Today, we are experiencing change at a rate never before imagined in history. The forces of change impact everything we do. The rate of change is accelerating week by week and month by month, and this rate of change is going to accelerate in the months and years ahead.
The speed and variety of change is something over which you have no control, and about which you have no choice. The only decision you have to make is whether you are going to be a master of change or a victim of change.
The sooner you learn to cope with change and turn it to your advantage, the more successful, effective, and happy you will be in everything you do. One of the best ways to become a master of change is to set realistic and effective goals.
Realistic and effective goals help people cope with change more effectively because they fuel commitment, even when life is stressful. Goals provide a strong stabilizing influence in times of turmoil. You can and should set goals in different areas: professional, financial, emotional, spiritual, and family.
There are five ways you should set goals to help you deal more effectively with change:
1. Make your goals realistic. Realism in goal-setting is a two-edged sword. Some people set goals that are two high. Others dont make their aspirations fly high enough. The key is balance. You should set goals that stretch you, but make them realistic.
2. Be specific and write it down. Decide exactly what you want to do, how you want to do it, and when youll achieve it. Next, write your goal, noting the specifics when youll achieve it. To begin the process for yourself, think of something you have a strong desire to attain. Next, to clarify and commit yourself to your goal, write it down. Be specific and concrete.
3. Imagine yourself attaining the goal. Visualization is the most effective way to practice and achieve new behaviors. Imagine what your life will look like once youve achieved your goal. What do things around you look like? How do you sound? How does the environment around you sound? What do you look like? How do you feel?
4. Ask yourself some key questions:
Does your goal fit with other plans you have? For example, if you want to work in politics, a home in an isolated small town wont help.
Does reaching your goal create a win/win situation? For example, if you want to have a job that allows you to travel a lot, a spouse who hates it when you travel will be a problem.
What obstacles will you have to surmount to reach your goal?
5. List the action steps needed. Attaining goals requires gaining new knowledge and/or information. To convert your goal into reality you must have a system of projecting and tracking your progress. For every goal you should have eight to ten action steps each of which should have an action item, a person responsible, a completion date, and an estimated time for completion. Without a projecting and tracking system your goal is just a dream that will never happen.
You cant just set your goals and then forget about them. You must reemphasize your goals every day, so commitment doesnt wane. Keep your written goals and the action steps in a convenient location. At least once a day, read the goal to yourself, out loud. Then, imagine yourself having already attained it. By doing this, youll condition yourself to reach the outcome youve set.
It also helps to make a list of daily goals, but make sure they are realistic. Dont overburden yourself, because that will just add to your stress level. Instead, make a realistic assessment of what youd like to accomplish that day and what is reasonable to accomplish. Then make your list. Youll gain a feeling of energy as you cross off each item completed.
It is possible to take goals too seriously. Goals can become a negative when you forget to enjoy the process of attaining them. True commitment doesnt require that you become grim and self-righteous. For example, if youre bogged down in the present, stuck in one of those inevitable periods when everything seems like drudge work, focus on your goal. This will energize you and provide inspiration to continue.
When you set concrete goals, the results can be almost magical. Youll find that outcomes arrive faster and more easily, and because youre looking toward your goal, you will tailor your life and work to reach it.
Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and success coaching programs. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in career coach training. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing. Joe is the author of three books, Starting Your Own Business, Finding Your Purpose In Life, and The Guerrilla Marketing Workbook.
Copyright2007 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
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