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Want to Achieve Your Goals? Understand This Principle!

Very few people would argue against the value of goal setting. It’s also no secret that many people fail to achieve goals they set for themselves. Failing to reach a goal can happen to anyone, and it is better to try and fail reaching a goal than failing to try at all. The real question becomes, is there a way to improve one’s chances of achieving the goals they set? The answer, yes!

One of the key reasons people fail to achieve their goals is because they set goals without including two critical components: an understanding of the discipline equation and developing a measurable system of achievement. These three components all work together as a symbiotic system of goal realization. The system does not guarantee success, but it can certainly increase one’s chances of success.

Let’s take a quick look at this process.

The Goal

It all starts with the goal. Clearly defining what it is the one wants to achieve. When setting a goal, it is important that there is a real belief that reaching the goal is possible, and that it is internally motivated by the goal setter. It must be something you really want and believe you can do.

 The System of Achievement

The system of Achievement is where you determine what needs to be done to achieve the goal. It lays out the overall picture and decides what new habits need to be formed, and what daily actions need to be taken to achieve the goal.

Discipline Equation

Steven Bartlett author of Diary of a CEO provides one of the most concise explanations of the discipline equation process I’ve come across. Bartlett breaks the equation down into this simple formula:

Discipline = The Value of the Goal + The Reward of the Pursuit – The Cost of the Pursuit.

  1. What is the value, meaning, or benefit of achieving the goal you’ve set for yourself?
  2. No matter how challenging it may be, do you find the process of pursuing your goal enjoyable and psychologically rewarding? This element is directly connected to the system of achievement.
  3. Finally, one must also honestly assess if the cost of pursuing the goal is not enjoyable or psychologically rewarding. This determines if one will be able to persist through the challenges encountered in pursuit of the goal.

 

The discipline equation simply states: if the psychological and emotional cost of pursuing the goal is greater than the enjoyment experienced in the system of achievement, the discipline required to achieve the goal will not be strong enough to make it. The pursuit of the goal will inevitably be abandoned.

 

The opposite side of the equation of course is if the psychological and emotional value of the goal and system of achievement are greater than the pain experienced in pursuit of the goal, the discipline required to achieve the goal will be strong enough to increase the chances of success.

 

Growth, success, achievement, whatever term you use requires going through fear, anxiety, doubt, and uncertainty, and moving forward anyway. One of the key reasons people fail to achieve their goals is not taking how much of that they are willing to endure into consideration when setting out to pursue their goals.

 

Want to increase your chances of success in pursuing your goals? Have a clear picture of what it is. Keep that vision of achieving it in the forefront of your mind.

Develop a systematic process of the daily action steps you’re going to take to reach the goal, and if the psychological and emotional joy of the pursuit is greater than the pain experienced in the process your chances of success will increase exponentially.

 

It’s time to set a goal, develop the system of achievement, get going and enjoy the process. I believe in you, and if you believe in yourself, there is no stopping you.

Namaste.

Goals Achieved!

The staff of the Greater Paterson OIC would like to congratulate Aura Lopez on her remarkable accomplishments in our Small Business and Office Management training program.

Aura came into our training program seeking to make a career change. She has a passion for business and wanted to strengthen her skills in order to pursue better opportunities. She was accepted into our Small Business and Office Management training program, which includes the opportunity to earn industry recognized certification in Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) or Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in Excel.

Aura wasn’t satisfied with just one, she went on to earn both. Her commitment to achieving her goals and the work she put in to reach them was impressive to witness and speaks highly to the quality of her character.

We are confident that Aura will succeed in whatever endeavor she pursues next. We are grateful that we had the opportunity to work with her and we wish her all the best.

Overcoming Your “Great Wave”

Article is posted by Hollis Nelson, written by Sergio Abrams

So, you say today is the day you’re going to do it. You’re finally going to start your own business and become the successful businessperson you want to be. But wait, didn’t you say that yesterday? In fact, you’ve been starting a business for years now, haven’t you? No, it isn’t the naysayers and no; it isn’t a lack of time. No, my friend, the problem is you and the wave you’ve yet to conquer is yourself. You’ve been fighting with yourself for years and it is your inner self which has clouded your mind with many fears and self-doubt. Your negative thoughts about what may happen cause you to become stuck in what’s called “analysis paralysis”.

