I can clearly recall my first push-bike. It was orange. My maintenance program involved cycling until the chain was dry and everything squeaked. Then I’d break out my Dad’s 3-in-1 oil and pour about half a tin into any opening I could find. This solved the squeaks, but at the cost of an oil stained garage floor and an ear-bashing from Dad; “a little and often, is better than a lot and seldom” was his advice. Not that I paid much attention at the time.
Now that I’m running my own business, I finally, a mere 30 years later, understand what he was on about. It’s sound advice. Take for example product design. As a trainer, I need some courses to run. Simply being skilled at the things I train isn’t enough; I need to turn them into products that customers want…and make money while I’m doing it! At first I set out to design “the complete manager’s tool kit”. Gradually, it dawned on me that creating an entire MBA program was a significant undertaking and that perhaps a good place to begin was with a couple of half day seminars. It’s a bit like when we moved into our first house. We could afford it because it needed a lot of work. At first the renovations were daunting and we didn’t know where to begin. But gradually, one job at a time, we created our dream home.
It seems to me that the trick to achieving your goals is two-fold. The first is to dream. Your dream is to achievement, as nectar is to a bee: it’s what keeps you motivated and draws you forward. And once you have created the dream, then begin by taking small, manageable steps to achieve it. This article gives some practical advice on how to do both.
The thing about dreams is to formulate them in a way that makes them really compelling. In his book “Transforming Communication” NLP (neurolinguistic programming) trainer Dr. Richard Bolstad describes a goal-setting model called SPECIFY. It’s the most effective model I’ve ever used and is, for example, a lot smarter than SMART. Here’s how it works.
The key is to clearly imagine what it will be like when you’ve achieved your goal. Take a moment and get a really clear picture of how it looks. What are you saying to yourself as you achieve it? What does it feel like to be in your body, right there at the moment of completion…feels good, doesn’t it? Once you’ve created that “future memory”, as it’s sometimes called in NLP, you can recall it any time you want. This is a powerful way of motivating yourself.
A couple of things to be aware of in creating this “future memory” are, first of all, to make sure your goal is stated in a positive way. For example, the driving force behind my marketing plan isn’t to “make enough money to stay in business”. The danger with this goal would be that I could find myself making just enough to survive, but no more. A better goal is “to continually create new networks and opportunities that give me the fulfilling, abundant lifestyle I want”. Positively stated goals are easy to spot, when you create your “future memory” of them you feel excited and raring to go.
The second thing to consider when creating new goals is: how do they fit in with your overall commitments? Ask yourself: “What will I gain from doing this?” and “What will I have to change, or let go of, to achieve this goal?” For example, in striking out on my own, I knew I was going to gain the freedom to run my life the way I wanted. At the “cost” a steady wage and, in the early stages at least, some changes in the way I spend money. These are very useful questions. It’s good to brainstorm your answers to them and then carefully consider what you’ve written. Resolve any conflicts between what you want and what it will take to get it before you take action.
So, now you’ve got your big dream, how do you get started? This is where my Dad’s advice of “a little and often…” comes into its own. Make a list of the first small steps you could take towards your dream. Then pick the one that’s easiest to achieve and do it within the next 24 hours. The smallest thing will propel you forward: a single phone call; a web-site investigated; an idea mind mapped. Then the next small step is easier to take (trust me I know!) and then several new smaller steps come to mind and before you know it…you’re flowing! And then this amazing thing happens, as mythologist Joseph Campbell so beautifully put it: “Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be”. It’s true…your dreams await you.
Published in NZBusiness magazine, August 2006
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