"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
Today we have a variety of instruments to give us directions to places we've never been before.Perhaps you use your GPS, Mapquest, or your phone to give you guidance. But before any of these will give us directions to the place of our choice, we have to know where we're going. GPS or Mapquest simply provide the directions to get us to a place we've already decided to go.
Did you know that 87% of the population just drifts through each day without any direction? They have no goals. Another 10% think about their goals, but only 3% actually document their goals. The first quarter is a good time to decide where we're going in 2011. (Especially if you DIDN'T do it in 4th quarter of 2010!) It's time to set GOALS!
For goals to be effective, they must contain several elements:
- They must be clear and concise
- They must be attainable
- They must have a time frame
- They must be measurable
- They must be in writing
Too often we have "objectives", not goals. Objectives are vague desires with no operational plan for achieving them. Turning these vague plans into organized goals is a little like programming the address you wish to go to into your GPS: you begin to receive step-by-step instructions to get you there.
Whatever your goals for 2011, they should be written down in a manner so that you can keep them constantly with you and top-of-mind. A 5X7 index card is a good way. Making your goals your screen saver is another. I once knew a gentleman who had his goals laminated and hanging in his shower.
Having a desire to get new clients is not a goal. Wanting to get 30 new clients in 2011 is. This desire now becomes a goal: clear, concise, measurable and within a time frame. How achievable it is depends on your current circumstances. And, it must be written down.
Now that you know where you want to go, you can develop daily activities that will lead to 30 new clients in 2011. Your internal GPS can go to work and give you specific directions to arrive at your destination.
You will be amazed at the power generated by written goals. They will help you to turn 2011 into your greatest selling year ever!
l