That’s you analyzing and accepting every reason you believe you might fail, instead of analyzing all the reasons you may succeed. It is that self-doubt and inner voice feeding on your fears, telling you day in and day out that you will fail if you venture away from your safe place. Yes, that wave of fear that overcomes you each time the mere thought of venturing out on your own comes to mind, lies in wait, waiting to shoot you down and steer you back into your comfort zone. The voice says, “It’s too dangerous”, “no one’s going to buy that”, “you don’t want to leave your 9 to 5”, “starting your own business is way too hard”, “how are you going to pay your rent?”. Your fear and self-doubt win by knockout in the first round.

In the movie Castaway, actor Tom Hanks finds himself on a deserted island after a plane crash with seemingly no way of escape or being rescued. To survive he improvises and uses unconventional methods, including using a volleyball which he aptly names Wilson, as a companion whom he talks to, to stave off insanity. He soon realizes that no one’s coming to save him and if he’s going to get off that island, he’s going to have to save himself. Standing in his way is the great wave. The wave is a barrier between the island he’s stuck on and open waters and the chance to be saved. Eventually, he builds up the courage needed to face and overcome his great wave, and after he gets past his great wave, he looks back at the island that once held him captive.

Photo by: Jairo Diaz

The island that would have still held him captive had he not faced his greatest obstacle overcame the great wave.

You can survive with fear, but you cannot truly thrive with fear, because verily fear will only keep you stranded on your comfort zone island. Fear and self-doubt will tell you that trying is no longer an option, and only contentment with mediocrity and life regrets remains.

Each of us has a “great wave” we must overcome to find genuine success, but sadly, so few ever find the courage to do so, waiting for someone or something to come along and save us from our inner selves. Nope, no one’s coming to save you. No one can save you from yourself. This is a battle you will have to fight on your own and until you step on the battlefield and face the enemy within, there can be no victory. Verily, the road to success is the hardest road to take, which is why it is the road less traveled. However, for those who choose to face that wave, the reward of living is great.

Yes, there will always be naysayers and dream busters outside of you, waiting to tear you down with “you won’t succeed” bombs, and you may fail a few times along the way, but success is a journey, not an overnight mission. There is no instant recipe for success unless you plan on winning Lotto, and we all know the chances of that happening. If that’s your game plan, then hey, have at it, who am I to knock someone’s hustle?

In the end, there are only two choices, and as Yoda once said, “Try or do not try; there is no in between”.

You can choose to stay on your island of despair or overcome the “great wave” of fear and self-doubt and achieve your dreams.

It is all up to you!

The “Secret” of Success

Photo by Nour Chamoun

Countless books and articles have been written on the subject of success. Many of them entice readers by teasing that they have the “Secrets of Success”. However, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us would confess that we know what it takes to succeed in virtually any endeavor. There is no “secret” to success. While success does mean different things to different people, what it takes to achieve success is not a secret.

In this article, the working definition of success will be achieving the economic, family, health, relationships, and community goals you set for yourself.

In my work I often encounter people who are capable of achieving far more than they have and are living at levels below what is truly possible for them.

So, using our working definition, the question becomes: if we know what it takes to achieve success in life, why do some fail to achieve it? Generally, there are two essential things I have observed regarding this question.

First, to succeed at anything, you have to know what it is you want. The “just hanging in there: “going with the flow”; “taking it one day at a time” mentality is not a formula for achieving success. Time must be taken for reflection and getting to know who you are. It means becoming clear on what you like or dislike, determining the person you want you be, and defining in your own terms what you want out of life in each of the aforementioned categories. If you are content with where you are in life, stop reading. I am happy for you. But if not, this is something that needs to be done.

Second, and this is key. You must believe with all your heart, mind, and soul that success is possible for you. Without the belief that success is possible, everything else falls apart and you will never get beyond the dream state. The actions that we take, or do not take, stem from what we believe about ourselves and our possibilities.

