» achieving goals

5 Simple Basics of Goal Setting

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:03:53 +0000

I’m often asked how to get started setting goals. Does an achievable goal begin with a vague idea or does a goal have to be detailed and specific? My answer: It should be both. A motivating and achievable goal is taking a dream and giving it the “legs” to become reality.

Here are my five basics for giving your dream (or hope or wish) the “legs” to become an achievable goal:

1. In your mind’s eye, paint a vivid picture of what your goal will look, feel, smell, taste and be like once it becomes reality. The more real your goal is to you in your mind and in your heart, the more motivated you’ll be to have this goal become reality in your life. Your mind is a powerful goal achieving mechanism.

2. Write a detail description of what you want to achieve. This is the time for details and specifics. Sit down at the computer or with pen and paper and write in as much detail as possible the vivid picture you’ve just painted in your mind’s eye. You’re now taking your dream and beginning to make it real. The more details the better – when you know exactly what you want it will be much easier to write an action plan for achieving it.

3. Write in detail why you want to achieve this goal. The key here is finding your true and powerful motivation for making this goal a reality. What will keep you from quitting before payday? What will keep you going forward even when the going gets tough? Why is achieving this goal so important to you? How will your life change for the better once this goal is reality? What is your unstoppable why? The bigger your “why” the more unstoppable you can become.

4. When are you willing to begin and by when do you want to achieve your goal? A goal achieving timeline is important. It gives you a frame of reference and helps you focus on keeping the important things, important. Think of it as having a blueprint for building a house – you wouldn’t say to a builder, “Anytime you can get around to it is fine with me.” Be specific but realistic about your timeline – stretch yourself to go for your goal yet be realistic regarding your time and energy.

5. Develop a plan of action for making your goal reality. This is the part where you commit to taking consistent action. This is where the “legs” of your goal begin to move forward toward success. Break your plan into doable bite-sized pieces. Have a day-to-day, week-to-week and month-to-month plan for consistently going forward. A goal is only a dream without having a well thought out plan of action.

These are basics. It is now your turn to add the life into these basics, to give your goal the “legs” to go positively forward. The more vivid and alive your goal is to you, the more motivation you’ll have to make it a reality in your life. Go for your goals!

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

Sign up for Sharon’s free weekly Ezine Unlimited Success For Women and have professional success strategies and personal development how-to’s sent directly to your email inbox. This Ezine is aimed at women who want to successfully work for themselves.

If you’re ready to recognize what may be holding you back and to seriously build on your strengths and talents, you’re ready to coach with Sharon Michaels. “I believe you have the answers to your success inside of you right now, it is my job to ask the right questions. I ask great questions!” Here are details about Sharon’s coaching programs: http://www.sharonismymentor.com

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MasterMind With Sharon Michaels

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:05:02 +0000

I have a new VIP MasterMind Group forming June, 2010 – come join me!

Take a listen and look. You’ll want to join other success-oriented and like-minded women who have decided to take themselves and their business to the next success level. http://www.goingforsuccess.com

Be sure to turn up your speakers!

There’s a special that is time sensitive so you’ll want to act quickly:

“I’m serious about success” offer:

2. Register with either the payment plan or full payment before Saturday, June 1 at midnight and I’ll add one extra one-on-one coaching session with me per month during your VIP MasterMind program – that’s two personalized coaching session per month for six months. Those coaching sessions will be an empowering boost to keeping you focused on moneymaking activities.

I invite you to apply for my next VIP MasterMind Group beginning in mid-June, 2010. Here’s the link to read more and to apply: http://goingforsuccess.com

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Is Change Necessary For Success?

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:33:31 +0000

I’m often asked if change is necessary to achieve goals – here’s a short story about change told in five simple paragraphs. What do you think, is change necessary for success?

Chapter 1.
I walk down a street and there’s a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. It takes forever to get out. It’s my fault.

Chapter 2.
I walk down the same street. I fall in the hole again. It still takes a long time to get out. It’s not my fault.

