Start From The Other Side of the Goal
You know why most of us don’t set goals? Because too often we see a goal as a big, scary beast that needs to be tamed or slain. We think of the very goal itself as a behemoth standing in the path of our success. Every inspirational blurb we’ve ever heard about ‘just doing it’ echoes in our minds, and in an attempt at embracing momentum we start at our goal by running really, really fast, straight into it and (surprise!) bounce right off. Sitting on our backside, we ponder whether to take another run at it or not. (Surprise again: we usually choose “not.”)
Been there?
The problem is that we oftentimes look at goals from the wrong perspective. Think of something noteworthy or complicated that you’ve accomplished in your life:
- Rebuilding an engine
- Learning a language
- Traveling overseas
- Planning a huge party
- Learning to play an instrument
Now think back to when you first considered that undertaking. How did those early steps feel at the time? Scary? Overwhelming? Like you were attempting to slay a giant? Complicated and hazy?
One of the keys to effective goal achievement is an ample degree of goal clarity. But the key here is to define clarity from the other side of your goal, as if you’ve already achieved it.
Here’s a ten-minute exercise to encourage you on this journey:
1) Think of something you want to accomplish in 2014. It can be business-related or personal. Choose something you can accomplish this year (or even this next quarter), but nothing so small that it can be accomplished in a day or a week.
2) Now close your eyes and get really clear on what it will look and feel like when you have accomplished that goal. Imagine that you’ve done it…you’re there…you have fully met your goal. Feel the satisfaction. Look at the finished results. Imagine that the goal is 100% complete and that you are presently experiencing the reward.
3) Now open your eyes and write down the steps you took to reach your goal. Looking from the side of your goal being completed, what happened on the journey? What obstacles did you overcome? Was the “beast” as scary as you anticipated?
Start from the other side of the goal, my friends. That’s where your perspective is clear! If you view your goal only from the ‘not there yet’ side, you are less likely to accomplish anything spectacular. You cannot hit a target that you cannot see. So see it, and see it clearly. And you’ll change the world.
About the Author:
Jeff Shore is a highly sought-after sales expert, speaker, author and executive coach. His latest book, Be Bold and Win the Sale: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Boost Your Performance, (published by McGraw-Hill in January 2014) illustrates Jeff’s innovative BE BOLD methodology and teaches you how to change your mindset and change your world. Learn more at jeffshore.com or follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffshore.
For more than three decades, Jeff has guided executives and sales teams in large and small companies across the globe to embrace their discomforts and deliver BOLD sales results. In a crowded field of sales experts and training programs, Jeff Shore stands out with his research-based BE BOLD methodology. Combining his extensive front-line sales experience with the latest Cognitive Behavioral Therapy research, Jeff has created a highly effective, personalized way to reset sales paradigms and deliver industry-leading results. Jeff doesn’t just teach you how to sell, he shows you how to change your mindset and change your world.
