Today I will continue my discussion of the 12 Steps to Achieving Any Goal as it applies to the workplace.
7. Define the obstacles to achieving your goal. It may seem counter-intuitive to put any focus on obstacles, for fear of indulging in negative thinking. But I encourage you to embrace the obstacles in your way because the solution to achieving your goals actually lies in your obstacles.
Obstacles make you think harder and force you to be versatile. If you clearly define your obstacles, your mind will get to work at finding solutions. If you are using this approach in the workplace with a departmental or group goal, you’ll experience synergy as you define obstacles together and commit to overcoming them.
8. Focus on the solutions to overcoming your obstacles. Now that you know what your obstacles are you and your team can focus on the specific ways to overcome them. Remember, problem-solving is ingrained in our nature.
If your obstacle is lack of funding for a piece of equipment or software to make a certain aspect of your business run more efficiently, then brainstorm possible solutions such as cutting back expenses in other areas, like travel, conferences, etc. If your obstacle is a boss who shoots down innovative ideas, possible solutions would be a seminar on communications, talking directly to the boss about this problem in a constructive way, looking for a new job, talking to a coach or therapist about how to become more assertive, etc.
9. Enlist all possible resources to help you attain your goal. If your goal is workplace related, you are literally surrounded by people who can help you. You also have colleagues, friends and relatives. If you want to improve your company’s direct marketing campaigns, make an effort to talk to friends and colleagues who are marketers about it. If you want to change careers, enlist the services of a coach, tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job in a particular industry, etc.
You are never have to be alone in pursuing your goals. Most of the people in your life will be more than willing to help in any way they can. Make a list of all the people and resources available to you.
10. Set clear milestones on your path to success. Break down your goals into time frames. If you want your department to have a certain dollar amount of sales by the end of the year, break it into 90 day goals. Then celebrate! Take your department to lunch or have a celebration. If it’s a personal goal rather than a departmental one, reward yourself in some way. Take a day off or make a special purchase, go out to eat with your family or friends, etc. If your goal is a longterm one then it’s especially important to set milestones.
11. Share your goal widely. Choose three people to share your goals with. Choose people who aren’t naysayers. If your goal involves an entire department then maybe you and your co-workers can share your goals with another department. The purpose of sharing your goal isn’t to brag or for the other people to look over your shoulder and nag you. Rather, the process of articulating your goal to others will help make it more clear to you and will automatically make you more willing to achieve your goal because you’ve shared it with others.
12. Visualize with clarity what your goal will look like. You need a crystal clear image of what success will look like for you. Use photos, mental images, a Vision Board. Ask yourself what your goal will look like, sound like and smell like. Regularly spend several minutes visualizing your final outcome, to the point where you can actually feel the emotions.
I recommend that you go through the 12 steps again and write down on a piece of paper your goal, obstacles, resources, milestones, etc. and keep that paper before you each day. I wish you much success on your journey to fulfilling your goals. I hope these 12 tips have been helpful.
Don’t forget to download the free 12 Steps to Achieve Any Goal report and worksheet.