Chapter 3.
I walk down the same street. I fall in the hole again. It’s becoming a habit. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4.
I walk down the same street and see the deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter 5.
I walk down a different street.

Note from Sharon: The author is unknown and this story has been around the Internet for a few years yet I believe it is worth sharing.

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

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Are You Setting Negative Goals?

admin — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:13:08 +0000

Question: Why do I keep achieving negative goals? Is there such a thing as a negative goal?

Answer: Setting negative goals – that sounds counterproductive. Who would want to intentionally make something negative, hurtful or harmful a reality? But, that’s exactly what many of us do. A negative goal focuses energy on what we don’t want to achieve.

Answering your question – YES, you can set and achieve negative goals. If you find yourself focusing time, attention and energy on things you don’t want instead of concentrating on those things you really do want, you’re setting a negative goal.

I’m a big believer that you get what you ask for – positive or negative. I’m also a believer in the Law of Attraction – you attract to yourself your most dominant thoughts and consistent actions.

Here’s an example of a negative goal: I hope I don’t fall behind on the business plan I have to get finished before next Thursday’s meeting.

When you read this goal, is it positive or negative? Does it sound like an empowered road map to the future? Does it sound like something motivating and empowering? Does it sound like something you’d like to make reality?

Our example focuses on making something negative reality. Remember that you get what you ask for and if you keep asking for what you don’t want, that’s what you’ll be attracting into your life.

Let’s change the example into something more positive and empowering – “I am completing the business plan before next Thursday’s morning meeting with plenty of time to spare.”

Just reading the two statements you can you see, and even feel, the shift in energy. One is negative and one is encouraging and positive. How are you phrasing and wording your goals? Are they positive or negative? Do you focus on what you want or what you don’t want?

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

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Can’t Get Around To Setting Goals

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:22:26 +0000

Question: Why do I seem to do everything else except set my goals? I know they are important but I can’t seem to get around to working on them.

Answer: The key words in your question are “get around to working on them.”

If you don’t believe in the importance of setting goals, they won’t be important to you. And if they aren’t important to you, you aren’t going to get around to working on them. My question back to you is, why are you reluctant to set goals?

If you’re reluctant to set and work on achieving your goals, something is holding you back. Here are some usual reasons:

Fear of success
Fear of failure
Perfectionism
Procrastination
Lack of self-confidence
Guilt
Lack of belief
Fear of commitment
Fear of disappointment

Writing out goals is making a commitment to success – they are a road map and action plan that will take you positively toward the future. If you’re unsure or afraid of the future, then setting a goal is the last thing you’ll want to do.

Ask yourself this:

1. When I think of the future, what emotions come to the surface?

2. What does the future look like in my mind’s eye?

3. Who will be happy with my successes?

4. Who will be unhappy with my successes?

5. Why do I believe I’m reluctant to commit to my future successes?

How important is it to emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually map out your plan for future successes? Would you rather “fly by the seat of your pants” or know what you want to achieve and when you’d like to achieve it?

You can be and feel more in control of your success, if you’re willing to commit to writing and working a doable plan of action.

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

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Goals – Networking, Accountability, Masterminding

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:52:34 +0000

Listen as I share tips, success strategies and how tos for creating goal-oriented networking, accountability and mastermind groups. There is power, energy and synergy when like-minded women come together to make their goals reality. Research has proven you’ll achieve more when you surround yourself with goal-oriented supportive people.

It’s all about Women Enjoying Success!

Have a listen . . .

Wait for the playbox to appear and then click on the white arrow in the black circle to listen right now. Be sure to turn your speakers up.

*Click here to read about and sign up for Sharon’s Accountability Groups:
Sharon’s Accountability Groups

**Click here to read about and sign up for Sharon’s VIP MasterMind Groups:
Sharon’s VIP MasterMInd Groups

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success. Sharon mentors/coaches women entrepreneurs about learning to recognize the things they’re doing that may be keeping them from the things they want.

Sign up for Sharon’s free weekly Ezine Unlimited Success For Women and have professional success strategies and personal development how-to’s sent directly to your email inbox.

