Reaching Your Goals -- A 6 Step Program By Sharon Teitelbaum

For many people, it's easy to feel discouraged by a perceived lack of progress toward reaching their goals.

If you find yourself feeling this way, take heart. In my ten-plus years as a coach, I have learned some critical factors that can make the difference between meeting and not meeting goals. In this article I'll share with you something I call the "B-SASSY" system - an approach for helping people be successful in reaching their goals.

The B-SASSY system contains 6 steps, one for each letter. If you can get better at even one of these steps, you'll get more traction and your effort will take you farther. These steps are:

B: Be accountable
S: Start
A: Ask for help
S: Stay on course
S: Stay with it
Y: Say YES

B: Be Accountable...

If you're serious about what you want to accomplish, you've already established clear, explicit goals for yourself. From there, the most important thing you can do with your plan is to break it down into actionable chunks and schedule those chunks into your calendar.

Your action items, just like your bigger goals, need to be measurable and specific, and have a time frame associated with them. So, for example, "Spend more time with my family" isn't very specific, but "Be home for dinner with the kids 4 nights a week" is.

Next, find someone to hold you accountable: a colleague, a coach, or a friend, and probably not your spouse. You want this to be someone who won't let you off the hook (as we tend to do for ourselves), and who will hold your feet to the fire when you need it. Arrange to check in with this person once a week; reviewing the past week's progress, stating your goals for the upcoming week and agreeing on what you'll have done by when.

S: Start...

Do you know what I see a lot of? When the task at hand is out of the comfort zone - out of the arena in which the person feels mastery - there is enormous hesitation, procrastination, and time wasting.

There is enormous power in just plain getting started. If you find yourself circling around the outside of a project, not starting and not starting and not starting, pull yourself off the hamster wheel. Ask yourself if there is ONE small step into this project that you can take right now? Identify something you can do and get going. That's often all you'll need to break through your barrier, step over that starting line, and finally be in motion.

There's a quote attributed to Goethe that applies here: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

A: Ask for Help...

Many people fail to create what they want for themselves because they think they have to know how to do it all by themselves. In practice however, and in order to keep growing professionally and personally, you will continuously need different kinds of help.

This may mean delegating some of the "lower level" tasks that you are capable of doing but do not find challenging. On the home front these may include routine maintenance chores, repairs, research for new purchases, and other tasks. At work this could mean clerical, administrative, or other work that you no longer find challenging and that truly doesn't have to be done by YOU, it just has to get done. Often the work that you delegate to junior staff is a development opportunity for them.

And sometimes the kind of help you need is from someone more skilled and experienced than you are. I can't tell you how many people I have worked with over the years who unnecessarily held themselves back because they expected themselves to know how to do everything, and when they didn't, they stayed stuck instead of finding someone who would (and could) help them. When you need technical assistance, do yourself a favor, and admit it and go get it! If you don't get what you need from the first person you ask, go ask a second person. Do not let yourself be stopped by "I have no idea how to do this."

S: Stay on Course...

I've heard that commercial airplanes are off-course 95% of the time. They arrive on time at the correct destination however, because their navigation technology frequently and consistently checks their actual position against the plotted course, and makes course corrections as needed.

With your personal and professional goals, you also need course-correction technology. If your goals are specific, measurable, and have a time frame associated with them, you can check yourself at regular intervals (e.g. once a month). If you're no longer on course, make the necessary correction.

Just as you don't want your plane to Seattle ending up in L.A., you need to make sure that you stay pointed towards your stated goals as the year progresses.

S: Stay With It...

Many people are easily distracted. Their lives are complex, their work is demanding, they are flooded with information, they have heavy-duty responsibilities, they are constantly multi-tasking. It's easy to lose sight of goals that are actually near and dear to your heart.

If you have this quality, you know that in many ways, it's an advantage. You are likely to notice trends, opportunities and correlations sooner than the average person. But it can also be a liability. When you lose your focus, you don't take the consistent actions you need to take to reach your desired outcomes.

Regular monitoring of yourself is the key. When you find yourself distracted, just bring yourself back to focus on what you want to be focusing on. There is no need for drama or self-criticism -- that's just further distraction. Just pull yourself back on track and get focused again.

Y: Say "Yes"...

As you move through the hard work of creating what you want for yourself, you will inevitably encounter many challenges, such as a steep learning curve, a need to master a wide variety of skills, financial risk, an adjustment to new working conditions, relationship challenges, competing demands, to name a few.

In order to keep yourself afloat in the face of all these challenges (whether you feel them on a daily basis or not), it is important to acknowledge your successes, even if they're small and even if you feel like Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live ("I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me"). When you accomplish an important task, when you learn a new skill, when you manage your time productively - all of these successes should be "owned" and acknowledged by you.

Say YES to celebrating the good days and staying focused through the challenging ones.

So check it out. Notice where you are and are not implementing the six steps outlined here. You may be doing all of them, but only sporadically. You may be doing some regularly and others not at all. When you are doing all of them consistently and strongly, you will notice an acceleration in your progress.

(c) Sharon Teitelbaum. All rights reserved.
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Sharon Teitelbaum, author of "Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance," Master Certified Coach, and motivational speaker, helps high achievers re-claim their work-life balance. Her interactive coaching process provides a powerful catalyst towards greater career and life satisfaction. Sharon's work has been featured in national publications including The New York Times, Forbes.com, and Working Mother Magazine. Visit Sharon's website and subscribe to "Strategies of Change" to receive practical tips for work-life success.

