Q-Goals and the Art of Getting Things Done By Joe Tye

In a previous article I wrote, I shared my notion that you should keep your Really Big Dream to yourself and perhaps a few very close friends or family members who are certain to support it, but that you should share your shorter term goals (the ones you must fulfill en route to realizing the Big Dream) with a much wider audience.

Q-Goals is the term I give to 90-day goals, because three months (one quarter) is a short enough time span as to not be too overwhelming, but long enough to allow meaningful progress to be accomplished.

Q- Goals are the bridge between your Big Goals and your daily to-do list. Today, I'll share six steps from my formula for setting and achieving Q-Goals (and my thanks to my friends at Auto-Owners Insurance, who have helped me think in new ways about setting and achieving Big Goals).

Think Big, Start Small: This principle applies not only to goals and dreams themselves, but also to the process of setting and achieving those goals and dreams. Get into the habit of working with Q-goals by beginning with goals that you are certain you can achieve. As you develop the discipline, you will find yourself almost automatically raising the bar and increasing the scope of what you expect of yourself each succeeding quarter.

Write and review: Write your Q-Goals down and post them where you will see them every day, many times during the day. Put a copy on the bathroom mirror, keep a copy in your wallet, put a copy on the seat of your car. If you read every book that's ever been written on the setting and achieving of goals, they'll all have their own different approaches, but every single one will insist on this one universal principle - write them down.

Correlate activities and goals: Every morning, or better yet every night before you go to bed, review your to-do list for the next day in juxtaposition with your Q-Goals listing. For each item on your to-do list, ask yourself whether and how it will help you achieve a Q- Goal. Most of will fall into the trap of the Pareto Principle (the 80-20 rule) and at least eight out of ten to-do activities will have nothing whatsoever do to with achieving our Q-Goals.

Highlighting those Q-Goal relevant to-do items and committing your time to them first thing in your day will be one of the most important things you can do to assure their achievement.

Create an Accountability Board: Ask a small number of people you know, trust and respect to help you hold yourself accountable for achieving your Q- Goals. For example, you might send the members of your Board a short written progress report at the end of each month.

Not only will this be a source of motivation for you to do the things necessary to be proud of what you say in that report, over time you will find that the members of your Advisory Board begin to share ideas, contacts and resources that can help you achieve your Big Goals.

Make it emotional: Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover, says that the people who are most certain to achieve their goal of getting out of debt are those who attack the problem with incredible emotional intensity.

This is true not only for financial goals - it's true for achieving almost anything that is worthwhile but difficult. You can perhaps set goals with left brain logic, but to achieve them requires the inspiration of right brain passion (as I often say in my speaking engagements, the left brain counts but the right brain matters).

Celebrate: Celebrate the achievement of your Q-Goals in some appropriate way. If you only hit 90% of your target, celebrate anyway. Chances are that without having harnessed yourself to those Q-Goals, you would have achieved far less. So celebrate - then write down your Q-Goals for the next quarter.
_____________
Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker. Visit www.JoeTye.com.

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

On Advertising Your Goals By Joe Tye

Experts on the art and science of goal setting seem to be of two minds when it comes to whether or not you should tell others what those goals are.

Some will advise you to put your goals up on a billboard for the world to see, as a way of holding yourself accountable and attracting necessary help and resources into your circle.

Others will tell you that dreams are fragile, and sharing them with others runs the risk of nay-saying dream-stealers killing your dreams while still in the cradle.

Here's my take: keep your really big goals - the ones that could change the world, or at least your corner of the world, to yourself.

By definition, really big dreams are not realistic (nor should they be), so don't run the risk of allowing the ridicule of tiny-dreamers to diminish your enthusiasm for your big dreams. On the other hand, I think it's a good idea to share your interim goals with an appropriate circle of friends and supporters.
___________
Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker. Visit www.JoeTye.com.

Sponsor: WHAT IF YOU HAD THE SAME MINUTE-BY-MINUTE THOUGHTS AS THE SUPER SUCCESSFUL?
Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life... Learn more about these powerful programs here.

Say Yes! to Goals -- By Bryan Flanagan

Here are some random thoughts on goals and goal setting. I hope you can use them to inspire you to set and attain your goals this year.

* You seldom hit anything unless you shoot at it.

* It is useless to carry the ball until you know where the goal line is located.

* There is no sense aiming for a goal when you have no arrow in your bow.

* If you don’t plan your future, someone else will.

* Failure is not missing the goal. Failure is aiming too low.

* A genius is the person who shoots at something no one else sees and hits it.

* If you don’t know where you are going, you may miss it when you get there!

* Your life can’t go according to plan if you have no plan.

* People are like thumbtacks. They are useful if they have a good head and are pointed in the right direction.

* Success has little to do with speed but much to do with direction.
____________
Bryan Flanagan is a nationally renowned speaker, author and sales trainer. A performance consultant and coach for dozens of corporations, Bryan knows and communicates the techniques that help people become better performers! Visit him at www.FlanaganTraining.com.

Sponsor: If you're looking for a motivational speaker -- contact Josh Hinds (your host here at GoalsSuccess.com)