The Power of Goal Setting - Part 2 of 2
The Power of Goal Setting – Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of The Power of Goal Setting we covered the importance of setting goals in our professional lives. We discussed the method of making those goals SMART (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and time based). Furthermore, we offered a recommendation to set goals not only in your professional lives, but also in different areas of your life to ensure that you create the success that you deserve! In Part 2, we will introduce The Breakthrough Goal, Process Goals, The Rule of 5, and the Power of Visualization.
The Breakthrough Goal
Another type of goal that is incredibly impactful is the stretch or breakthrough goal. This goal is one that if you achieved it, would catapult you to a new level of achievement or success. For example, I might say that I have a goal to write a best-selling book, create China as a buying market, find my soul mate and get married, buy a five-bedroom house, or conduct a keynote speech at the Staples Center. This breakthrough goal may seem like it is too far out of reach and unrealistic, but this is where you would take a leap of faith and push yourself out of your comfort zone to achieve it. Author and thought leader Jim Rohn said, “You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieving it you become someone worth becoming.”
Process Goals
As you set your goals, remember that all goals are not the same size. This is ok and normal. Process goals also can be used to achieve larger goals. A process goal is one that is a smaller goal that assists in the accomplishment of a larger goal. These process goals can be the step-by-step actions or benchmarks that you use to recognize success. For example, in my goal to reach $2 million in sales, I had process goals to reach $167,000 each month so that I could keep on track for reaching my larger goal.
The Rule of 5
Success coach, author, and speaker Jack Canfield explains a concept in his book The Success Principles which he refers to as The Rule of 5. He writes about advice which he received from Ron Scolastico, a wonderful teacher, who told Jack that, “If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp ax, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.”
This principle suggests that regardless of the magnitude of your goal, if you create and execute five steps daily that will get you closer to that goal, then sooner or later you will accomplish it. My recommendation is to write down five things daily that you can do to advance you closer to achieving your goal. Share these with a friend or partner and check in regularly with them for accountability.
The Power of Visualization
Once you have created goals that are clear, specific, and measurable, the next step is to apply visualization of goal achievement. Did you know that when you visualize, you activate your brains Reticular Activating System (RAS) that manages your neural pathways and stimulates your consciousness? By doing this, you program your brain to look for existing resources around you which can help you achieve your goals. You also program your brain to be aware of any new resources that come in to your life that can be used to make your visualizations come true. Once you trigger the RAS with your visualization, you create structural tension in your brain that then shifts your perception. Through this process, you force your brain to filter out all that isn’t needed and solely concentrate on what will assist in making this visualization a reality.
Additionally, your brain does not realize the difference between a visualization and reality. To exercise my point, take a moment after reading this to close your eyes and visualize the following scene:
You are at an amusement park and step up to the front of the line at the fastest roller coaster at the park. You look down and notice the tips of your shoes just behind the yellow line painted on the floor with the words “Do Not Pass” in bold lettering. To your left, you can hear the clinks of the roller coaster cars slowly climb the hill to the tallest peak of the ride. To your right, you can hear the distant screams of the riders on the roller coaster and catch a glimpse of the cars circling the loop at the far end of the attraction. You hear voices behind you and can feel a combination of nervous energy and excitement brewing in the air. Suddenly, you are being escorted by the attendant to your seat in the front car of the coaster. As you sit down on the hard, sturdy seat, the security bar lowers to lock your legs in place. You look up to see the somewhat sinister smile of the attendant as they say “Have a nice ride” while your car exits the station. As you being to climb the hill to the tallest peak of the ride, the loudness of the clinks of the car are only offset by the beauty of the view of the entire park from your vantage point. As you reach the top, the clinks stop, and everything pauses as you momentarily are still… only moments later realizing that you are starting your descent down the other side of the hill, gaining speed as you go. The speed of the car combined with the screams behind you catch your breath, and all you can do is hold on for dear life…
Did you feel anything in your body change as you committed to this exercise? Did you feel as if you were on the roller coaster and get butterflies? Was there any physical reaction to your visualization process? Was there any nervousness, anxiety, or excitement? This is common as your brain thought that you were on that roller coaster and the physical stimulation that occurred would be what naturally happens if you were there.
So how do we use this in our sales environment? Through this process, you can create an environment where you are living, through visualization, the result of the achievement of the goals that you have set. You can feel it, see it, taste it, smell it, and hear it. It can become real in your mind before it manifests in reality. This is a “practice run” of sorts so that you can investigate and accept all elements of the outcome of the goal.
Setting goals is an integral part of success. Making these goals clear, specific, and measureable is a requirement. Writing these goals down and sharing them with a friend will make you even more successful. Finally, periodically offering progress reports or updates to your friend will create accountability to your goal achievement. Following this goal setting practice is part of every successful person’s success, both personally and professionally. If you are not setting goals today, start. Set small ones at first if you need to but do it. Congratulate yourself when you achieve them. Celebrate and reward yourself for your hard work. As you continue this process and make this a habit, your goals will grow, as will your success. This I promise you!
Excerpt from “Capture Your Power in Sales and Business” ©2018