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Get Over It – Go On

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:45:39 +0000

Question: I’ve been disappointed so many times when I try to set my goals and I’m about ready to give up. Is it really worth getting my hopes up?

Answer: I remember a quotation from motivational speaker Les Brown: “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”

Are you happy with where your life is right now? Are you as far as you want to go personally and professionally? If yes, that’s great. If no, then get over the disappointment and go on.

If you set goals and never seem to achieve them then ask yourself this question: Was I truly committed to the goal I set? The key word in the question was try. Is trying actually making a commitment to achieving your goal?

Making a commitment to achieving a goal means that you are willing to spend time, energy and, if necessary, money to make your goal reality. If you’re not willing to make an emotional and physical commitment, then a goal is just a hope or dream.

Write your goal out in as much detail as possible. In your mind’s eye make it as real and realistic as you can. Commit to a beginning date and a date by which you’d like to see this goal become reality.
Write a plan of action for achieving your goal. Break it down into manageable and doable chunks of time and energy.
Write out your commitment to achieving this goal. Why is this goal important to you and what are you willing to do to make it reality?

If your goal is not important enough to make an emotional, physical and financial commitment, then it probably will not become reality. The question becomes: How big is your commitment to achieving this goal?

Copyright © 2010 Sharon Michaels – All Rights Reserved

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

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Success – One Step At A Time

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:25:26 +0000

You can listen and read the text! Be sure your speakers are turned up.

Length of audio: 4 minutes 15 seconds

Planning for success can be a great motivator. Just the thought of buying the new car, building your dream house, going on a well deserved vacation or sending the children to private school can instantly put a smile on your face. Then, reality sets in and you stare at your newly written goal asking, “Where do I begin?”

When working with coaching clients, one of my first pieces of advice is: “Break your goals into bite-sized manageable pieces.”

Success begins one positive bite-sized piece at a time. One thought, one hope, one goal and one action step at a time. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when looking at the whole “big picture.” It is much more empowering to break a goal into smaller more manageable tasks, projects and chores.

Your ability to consistently manage your mindset of success is vital to achieving success. Tapping into the ability to go forward step-by-step and day-by-day is a huge part of achieving your goals.

Here are a few tips for going positively forward:

1. Be very clear about what you want.
It sounds simple enough but often we set goals that are too general. A well-written goal gives you the ability to take your goal and break it down into smaller doable pieces. A goal that is too general can seem overwhelming and the steps needed to achieve it, can seem unclear.

2. Keep the important things, important.
It is easy to get caught up in day-to-day life. A vital key to achieving success is knowing what is important to achieving your goal and what’s not. Here’s a rule of thumb: An important task is one that will take you at least one positive step closer toward your goal.

3. Stay focused on what you are working toward.
The past is the past. Achieving success is about going forward in positive and productive ways. You can’t go forward if you’re stuck in the “what-ifs” of the past. Focus on the rewards of achieving success.

4. Regularly carve out quality time to work on your goal.
Time management is a huge element of achieving success. Life happens and it is easy to become distracted by things that have nothing to do with going forward. Carving out quality time to keep the most important things important means planning and setting aside time to work on success. Get out that calendar and schedule quiet quality uninterrupted goal achieving time.

5. Keep your goal alive in your mind.
Personally, I’m a visual and I want to see my goal in front of me. I have a vision board, pictures of my goals on shelves around my office, my screen saver on my computer is my goal – I surround myself with my powerful inner motivators. Remind yourself of your motivating “why” for achieving success. It’s been said before, the bigger your “why” the more powerful your inner motivators.

Success begins one bite-sized piece at a time – go for your goals one positive step at a time.

Sign up for Sharon’s free weekly Ezine Unlimited Success For Women and have professional success strategies and personal development how-to’s sent directly to your email inbox.

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Do To-Do Lists Really Work?

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:39:22 +0000

Question: I make out my daily to-do lists but they don’t seem to be taking me any closer to achieving my goals. Do to-do lists really work?

