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Secrets to Success
Deborah Cole Micek |
Avoid the trap that
thwarts achievementPart One of Two
Goals are supposed to be motivating, aren't they?
But if you're not careful, there is one trap that can transform a magnificent goal into an overwhelming obstacle. I know all too well, because I've been trying to blast through, climb over or go around one of those obstacles myself for the last few months.
Many times, goals are pretty straightforward and require little more than a consistent commitment to action. Then there are times when we set big, complex goals that take us where we've never been before, goals that have us blazing a path where no one has gone before, requiring us to gather a team of experts to bring the goal to reality.
The same trap is always there. But with big goals, this stumbling block can become like a black hole that sucks anything nearby into the abyss -- including your energy, motivation and momentum.
I thought I had learned my lessons well enough to avoid this obstacle. But no such luck.
Blindly, I stumbled into this trap while I was developing the complex systems and the massive Web site construction project for our new Business Owners Coaching Club. Because of that, we ended up more than 60 days off track! Ouch.
But now we're only a week away from achieving our goal and launching BusinessOwnersCoachingClub.com, and I've had time to turn our pain into your benefit.
You see, the trap that turns your goals (especially the big ones) into daunting obstacles is overestimating what you can do in the short term and underestimating what you can do in the long term.
It's human nature -- even more so for highly driven, type-A entrepreneurs like myself.
In order to win right from the beginning, here's how you can successfully achieve even the most grandiose goals: After formatting your goal, including the three secret keys to consistent goal achievement (a clear definition/specific date, a thumbnail sketch of how you'll achieve the goal, and what you'll get when the goal is reached), you're ready to follow through on these three peak performance steps.
Step one
The first thing you want to do in this stage is brainstorm all the possible action steps that must be completed in order to achieve your big goal.Once you do this, prioritize them. Carefully scrutinize each action to determine the time needed to complete it.
Finally, total the required hours you've calculated, then add 10 percent to buffer inevitable delays.
A critical heads-up: Be sure to get outside feedback (from technical experts and your coach) to validate your time estimates. The more unfamiliar the territory your goal is taking you into, the more important this feedback is.
Next week, we'll look at the next two steps you'll need to take to avoid getting trapped by this No. 1 obstacle to achieving your big goals.
John-Paul Micek
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John-Paul Micek is the lead business coach at RPM Success Group Inc. Reach him at JPM@RPMsuccess.com or toll-free at (888) 334-8151.
Deborah Cole Micek, chief executive officer of RPM Success Group, is a business success coach and life strategist. Reach her at DCM@RPMsuccess.com or toll-free at (888) 334-8151.
Access an expanded version of this article at www.GetCoachedforFree.com.