Pamela Kleibrink Thompson, The Daily Record Newswire
A friend of mine who is a salesman usually sets goals and usually makes a good living. One year he decided to forgo the process of goal setting, and that year his income fell far short of what was usual for him. Setting goals made all the difference to him, and it will make all the difference for you.
We asked some high achievers how goal setting helps them excel. Their advice and the following steps will help you make your dreams come true.
People often set goals at the start of a new year. But any time of year is a good time to set goals.
To get started on your goals, establish what’s important to you. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish.
Jana Kemp is the author of numerous books, including “Moving Out of the Box,” “Prepared Not Paranoid,” and her most recent, “Run for Elected Office—and Win.”
“Include the specifics of what you are going to do and a date,” counsels Kemp. “Every year for over 20 years I set intentions for the new year.” To write her most recent book in record time, she set a goal of completing a chapter about every 10 days.
Write down your goals for this month, the coming year and five years from now. Define long-term goals with as much detail as possible. Defining endeavors that take six months to five years to accomplish gives you a destination and a sense of direction and helps focus your efforts.
Your goals should be realistic, specific and linked to a deadline. For example, to write a novel of 70,000 words, you must schedule at least 70 days writing 1,000 words a day.
Novelist and film editor Conda Douglas knows about goals for writing. She won first prize in the Tokyopop Dreaming Contest (Manga), and recently started her own e-publishing company, Barbarian Books. Her novel “The Mall Fairies: Exile” was published in February 2012 from Muse It Up Publishing. A second novel, “Starke Naked Dead,” came out in April from L&L Dreamspell.
Douglas says, “To create my goals, I ask myself several important questions. What is most important in my life right now? What would I like and can imagine the near future to be? What about a year from now? What needs to be done to make that future a reality? In what order?” Douglas sets realistic goals; she knows she can write 1,000 words a day or at least one scene a day, so she can compute how long it might take to write a novel and impose her deadlines accordingly.
Put your written goals in a place where you can see them every day. If you are a visual person, Douglas suggests creating a collage.
“A few years ago, I created a collage using clippings from magazines, stickers and other bits and pieces of ‘What I wanted in my life and what I wanted my life to be.’ I hung it where I saw it every day. Four years later, most of the collage now represented my life, so I made another one with what remained and what was new. Now, I have to make another collage!”
Rob Namer is a law enforcement firearms instructor and a stunt coordinator for feature films with 14 years of law enforcement experience. He is the owner of Rangroup LLC and T-3 Firearms Training Company specializing in personal protection and professional gun coaching.
“Goals give me purpose and direction,” asserts Namer. The first step is the most important step in achieving goals. Namer observes: “Sometimes if I just start moving towards it, things fall into place.”
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Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is a recruiter/hiring strategist and career coach. As a career coach, she helps clients identify their goals and devise strategies to attain them. For personal consultations, speaking engagements or recruiting needs, contact Pamela at PamRecruit@q.com
