You’ve Set Great Goals... Now What? Seven Secrets to Getting Where You Want to Go

Are you ready to make 2009 the best year of your life? Have you set big, bold goals for the year that make you feel excited and even a little nervous? Congratulations! You've taken the very important first step. If you’re still not sure about your goals, download the Top Ten Goals form <a href="http://www.chiekowatanabe.com/Resources_files/Top%20Ten%20Goals%20Worksheet_1.pdf">here</a> to help guide you. To get anywhere at all, it helps to know where we want to go. At the New Year we have a lot of energy and enthusiasm around our goals, a great way to set off on any adventure. But as the year unrolls, many of us struggle to keep motivated. It’s easy to lose focus. These seven secrets will keep you energized, motivated, and on track until you reach one goal after another. <ol> <li> Write your goals down: Writing down your goals may seem unnecessary, but don't skip this crucial step. It deepens your commitment to the goal and makes it real. Write the goal as if you've already achieved it. Be specific, keep it measurable, and include a timeline. Example: I earned $200,000 by December 31, 2009. (I've got a great goal worksheet you can download <a href="http://www.chiekowatanabe.com/Resources_files/Top%20Ten%20Goals%20Worksheet_1.pdf">here</a>. ) </li> <li> Give your goals top billing: If Buddha was correct in saying we are what we think about, we want to think of our goals regularly. Keep your goals posted in key places where you can review them daily. I keep mine in my PDA and at my office. Keep them in your car, your computer, your refrigerator or bathroom mirror—anywhere you’ll come face to face with them often. When you do, read them aloud. You’re on a trip—it pays to check your map and keep your goals foremost in your mind. </li> <li> Take goal-oriented action daily: Take action on your goals every day to build and maintain momentum. You may spend entire days working on your goal, and on other days just a few minutes—a quick phone call, a brainstorm, a Web search. If nothing else is pressing, take a few minutes to visualize yourself achieving your goal. Go ahead, smile! Let yourself feel the excitement and sense of accomplishment! "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." ~Dale Carnegie </li> <li> Create your goals V-team: Not V for Victory, but V for the formation that geese fly in. In V-formation, geese honk to encourage the lead goose to keep up its speed. In the same way, your V-team will help you stay focused and motivated. They are your biggest cheerleaders. They urge you on, day after day, support you, tell you over and over, "I know you can do it!"—especially when you need to hear it most. Select your V-team with care—its members could be coaches, mentors, like-minded colleagues who share your ambition, and encouraging family and friends. </li> <li> Practice courage: It's normal for fear to come up as we take action on our goals. We need to recognize that it's simply part of the process, and not let it distract or confuse us. Any goal worth reaching usually lies right outside <a></a>our comfort zone. Courage is not the absence of fear, but recognizing the fear and taking action anyway. "Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyways." ~John Wayne </li> <li> Remember who’s in charge: Challenges let you know you’re on track (if reaching a goal was easy, we wouldn’t need to make any special effort). So do mistakes (if we could do it perfectly already, it wouldn’t be on our goals list). The trick is not to let challenges or mistakes discourage you. Instead, use them! (Who’s in charge here?) A mistake is a guide to creating a better strategy. Challenges overcome are stepping stones of self-discovery, and markers on the way to success.  </li> <li> Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!: Track your accomplishments each day in a success journal. Jotting these down will help you stay accountable to taking action daily (in fact, this is a daily action) and track your progress. Example: Registered for Networking XYZ, completed draft proposal for Project A, called Jane and set up planning meeting. Let your V-Team know about the small steps and midway successes. The moments you take to celebrate each move forward will motivate you to do more! </li> </ol> 2009-01-14T05:26:41Z

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youve-set-great-goals-now-what-seven-secrets-to-getting-where-you-want-to-go

2009-01-17T05:37:29Z

Have you set big, bold goals for 2009? At the New Year we have enthusiasm around our goals, but as the year unrolls, we can struggle to keep motivated. These seven secrets will keep you energized and on-track!

You’ve Set Great Goals... Now What? Seven Secrets to Getting Where You Want to Go

2009-02-24T09:48:29Z