We all know that we need to set goals, and the more energy you have towards reaching a goal, the greater chance you’ll have of getting there.
So, what can you do to give your goals some wings?
Deadlines are key. The most important thing is to give yourself some deadlines. Make them firm and unmovable – deadlines are the foundations of your goals – build them firm and your building will stand. Fail to build firm foundations and they’ll just slide away from under you.
Here are some examples to think about:
- Your son’s 5th birthday is coming up in 3 weeks. You need to mail the invitations, hire the clown, organize the food and buy the favors and decorations. Somehow, you get it done.
- You’re expecting a new baby in a month’s time. You’re working right up to your due date if possible and your husband is away a lot. You need to paint the nursery, get all the baby equipment sorted and arrange your birth plan. It’s all done a week ahead of your due date.
- You’re going on vacation on Saturday. You need to cancel the newspaper, pack, put the dogs in the kennel, arrange with the neighbor to look after your house and buy the last few items. It’s all sorted by the time you step onto the plane.
- The one thing that these scenarios have in common is a hard, non-negotiable deadline. You can’t delay a plane, move a birthday or ask your baby to hang on another week!
Think about it. When you have important, non-negotiable deadline in your personal or family life, how many have you missed?
The same applies in business. Compare these examples:
- Your expense report must be in by the 10th of the month, or you won’t get reimbursed. You make sure it’s on the boss’s desk on time!
- Your boss expects your weekly project report in his or her inbox every Friday at 2pm. It’s always done on time.
- You need to have submitted a notice to bid by next Tuesday or you won’t have a chance to bid. It’s turned in the night before.
The truth is that, the more solid the deadline, the more likely the goal will be achieved by that date. The more you let deadlines slide, the more you threaten your chances of achieving your goals.
The above examples show you how much energy is created when deadlines are perceived to be real and non-negotiable – you create impetus and urgency.
Beware of the “slide”
One of the biggest challenges that people have in setting their own goals is that, without an external ‘taskmaster’ for their own personal or professional goals, they allow their self-imposed deadlines to slide in favor of the deadlines imposed by others. It’s almost as if they sacrifice their own goals in favor of everyone else’s, thinking, “I can do that tomorrow.” And for some, tomorrow never arrives.
There are several ways to create your own ‘taskmaster’.
- Tie your goals to an event
- Publicize them and share them with people who will support you
- Write them down and keep them places you’ll see them regularly – on your bulletin board, screensaver or refrigerator, or pinned to your bathroom mirror.
- Get an accountability partner (a friend, mentor or coach), or join an accountability group.
Consider the difference between these two goals:
- I will lose 10 pounds by the end of the month. (not bad, but could be moved)
- I will lose 10 pounds by the date of my daughter’s wedding. (NOT movable)
It isn’t that every goal must have a hard or fast deadline, but the more important or significant the goal is to you, the more you should consider establishing a solid and non-negotiable deadline.
Then experience the power of a circle in your calendar!