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

Goal Realization -- By Mary Allen

Many people THINK about setting goals, and a few people actually write them down. An even smaller percentage of people do what it takes to achieve them. So, what is the difference between those who REALIZE their goals, and those who don't?

1. CLARITY. CLARITY. CLARITY. It's essential to know WHAT you want. Clarity is power. Clarity of outcome. Clarity of strategy. It gives us a place to FOCUS. And, it sets in motion the Laws of Attraction. Most of us have a good idea of the WHAT we want, however we don't take the time to get specific enough about the target or strategy.

It's true, the clearer you are, the easier it become to focus. However, some people say having a clear outcome is enough, I say hogwash. It's rare for someone to accidentally lose 30 pounds or create a thriving business without having a clear and consistent strategy. Get clear about your strategy, and be open to making needed adjustments. Invest your time and clarify your objective and strategy. Write it down!

If you're not clear about your target, look to your values and passions for clues. Set an intention to "get clear" about what's not clear yet. Spend the time to create clarity BEFORE investing too much in any one goal. Use the exercises in the New Year Creation below to create the CLARITY you need.

2. DESIRE. DESIRE. DESIRE. Do you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want your desired outcome? A lot or a little? You know your desire is high when you are taking ACTION! If the action is sporadic or non-existent, work on getting connected to your desire.

If you're eager to hop out of bed in the morning, desire is high. It's as simple as that. Desire is what fuels goals and dreams. Without a deep enough desire you'll quickly run out of gas. Consider altering your goal or vision to make it more compelling. All great things are fueled by heart- moving DESIRE.

3. FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS. In our A.D.D. world it's super easy to lose focus. However, those who REALIZE their goals are constantly FOCUSING on them. Keep your goals in front of you. Look at them often. What is your next most important action item? Hold yourself accountable.

My most successful clients make it a ritual to review their goals on at least a weekly basis. There is energy and inspiration in attention. It may be necessary to eliminate a few things from your life if you find yourself frequently distracted. Too many goals diminishes focus. Channel your energy into action items that count. FOCUS. FOCUS. FOCUS.

4. ACTION. ACTION. ACTION. This is the biggest difference between those who create momentum, and those who flounder. Once the vision is clear, the desire is sufficient, and the attention is focused, it's time to ACT! As Nike says, "Just do it!" If fear or apprehension lurk in the corner, acknowledge it and move through it.

Don't waste energy on thoughts of doubt, overwhelm or worry. Every step toward your goal compounds. Put one foot in front of the other. Be WILLING to ACT. There is tremendous joy in taking focused action.

5. SUPPORT. SUPPORT. SUPPORT. Have you ever noticed that those who ACHIEVE great things in life have a support team? A business partner, a great administrative team, a mastermind group, a personal or business coach, a personal trainer, a workout buddy, or an inspiring community to tap into. This is essential for numerous reasons.

Accountability tends to be higher when other people are involved. My clients often report they get more done in the 24 hours before our coaching call. Telling your workout buddy you'll be at the gym can be the needed nudge to show up. You'll also receive more encouragement along the way with support. There are opportunities to brainstorm and get feedback, adding to your best ideas. You are likely to be more inspired to give the best of yourself. I see this all the time in my bootcamp.

As one person shares their vision, an assignment or a win, it inspires others to go for it too! Blasting through obstacles and challenges is always easier with support too. I know how much more quickly I solve problems with the aide of my own coach!! There are LOTS of ways to get the support you need. Don't try to be a hero and do it by yourself. Get the support you need to excel.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

Your clarity, desire, focus, and action are the basic ingredients to goal realization. Support offers the additional mental and emotional fuel to add to and sustain your momentum. But, there is one final ingredient that could make or break your goal.

Let's say two people have 30 pounds. The goal is equally achievable. The CLARITY is there - in outcome and strategy. The DESIRE is off the charts. The FOCUS is there. They are taking ACTION. And, they both have the SUPPORT. What will make the difference? Commitment. It's the "umph" that ties it all together. Why?

6. COMMITMENT. COMMITMENT. COMMITMENT. It's the COMMITMENT that inspires a little extra effort, a little more willingness, a little more creativity, a little more resourcefulness, a little more ingenuity, a little more flexibility and a little more staying power.

It's this extra little ingredient that makes the goal a MUST. Commitment over TIME and allows you to cross the finish line. Just ask the marathon runner at mile 22 what keeps them going? Of course, all of the above!! Yet, without commitment, giving up becomes an option.

With true commitment, a power greater than you kicks in, and takes you beyond what you thought possible. There is something magical and spiritual about channeled commitment. Commitment draws out the best in you.

I'd love to see you realize all of your goals this year. If I can help you clarify a goal or strategy, ground your desire, focus your efforts, hold you accountable to your actions, and champion you along your journey, please let me know. The last piece will be born from your heart and soul. Commitment is the one ingredient you can't find outside of yourself. See you at the finish line.
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Mary Allen, CPCC, MCC is author of The Power of Inner Choice. She hosts Conversations with the Masters interviewing best-selling authors via free, live conference calls. Visit LifeCoachMary.com to learn about coaching, her popular year-long Success and Inner Peace Bootcamp and tap into a wealth of resources including her ezine SoulFULLY Living, and Your Daily Gems.

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