Answer: Personally, I don’t know where I’d be without my to-do lists! My lists help me focus on those moneymaking and/or goal achieving tasks that should be accomplished during my workday.

Here are some ways I use to-do lists to stay focused on achieving my goals:

1. I write my to-do list for the next day before I leave my office in the evening. Why? When I sit down at my computer first thing in the morning, I already know what I want to accomplish. I’m laser-beamed focused on what I’m going to do during the upcoming day.

2. I number my to-do list according to priorities. The most important chore/task is number one. Sometimes, I’ll make my most difficult task number one just so I can complete it quickly and I won’t be dreading it all day long.

3. I don’t fill up my list with more than I can handle in one day. I’ve learned over the years that “stuff happens” and tasks and chores come up during the day that need to be handled. If my to-do list is too crowded, it becomes overwhelming and frustrating.

4. I give myself permission to change my mind. What was important yesterday, may not be as important today. Flexibility is key to staying focused and keeping the important things important.

5. I make sure I do at least one moneymaking/goal achieving activity each day. A moneymaking/goal achieving activity is any task or chore that will make me money or take me one step closer to my goal. I have a rule that I will not leave my office until I’ve completed my daily “moneymaking activities.”

6. I take frequent “mental health” breaks. I can only maintain my focus so long before I need to get up to stretch my legs and clear my mind. Sometimes, a quick ten or fifteen minute break can open up my mind to possibilities and solutions that I’d never even thought of before the break.

7. I also have a “big picture” calendar on my desk. My big picture calendar is a monthly calendar that reminds me of what I intend to complete during the current month. I make sure that my daily to-do list supports my monthly goals.

Rule of Thumb: Make sure your to-do list is consistently taking you forward, toward your goals. The majority of items on your list should be important tasks/chores that are goal achieving and/or moneymaking. A daily to-do list is simply a tool to help break your workday into bite-sized goal achieving pieces.

For over twenty years Sharon Michaels has been writing, speaking and empowering women to achieve greater personal and professional success.

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Expect Success to Achieve Your Goals

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:11:22 +0000

Guest Author – Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

To accomplish your goals attitude is key. Do not rob yourself of the learning and fulfillment that lies on the path along the way to your goals—enjoy every call you place, every trip you take, every accomplishment you make. Revel in the process of being a success—today do not wait till you get to your goal.

To expect more success, while pursuing your goals, follow these steps:

· Acknowledge all the small successes in the process. Count your “wins” daily. Wins are all those things that go your way in a given day—the letter you wrote, the VIP you finally got hold of, the parking ticket you eluded, the compliment you received.

· Smile. Both psychologically and physiologically, this simple, easy action improves our well-being, which improves our outlook, which prepares us for all the great things we are expecting to happen to us. To become fit and healthy from a success standpoint, give your smile muscles a workout just like the rest of your body.

· Hold your success attitude in your body. Stand up straight, raise your chin up, keep your shoulders back and feet firmly planted. Feel the power of personal success in every cell in your body.

· Create a compelling success image in your mind. Once you expect your success, see it. Imagine it vividly and in color—what are you doing, where are you, what are you wearing, how does it feel like in your body? Make your success as real as possible in your mind, so your expectancy is even stronger and, as a result, your actions even bigger.

· Be bold. Do all those things today that you know you will do when you are more successful. That is how you will create the success you strive for in your business and life.

You will never be more successful than you expect you can be. Greet every day with the belief that good things are going to happen to you. Expect to be successful with your calls, appointments and projects. Your work life will be enriched; you will take more risks, make more requests, and seize more opportunities. That will result in a better life, and that is what success is all about.

My best to you! Expect Success!

Caterina Rando is a women’s business strategist. You can read more about Caterina when you visit her website at: http://www.caterinaspeaks.com

Caterina can be reached at 415 668-4535 or by email at info@caterinaspeaks.com

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC is a keynote speaker, business success coach and consultant. She is also the author of “Learn to Power Think.” Caterina’s programs innovate, motivate and accelerate!

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