Melissa Lamson* believes the purpose of setting difficult goals should be to bring out the best in the people who strive to achieve them rather than hitting the goal itself.
In a recent article I wrote about how we should ask ourselves the right questions when it comes to goal achievement.
Now I want to share a system on how to set and achieve goals.
Before we talk about the system, it is important to understand that the purpose of setting big goals is not for you to hit the goal.
I know you might think I am crazy to suggest that, so let me explain.
Think about goals as a tool to help you stretch and take action that will get you out of your comfort zone, so you can in fact, grow and become better.
This mindset shift can set you free from the fear of not achieving your goals and the fear of failure.
Too many of us set goals and when we don’t achieve them exactly as we envisioned we feel like a failure.
This is the farthest thing from the truth.
Stop worrying about achieving them and focus on using goals as a way to get into action.
Success isn’t defined by the achievement of a goal.
It’s defined by you showing up every single day and taking intentional action in pursuit of that goal.
Most importantly, you have to begin by completing your past.
This is the step most people never do.
We are so excited to move on to the next year we go full speed ahead and never look back.
Taking time to reflect back can be a game changer.
It’s an important step to create the future you want.
When you do this, two things happen.
The first is you recognise your successes.
Often we move too fast and overlook them.
Reflecting back reminds you of what you did accomplish.
The second thing is that some of your greatest disappointments of last year can actually lead you to your greatest opportunities this year.
Here’s the truth about disappointment, it’s the strongest where the opportunity for improvement is the greatest.
This is where the opportunity is, this is where clarity comes from.
Take time to audit the past year of your life to identify your great opportunities moving forward.
Ask yourself: How would you rate last year overall?
What were your biggest accomplishments? Write down three things you are proud of.
What were some missed opportunities and disappointments?
What major lessons did you learn last year?
When you have completed your past you have a clearer vision of what’s possible in the future.
*Melissa Lamson is President and Chief Executive of Lamson Consulting and a leadership expert with experience in more than 40 countries. She can be contacted at @melissa_lamson1.
This article first appeared on the lamsonconsulting.com.
