Setting Performance Goals - 6 Steps To Escape Your Smelly Rut!  

By Joe DePalma

In all of the research I've done on high level achievers I've found they all agree that regardless of your individual goals; there is a series of six steps that must be implemented to bring those goals to realization.

* Setting Performance Goals: Step 1 - DECLARE THE GOAL (publicly)

Whether your goal is to be in better physical shape, have more money in your savings, or quit smoking you must take the first step to go out on a limb and tell the world (or just friends and family) exactly what you intend to accomplish.

The single act of verbally expressing a goal or desire breathes life into a concept and transforms it into an obtainable reality. This first step is monumentally important because of the basic fact that if you cannot bring yourself to declare your goal to other people, it shows that you simply don't want that "goal" bad enough.

Declaring goals to others also makes it harder for you to slack off or procrastinate. It's much more difficult for you to become weak and slack on your goals if you know other people are keeping track of your progress.

* Setting Performance Goals: Step 2 - RECRUIT HELP

A main reason why some people fail to obtain their goals is because they lose leverage and willpower. That is why you must enlist the aid of at least three supportive people to provide continuous encouragement throughout your quest to achieve your goals.

The support you need to achieve your goals must be found in a combination of friends, co-workers, parents, and siblings. When you recruit help, just don't rely solely on your spouse or best friend. The magic of this strategy is in the continuous contact with supportive people in every aspect of your life, which enables you to truly believe that you can accomplish whatever it is you have set out to do.

Occasionally a supportive person of yours will become so inspired by you and your quest to obtain your goal that they will also declare a goal they have been secretly struggling with. This allows each of you to positively feed off of one another and provide direct motivation toward ultimately achieving your goals.

* Setting Performance Goals: Step 3 - TRANSFORM LONG-TERM GOALS INTO SHORT MISSIONS

In order for you to keep your confidence high while attempting to realize an objective, you must take your long-term goals and break them down into many individual missions. Doing this enables you to continually feel the rush of excitement and satisfaction when a mission is completed rather than consistently experiencing guilt and disappointment when the long-term goal seems so far away and unobtainable regardless of your effort.

Example - (Long-Term Goal):
"I want to deposit an extra $500 in my savings by the end of next month."

Example - (Short Missions):
"I'm going to conduct a budget analysis and keep track of every dime I spend for the next two months to see where I can save money."

* How To Set Goals: Step 4 - KEEP THE MISSIONS SPECIFIC, TIMED AND WRITTEN

This is the goal setting step that separates the REAL achievers from the excuse makers. All serious goal seekers must keep a strict calendar or planner to schedule their missions and record their progress.

If you are truly determined to accomplish your goals you will:

A) Schedule the smallest missions by writing them down in a planner or on a calendar.

B) Keep the mission schedule short and ultra specific.

Example: "Exercise: stretching, treadmill, free weights."

C) Always underestimate how long the missions will take to accomplish. This will give you added motivation when you find out you have worked longer than you anticipated.

EXAMPLE - "The Lose 10 Pounds Goal":
"Exercise: stretching (10 minutes) + treadmill (15 minutes) + free-weights (30 minutes). Total workout time = 55 mins." You'll find that when you plan to work out for between a half an hour and an hour, you'll feel so good that you'll almost never stop until at least the hour is up.

* Setting Performance Goals: Step 5 - THE GREAT EQUALIZER (Establishing a Quest Fund)

The Great Equalizer is a solemn pact which you make with yourself and share with a supportive second party. This pact states that you will give a sum of money to the second party in order to establish a "Quest Fund" whenever continued procrastination is exhibited on your behalf with regards to accomplishing your short-term missions.

The magic behind a "Quest Fund" is that it gives you a physical example of just how much it is costing you whenever you fail to stay focused on your goals. Ultimately, the "Quest Fund" will be held by the second party to donate to a good cause if you completely cave in and embrace mediocrity by giving up on your goal, or the sum will remain relatively small until you obtain your goal. Then, once your goal has been realized you can transform the "Quest Fund" into a celebration account to purchase an item that will aid you in continually achieving your future goals.

The essence of The Great Equalizer strategy becomes quite apparent when you are asked the question, "If you had to bet on one of two people who were both chasing a similar objective; wouldn't you bet on the one with the most at stake?"

Here's an Example: Let's say people are swimming from one side of a lake to the other. Both individuals can swim equally as well and both have had just about the same amount of racing experience. Who would you bet your money on? It's a tough wager, right? Now let's say swimmer #1 was only racing for his own satisfaction and the thrill of competition, but swimmer #2 noticed that his beloved family dog was on the other side of the lake being chased by a madman who clearly wanted to do him harm. Who would you bet your money on now, swimmer #1 or swimmer #2?

For most people the fear of losing ten dollars is more powerful a motivator than the reward of conquering a predefined goal that would enhance their life tenfold. That's why The Great Equalizer is such a powerful step.

* Setting Performance Goals: Step 6 - ACT AS IF

No matter what your goals may be, the best way for you to avoid becoming discouraged is to simply act as if you have already achieved it. By "Acting As If" the goal has been accomplished, you will naturally assume successful and confident characteristics which will continually reaffirm your positive outlook.

Whenever you act the way you want to become, you will most certainly become the way you act. The key to "Acting As If" is in the action. (Read the next sentence 3 times)

"Actions change attitudes, movements change moods, and motion changes emotions." Act As If with the body and the mind will follow!


About the Author:

Joe DePalma, SelfGrowth.com's VP of Promotions & Advertising, is giving away 10,000 copies of the "Positive Thinking & Law of Attraction Action Pack ($100 Value)" at: http://www.readysetrise.com/free_action_pack.php

Joe is also the President of the #1 Positive Success Website called http://www.ReadySetRise.com which features the greatest Positive Sayings anywhere at http://www.readysetrise.com/positive-images-main.php.