Make your goals more specific and measurable – sweet advice from Donna Benstead!
As I sit here writing this article, I am in Donna Benstead’s workshop “Design Your Future” in Sydney CBD. I am really loving it in that in reflecting on 2015 some of my goals have been achieved and some just purely haven’t.
This originally got my attention in terms of visiting her workshop and it’s getting me thinking about exactly what I want to get out of 2016. My take on doing this now is that when 2016 ends, I want to be a very happy man in terms of high levels of achievement and satisfaction.
One error in my goal setting which has educated me today is that I have been very “General” in some of my goals.
That is – “Be a thought leader”, “Sell More Vaults”, “Get More Clients” are perfect ideas, but they are hardly perfect goals in that they aren’t particular.
My own lessons are making these more specific, e.g. “Sell a Vault a day by doing X”, “Speak in front of a crowd of 200 x thought leaders” and the like.
I am really liking this in that the more particular we get, is the more our sub-conscious brain works to help us achieve the objective. For example – if we have an objective to say “Get More Clients” it’s pretty limiting in that if we get a client it’s achieved the objective. If we say “Get a Profitable Client each week”, then the brain tends to start crunching it down in terms of what must be done (e.g. hit 3 x networking groups, post on FB everyday etc).
Another great example we are talking about now is “Coffee Drinking” for example. I love coffee personally, but let’s say it’s not for us. Saying my goal is to “Drink Less Coffee” – great, I could just take less of a sip.
But let’s say I am “Caffeine Free” – that thinking will likely lead to a much better type of result.
My lesson and learning? Be particular, be specific with your goals. Talking marketing, great to put numbers on things to help guide one to improve.
Love your work, thanks fro the read, thank you Donna Benstead – and of course, Stay Awesome!
2 Responses
Hi Edward,
Love what you are sharing with what you have discovered (re re-discovered) from Donna Benstead’s workshop “Design Your Future” !
Be particular and be specific makes the goal feel more real and achievable. The action steps that we are to take also have to be specific too.
Making 10 phone calls is specific. Making ‘as many phone calls as possible’ is not. However, for busy mums in business, the use of specific time frame is also helpful. For example, making phone calls from 10 am to 12 noon – as many as the time can fit in – works equally as well.
Viola Tam – The Business Mum
That sounds really good and love your application Viola. Very nice!