“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Caroll
The recent Germany Argentina football match once again brought into focus the power of goal setting. Fifty-two days after Germany were declared world champions; Argentina defeated the former in a friendly match with a score of 4-2 in Dusseldorf.
It was their sheer grit and persistence that won the day for Argentina. But persistence requires that you have an effective goal-setting strategy.
In fact goal setting forms a crucial starting point of every journey. If the Almighty came to you and said, “What do you want? I will give you whatever you want,” what would you ask for? This is where goal setting begins. Know what you want and set a timeline by which to achieve it.
The following 10 steps to an effective goal-setting process:
- Create a burning desire. When you have a deep desire, the universe conspires to help.
- Understand why you have this burning desire. If the reason “why” you want something is not strong enough, the ‘how’ will not happen.
- Write out your specific, time bound and measurable goals, broken down into short, medium, and long-term goals. Also think of holistic goals.
- Understand the value of obstacles and pain. They are triggers and necessary for great success. Remember, changing your habits is not going to be easy.
- You need to create or discover the road map to get there; otherwise you could be going around in circles looking for your destination. Do you know how to achieve your goal? How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? If you don’t know, find out from others who have done it. You will save a ton of time and anxiety.
- Slow and steady wins the race. There is no Nescafe (instant) solution.
- Get feedback periodically and have an accountability mechanism. A mentor or a coach can be a great help identifying your blind spots and making you accountable.
- Form a new habit to the point of unconscious competence, a habit that you have created over many years of practice, like brushing your teeth every morning.
- Once you acquire a habit (unconscious competence), it is time to master a new habit and take your ability to the next level. If you try to create habits with too many goals, it becomes very difficult.
10. Have fun. It is not about perfection but continuous improvement. Enjoy the ride and celebrate your success, remembering that the destiny is in the journey.
Thorough planning and starting early are two qualities I have noticed in successful leaders. They think way ahead, start the planning process with effective delegation, and take baby steps, making the exercise seem almost effortless. Unsuccessful leaders are usually fire fighting and have a take-it-as-it-comes-approach, which can lead to duplication and inefficiency. Organise your life, set priorities, plan ahead, delegate well, and enjoy the ride!