Today is Wednesday, so this post is about Outstanding Performance.
Stars perform – that’s why they’re stars. Outstanding performance starts with goals…
Outstanding performance begins with goals. It’s easier to get somewhere if you know where you’re going in the first place.
Establish clear goals for yourself. Write these goals. People who take the time to write their goals achieve more frequently than people who don’t.
Keep your goals with you – in your wallet, on a clip board, on your screen saver. Your goals should be a constant reminder to you of what you are going to achieve. Focus on them several times a day. Ask yourself, “is what I’m doing right now helping me achieve one of my goals?” If the answer is no, stop and do something that will help you reach your goals.
Stay balanced by creating goals in all areas of your life: career, personal, business, family, hobbies, health. Make sure your goals are congruent with one another. Conflicting goals create undo stress. For example, if you have a work goal that is going to take 60 to 80 hours a week, it will be pretty difficult to realize a goal of running a marathon.
List the reasons you want to achieve each goal you’ve set for yourself. This will help you when you get tired and frustrated and ask yourself, “why am I working so hard at this?”
Consider what you might have to forgo or give up to reach a goal. These could be things like family time and hobbies. Ask yourself questions like: “Is this goal important enough for me to give up my weekly yoga class, or my kid’s soccer games?”
Make your goals SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results Oriented, Time Specified. This is a tried and true formula for creating goals that will result in meaningful accomplishments.
- Specific – Your goals should be targeted, nor broad and general. They should be unambiguous and explicit.
- Measurable – you should be able to tell quickly and easily if you’ve met your goal. Develop a set of criteria that will be indicative of success or failure in meeting each of your goals.
- Achievable – Set goals that are challenging, but not incredibly difficult to achieve. A challenging goal is motivating, an impossible one is demotivating.
- Results Oriented – Focus on results, avoid in the activity trap. Your goals should focus on the results you want to achieve, not the activities you will undertake to get there. For example, “improved presentation skills” is a result; “participating in a presentation skills training program” is an activity. It’s possible to complete activities and not achieve the desired result.
- Time Specified – Set deadlines for achieving your goals. Well developed goals come with time limits.
Finally, share your goals with the people with whom you are close. They can help you achieve them. Goals that you don’t share are merely aspirations. Sharing them with others makes them more real.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more career advice. Check out my other blog www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a business.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
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