Smashing The Goal Barrier

Are you hitting your goals?

If you're like me, you set MONSTER GOALS. And, monster goals are not always easy to hit. So, it is sometimes helpful to have some aids towards hitting your goals.

Here's a few I've put together for today's AspireNow: Seriously Fun Self-Help Radio Show over at NowLive.com:

1. First, you've got to envision it. I like writing my goals down. I also put them in a spreadsheet program. And, once every year or two, I create a DREAM COLLAGE to help me visualize my goals.
2. Get specific. My friend Shari Carr, who works with me and with Tony Robbins, recently told me that my dream collage wasn't specific enough. So, I'm working on a more specific one. That's right, with EXACTLY the specific house, the specific sports, the specific state of mind, the specific money I want per year, per month, the specific car, EVERYTHING will be the EXACT one I want. That ought be more powerful, don't you think? With any goal, start with a vision, then get specific about what the vision ought to look like, and actually be when you get it. This is the first part of SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). I've written about those things before, but I think the most important of these is being specific. As far as measurable, achievable, realistic -- I think the answer to all of these is YES - just depending on the time you want to invest or time you CAN invest in each. So, that's the part where we have to be realistic, measure, and achieve accordingly. Timely? Just do something when you're supposed to do it and the timing will work itself out.
3. Hang out with SUCCESSFUL people. If you're failing at your goals, who are you hangin' with? My feeling is that if we're an apple, we ought to be next to other apples. So, hang out with other smart apples if you want to be smarter and more successful. If the people around you neg you out, ask "am I negative?" If you are, change yourself. If you're not, change your friends. It can be done. Just make sure you attract what and who you want in your life.
4. Become an EXPERT. It is amazing how much faster you achieve your goals when you become an expert about something. I find that the most successful people know the most about what they are doing. People often wonder why they can't play saxophone like Charlie Parker. Well, you might be able to. For one thing, he practiced 14 hours a day, when he was honing his craft. Do anything for 14 hours a day, and see if you get good at it. You'll probably find that after a year or two, you'll be considered an expert. And, with your expertise, you will be able to hit your goals more easily.
5. Know your PRIORITIES. You've got to be focused properly if you're to hit your goals. If your priority is to create a website for your business this month, then get software, learn how to self-publish, create a layout, and post your website. Or, meet with a creative designer who designs sites you like, find out if their price meets your budget, and get them started on designing your site. Whatever it is, take action. I recently thought of organizing a jazz festival in San Luis Obispo similar to the festival in San Jose, CA. Guess what, 4 days later I had the URL for http://www.slojazzfest.org up and running. You hit goals when you take action. Don't take action on things you DON'T want unless you're willing to settle for those results. Take action for the things you DO want, and see progress every day. In the past six months, I've launched two radio shows, two blogs, three websites, and helped numerous other people do the same for their own business. How do I do it? By doing a bit on each one every day. I've always noticed when I do the most I've focused on the things that matter most, and prioritized what really matters the most at the top of the list every day.
6. Make sure to revisit your goals regularly. I have monthly goals, that roll into my yearly goals. Every week, I evaluate my monthly goals, and schedule my week (and days) to match my weekly goals, by day. If you don't have a system, get one, and stick to it.
7. Break it down. I can't talk enough about the value of breaking down goals into smaller steps. For example, you might want to buy a mansion that costs $2 Million. But, practically, it might require you first buy a $500,000 house, pay that down, then upgrade to $800,000 when your income and savings grows. Then make the move to the big one from there. Sometimes, a goal requires steps to get there. I had a goal in 2003 to form a band. I first recorded a CD. Then I moved to SLO, and I went out every night and networked with musicians. I made friends. I played with anybody who wanted me to play with them. And, I found people started to ask me "When are you going to be able to play our room? We're jonesing for your band here, man!" The CD was good, so my advance promotion worked. Then, a band I'd joined broke up. I took the conga player, the bass player, added a guitar player from another project, and found a drummer the night of the first gig who the guitar player brought in. Breaking it down was a key to success. It's also used in music when you're trying to get to the crux of the groove, you "break it down" to get to the bass, drums, then build on top of that. So, start with something.

Count your wins. When you break it down, then notice when you get the small wins. Small wins lead to big wins. For example, by writing this article, I enabled myself to have specific content for tonight's show on Now Live. So, now I'll go host it, and share more there about this subject.

This article was written by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions (http://www.ARRiiVE.com) and Founder of AspireNow (http://www.AspireNow.com).