There are all sorts of influences that will impact the development of your belief system; some good, some not so good. Odds are, if we are not where we want to be in life, and are not taking steps to change our conditions, the not so good ones are probably having the greater impact. It means we have accepted the belief that there is little we can do to change our current condition. This is referred to as a fixed mindset; accepting that “it is what it is – so let’s make the best of it.”

Here is a tip on how to determine if something is possible for you or not: You cannot consistently, with any serious heartfelt emotion, entertain the thought of something that is not possible for you. Sure, a thought can pop into our minds on what life would be like if, but it passes just as quickly as it comes, and there is no intense emotion connected to it. We know we are only dreaming.

On the other hand, anything that you consistently think about is possible. If the thoughts persist, if they keep coming back, and you feel something in your soul, if that thing will not leave you alone, it means it is possible for you to achieve. Only the false belief that you cannot make it happen is what holds you back. The challenge becomes finding a way to break through those false beliefs and begin the process of setting out to achieve your goals and achieving success in your own terms.

Breaking through limiting beliefs takes mental effort, commitment, and perseverance, but it can be done. Start by looking back over the course of your life and making note of any, and everything you have ever accomplished, no matter how big, or how small. We have all accomplished something, and if we take the time to do an inventory of those things, we will find that despite our limiting beliefs we have achieved more than we give ourselves credit for.

Next, start setting small daily goals for yourself. Decide on one thing, each day you intend to accomplish, just one thing. What category that one thing falls under is not important. Just determine what that one thing is each day.

Accomplishing 1 thing a day becomes 7 things a week, 30 things a month, 360 things a year, and ultimately the development of a new belief system built on past successes.

There is no secret to success. There are only those who are determined to succeed in spite of any odds, and those who are not. The choice is ours. It is a decision we all must make. Whichever way you choose, I wish you much success.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Paterson OIC, its Board of Directors, or any other group or individual affiliated.

The Post: The “Secret” of Success appeared first on transformationtraining.net

 

How to Engage in Positive Change

Image by John Hain

At the time of this post our country is in a very interesting place; a crossroads if you will. We are still in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, but in addition to that, in reaction to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, protest against systemic racism, police brutality, and social injustice are taking place not only in America, but around the world.

Each of these situations is changing “business as usual” in our society; the likes of which we have never seen and still cannot totally predict. I remain hopeful, and cautiously optimistic that at the very least, what will emerge will be a greater understanding of our connectedness to one another, and the building of a better world.

Each of us must decide what role we are going to play in making that happen. And yes, we all have a role. We all have our own unique set of skills and talents that we can use to contribute to building a better world. I believe that is why we are here.

While the success stories of African-Americans does not lead in mainstream media news, I have noticed through social media platforms that in the midst of everything that is going on, we are still pursuing our goals and dreams, and despite all the roadblocks and obstacles placed in our way, we are succeeding in accomplishing them.

I’ve seen stories of a mother and daughter who both graduated from medical school and are now serving in the same hospital; stories of first generation African- American young people graduating from and being accepted into law, business, medical and technology schools to name a few. There are stories of African Americans launching businesses of all types, while still engaging in the fight for equal opportunity, social justice, and an end to systemic racism. This speaks to incredible internal fortitude and demonstrates the faith in our ability to be as successful as any other group in whatever we set our minds to.

In the midst of this fight, one thing that we can all do, in spite of the obstacles placed in our way, is make the commitment to being the very best we can be in all we do. This too is a part of the fight for change. It is not about seeking anyone else’s approval, it is about lifting ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and the rest of humanity to bring about a better world. Fighting for justice is right! Fighting for positive change is right! Striving to be the best that you can be is right! None of these excludes the other.

The Kwanzaa principle of Kuumba/Creativity states “To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.”

In my role as an instructor and educator, I have recommitted to that principle. While all of us may not be able to get out and join street protests, applying this principle is something we all can do. My challenge to my brothers and sisters is to take some time to think about what gifts, talents, and skills you have that can contribute to enhancing the lives of others and making your community a better place. I implore you: do not just sit, watch, and talk about what is happening, get up, get out, and start making things happen.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Paterson OIC, its Board of Directors, or any other group or individual affiliated.

The Post: How to Engage in Making Positive Change appeared first on transformationtraining.net

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