work, rainy weather which isn't nice to go to the gym in; or in the case of business, market shifts, competition, or political events. Planning ahead for what you will do when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake into the office or a new competitor enters your market removes the element of surprise from blocking your success, and makes it easier to cope with whilst staying focused on your goal. List out the "what if's" and then have a plan for them before they happen.
5) Identify experts / mentors who can help you achieve your goals
Vinh Giang, lit at light bulb in my mind when he was talking about starting his business to sell magic tricks online. When his mentor asked him how many entrepreneurs, website owners and online sellers he knew, his answer was zero! He shared with Vinh the secret of us being the average of the five people we spend the most time with. So if you are setting a new goal, find five people who are going to help you because they either know you well, or they have already been successful in that goal. Spend as much time with them as possible. The reason I wanted to take part in Remote Year is exactly that. I am surrounded by successful entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers from whom I regularly seek information. Conversely, those who are not achievers or experts may have a tendency to be barriers to your success.
6) Don't be so inflexible in your goals that you miss out on opportunity
Many coaches will encourage you to pursue your goals ruthlessly but a blinkered approach can get in the way of the moment a change in direction would lead to a better outcome. Instagram is the most widely used photo app for smartphones but many don’t know its origins. Instagram began as Burbn, a check-in app, with an accompanying photo functionality. Worried their app was too complicated the creators changed their goal and rebuilt a version of the app that focused solely on photography—it was clean and simple, and well, the rest is history! Be focused on your goal and pursue it with verve and energy but don't let perceptual narrowing prevent you from seeing the bigger picture and the opportunities in it.
There are so many more things that can improve your chances of achieving goals but try these few tips and see how you get on. I'd love to hear comments or feedback on any other tips or pointers that work for you.
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