A colleague recently told me "people aren`t interested in goal stuff anymore - because they feel they already know it." I nodded knowingly, but after our conversation I couldn`t get my unasked question out of my mind.
"If people know all about goals, why aren`t they achieving all the things they desire?"
The first, and most simple, answer to this question is that even though people know about goal setting, and talk about the importance of it, they don`t do it.
My guess is that less than 20% of people have clear goals, and probably less than 5% have them written down. A great case can and has been made that taking the steps to clearly define and write down your goals is a key to greater achievement.
While I agree with that point and strongly encourage you to more clearly define your goals, greater achievement alone isn`t enough.
The second, more powerful and less obvious, reason why people aren`t achieving what is possible for them is that goals are just one part of the achievement and success process.
In order to achieve at the highest levels you must consider all three parts of your life, which goals don`t really do.
Let`s start with a truth: You are where you are today because of the choices, experiences, associations, inputs, ideas, beliefs, opportunities and habits in your life up until this moment.
The underlying point of a goal is to create something different in our future than we currently have or experience. So it follows that in order to reach that destination we must do something (or perhaps many things) differently.
This means that to reach your goals you must create new or different choices, experiences, associations, inputs, ideas, beliefs, opportunities and habits.
Goal achievement requires consideration of three components: where you`ve been, where you are, and where you want to be.
Most goals focus solely on the "where you want to be", though the best ones take "where you are" into account. To expand your horizons beyond goals themselves, let`s discuss each of these perspectives briefly.
Where you`ve been. Your past is what puts you in your current situation. Therefore, in order to best determine how to move forward, you must better understand where you`ve been. This understanding can come from reflection and exploration of past situations and experiences. This is important because if you don`t understand your past choices, habits, etc., you are likely to repeat them unconsciously. With the same behaviors in the future, it will be hard to reach new results, regardless of your goal, whether you have written it down, etc.
About the Author:
Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://www.KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps organizations, teams and individuals unleash their leadership potential. Sign up today for a free 2-month trial in Kevin's Remarkable Leadership Kick Start System at
http://www.remarkable-leadership.com/campaigns/kick-start-system.asp.
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293
Date Published :
Apr 7 2009