The power of goal setting - when done properly - is that it forces us to think about how we will arrive at our desired outcome. Unless we devise a list of specific steps necessary for success, it's difficult to distinguish activities that are essential to goal achievement from those that are not. Once we identify the tasks that will help us reach our goals, we can make a conscious effort to focus as much of our attention on them as possible.
All action plans should:
- Identify new skill requirements
Our existing skill set is not always sufficient to accomplish our goals. As a result, we must think about additional competencies that will be necessary to be successful. Besides simply identifying areas in which we need to improve, we should also determine exactly how we will go about developing these skills. - Break large goals into smaller ones
It's very helpful to view the steps in our action plan as a series of incremental mini-goals. This "milestone" approach minimizes feelings of being overwhelmed, while maximizing our sense of accomplishment as our major goal comes closer and closer into view! - Include ways to reduce the impact of barriers
In Step 2, we identified potential roadblocks to goal attainment. Armed with that information, we can develop strategies to overcome them. As the "School of Hard Knocks" has, unfortunately, taught us all, proactive measures fleshed out in advance are generally more effective than reactive ones taken in the heat of the moment.
Whenever possible, we must focus on those tasks that will directly contribute to the achievement of our goals. Each day, we will be faced with interruptions, requests for assistance, and countless other demands on our time. While many of these will have the appearance of urgency, they may, in reality, be quite unimportant.
We must be careful not to let these disruptions control us. On the contrary, we need to work very hard to control them. The article Are You Making the Best Use of Your Time? presents a variety of techniques for doing just that.
Routinely examining where we're headed helps us to recognize if we've strayed from our action plan and, if so, what we must do to get back on track.
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