Happy New Year!
How is the goal setting going?
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with setting goals in each area of your life, or if you are overwhelmed now that you have set goals in every area of your life and you are already wondering where you’re going to get the time to do it all, then you’re not alone.
I’ve been goal setting for years, and while I (and the rest of the world) may get pumped up by all the wonderful things I’m going to accomplish and all the changes I’m going to make, what I’ve learned is that there is only so much time.
It’s an old story, but if you want to know how much of the goal setting (and accomplishing) really goes, just drive by your local gym’s parking lot during the first week of January and compare it to the first week in March.
I once heard Brian Tracy talk about setting goals, and he recommended a technique that not only made a lot of sense, but that turns out to be so powerful, it is life changing…
He said what you do is make a list of your top ten goals for the year. Think about what’s most important to you in the different areas of your life, and write down ten things.
Next, prioritize that list so that the most important goal is number one. The way to determine which goal is number one is to ask yourself which of the ten would have the most impact on your life if you actually reached it.
Once you have your list prioritized, throw away the other nine goals and make a commitment to making that number one goal a reality in the coming twelve months.
And once you’ve made that commitment, ask yourself what one action you can take today, right now, to begin reaching that goal. And once you have identified that, do it.
Before you go to sleep tonight, identify the one action you’re going to take tomorrow, and then commit to taking it.
And then do this each and every day until you have accomplished that one most important goal.
When I heard this, my first thought was, “Yeah, but what about the other nine goals? What about balance and all that?”
And that’s when he explained that despite our best intentions, most goal setting starts strong, but by March we’ve given up on half of them, and by the summer most – if not all – have been abandoned.
That’s why identifying one goal, the most important and most impactful goal, is a better way to go.
Think about how much your life will change (and the lives of your family members) if you reach your number one, most important goal.
If your goal is to become a top producer in your industry and double or triple your income, think about the impact that will have on your family! Think about buying that new home, or providing for your parents, or allowing your wife or spouse to stay home.
If your goal is to finally write that novel, think about how your life will change when you finally accomplish that this year! Think about the weight off your shoulders now that it is a reality rather than just another dream.
If your goal is to lose weight, get in shape, and get off your medication and live a longer, healthier life for yourself and your family, think about the long term rewards achieving that goal will bring you! (And think of the consequence if you don’t.)
Whether or not you agree with Brian, I’m here to tell you that it’s more impactful for you to hit the most important goal in your life than it is to set ten and not hit any of them…
And, hey, if you reach your number one goal by July, you can get to number two!
If you’ve set goals for years and not been very successful at following through, then why not take the pressure off yourself and try Brian’s method?
How bad would it be if you actually reached your most important goal in 2017?
Copyright (c) 2016 Mr. Inside Sales
Author: Mike Brooks
Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: www.MrInsideSales.com
