Only about 3 percent of adults have clear, written goals and I bet Michael Phelps is amongst them.

These people accomplish five or ten times as much as people of equal or better education and ability but who, for whatever reason, have never taken the time to write out exactly what they want.

There is a powerful formula for setting and achieving goals that you can use for the rest of your life.

It consists of seven simple steps. Any one of these steps can double and triple your productivity if you are not currently using it.

1. Decide exactly what you want.
Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are crystal clear about what is expected of you and in what order of priority.

2. Write it down.
Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. On the other hand, a goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it.

3. Set a deadline on your goal; set sub deadlines if necessary.
A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. It has no real beginning or end. Without a definite deadline, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done.

4. Make a list
…. of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective. It gives you a track to run on.

5. Organize the list into a plan.
Organize your list by priority and sequence. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. With a written goal and an organized plan of action, you will be far more productive and efficient than people who are carrying their goals around in their minds.

6. Take action on your plan immediately.
Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.

7. Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal.
Build this activity into your daily schedule. You may decide to read a specific number of pages on a key subject. You may call on a specific number of prospects or customers. You may engage in a specific period of physical exercise. Whatever it is, you must never miss a day.

Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don’t stop.

Remember I have said that momentum is your secret weapon to achieving your goals.

This decision, this discipline alone, can dramatically increase your speed of goal accomplishment and boost your personal productivity.

Go for gold…your gold!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

It’s time for your Mid-Year Goal Checkup Part II

What is the secret weapon?

…Momentum

Here is the official definition of momentum:

Momentum: noun 1. force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events: The car gained momentum going downhill. Her career lost momentum after two unsuccessful films.

It is from the Latin word “Moment”

Momentum is an accumulation of energy powered by speed. It takes motion to cause more motion. It takes action to cause movement.

Everything changes when you have momentum.

If your goals are stagnant, or when you get stuck, create momentum.

Get it moving again.

Take massive action.

Do as much as you can as fast as you can.

And then keep it going.

Your most important job right now is to create momentum on your highest priority Goal starting today.

Make a list of at least 10 things you can do to create momentum towards your #1 Goal.

From that list, determine the order of priority for each activity. Starting today, take action and do at least one thing before you go to bed and then do something tomorrow and the next day and don’t let the momentum stall.

Momentum does not fall into your lap by accident. It is an energy, a movement, a life force that you consciously create. After you get it going, it becomes a powerful force unto itself.

No matter how difficult or challenging something is, it gets easier after you take an action, then another action, and then another. With each subsequent action, progress follows, energy increases, and in time, what was once difficult becomes almost effortless. That’s what momentum can do for you.

With momentum, new opportunities and new life will arise that will propel you forward towards your Goals.

What would happen in your job, your finances, your health, or your relationship if you made a concerted effort to improve in one of those areas? What if you took just a few strategic actions each day to make positive changes?

I’ll tell you what would happen… you would change your life.

In the beginning and at every critical juncture of anything worthwhile, success first requires expending ten units of effort to produce one unit of results. Your momentum will then produce ten units of results with each unit of effort.

For the next 7 days, focus on creating momentum on your #1 Goal and let me know your results.

Go for gold..your gold!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

The year is more than 50% behind us and if you have not done so yet, now is the time to taken a step back, take a closer look at your progress, or lack of it, and make any necessary adjustments.

If you set some Goals or New Year’s Resolutions in January, only to find them fizzle out, or you have run out of fuel, you’re not alone. Don’t let any discouragement stall your dreams. The good news is that for most Goals, you can start over or pick up where you left off any time you want.

You can accomplish more in the remaining 4 months than you did all last year… IF you tap into the one secret ingredient that is always at your fingertips that you have 100% control of anytime you want.

But before we get to that, we need to quickly reassess your highest priority Goals.

Think of the top 10 Goals you set for 2008. Are they still on your radar? Sometimes we set a Goal at one point in time that later reveals itself to be unimportant. Either we change or our circumstances change and we no longer want that Goal. Other times we set a Goal and simply become distracted or unconsciously sabotage ourselves (this should never happen again if you follow me on a regular basis). So for now, think of 10 Goals that matter in the present.

From your list of 10 Goals, take a minute to identify the ONE Goal you want to set your focus on for the remainder of 2008. You will still work on your other Goals, but we need to pinpoint one Goal that we will commit to giving more time, more attention and more energy to.

This one Goal should be a Goal that will positively impact your life in a big way. I call this the “WOO HOO Factor Goal.” Achieving or progressing with this Goal will make some or all of your other Goals much easier or faster to attain.

Remember this can be a brand new Goal or a Goal that you previously started but did not achieve, but it MUST be your # 1 priority Goal right now. You must have a hunger, burning desire and be 100% committed to or you will never have the juice to follow through day in and day out.

After you have identified your #1 Goal for the remainder of 2008, we are going to focus our attention on one particular factor that can be unleashed to accelerate your progress…

This factor is my secret weapon.

I credit this secret weapon for every great achievement I have ever experienced. It is so powerful, it is easy and best of all, it is free. It can reduce the amount of time it takes to achieve your Goal once you empower it. Everyone has the ability to tap into this powerful force.

What is the secret weapon?

That is coming up next in part 2 of It’s Time for your Mid-Year Checkup…now get cracking on your homework..I mean workout set above…

Go for gold
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith