By Tim and Roberta Palm Bradley
Do you know where you are going and will you know when you got there?
Unfortunately, a vast majority of us have little or no idea where we are headed one week, one month, or one year from now. Social scientists say that less than five percent of the population have actually determined, and written, a plan for the achievement of specific goals. The same research indicates these planners are the individuals who consistently express a high degree of satisfaction with their lives.
In interviewing more than 200 employees from an array of Fortune 500 companies over the last two years, we have found that the individuals who consistently expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their lives had a plan that linked their personal goals and values with the goals and values of their organizations.
We can best understand the value of individual goals by first looking at our companies.
Most firms make elaborate and extensive plans for future growth. They establish an overall statement of purpose and then create strategic business plans and goals to keep them on target. In completing the plans, they have a yard stick for measuring their progress toward their long-range goals. These clearly defined goals theoretically provide a foundation for budgeting and decision-making. They give people a way to solve problems quickly. All they have to do is view the problem in light of the company's goals and values.
A personal goals program gives you the same advantages for overall achievement and personal performance. The more clearly you understand your goals, the more likely it is that you will do what it takes to achieve them on a day-to-day basis. Goals also give you the same decision-making advantages personally as they do in business. When confronted with an important decision, you need only to look at the alternatives and see which is likely to push you closer toward your goal.
Start setting your goals by establishing a relationship between where you are now and where you want to go. Remember that less than five percent of the population considers themselves successful? Closer study reveals that the same five percent were in the habit of writing down their goals and plans for achievement.
Writing forces you to clarify you thinking. If you can't draw a mental picture of your goals, they probably need clarification.
Written goals keep you on target and give you a "booster shot" to help you continue working toward their accomplishment.
Writing a plan eliminates the danger of its being altered unconsciously by the passage of time and the vagaries of your current employer.
Written goals can be easily communicated to others. If you need your spouse, friends, or even children to help you reach your goal, a written plan will assist them in determining their roles.
Written objectives offer a standard by which you can measure daily progress. You lose your standard of measurement, you lose your motivation. Period.
The creative process of writing and clarifying your current thoughts generates new thoughts and ideas.
Committing a goal to writing is only the first step toward reaching it. There must be some reason for you to work out a detailed plan and take the necessary action to complete it.
We all do things for one of two reasons: either to gain a benefit or avoid some loss. After you write your goal, list the rewards and benefits you will receive, or the loss you will avoid, once it is accomplished. Picture yourself already possessing the rewards. The more emotionally involved you become with the goal, the more likely you are to accomplishing it.
With few notable exceptions, every airline pilot knows the flight destination in advance. Even though the destination or goal is clearly defined, the pilot doesn't take off until more data about potential inclement weather, other air traffic along the way, carrying weight, or re-fueling stops are determined. A good pilot realizes it is necessary to know in advance obstacles that could hinder her progress. A safe flight plan is developed only after possible obstacles are identified.
The next step in personal goal setting is no different. After you've set a goal, sit back and ask yourself: "What or who stands between me and the achievement of my goal?"
List everything that comes to mind. Exposing all possible obstacles will offer a clear-cut picture of what you have to overcome to reach your goal.
Like magic, once an obstacle appears on paper, the solution is often quite obvious. A number of solutions will probably emerge for each obstacle.
By taking our personal strategic plan as seriously as we take our company's, we create a present and future defined on our own terms.
Tim and Roberta Palm Bradley own Rainier Associates that helps organizations capture competitive advantage through innovative human resource development. Roberta is Vice President - Program for PBWC. You may reach Rainier Associates through email: RAINIER001@AOL.COM; phone (415) 892-0114; fax (415) 893-9345.
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