Effective Goal-Setting Tip #6: Don't Give Up!

Never give up on your goals, no matter how challenging they may be.

"Anything worth having is worth working for." Does this ring a bell? I remember hearing this admonition countless times from my parents and teachers throughout my childhood. While I didn't recognize it at the time, I now see the simple wisdom and truth of that statement.

The fact is, achieving meaningful goals takes time, effort and a whole lot of perseverence. Think about Olympic athletes. Can you even imagine dedicating yourself in the way these young people do, throughout their childhoods, to developing their talents? Their commitment and the sacrifice are absolutely astonishing. It takes many years of tireless practice and self-improvement before these athletes can qualify for the Olympic games. And what a thrill it is to see them reach the pinnacle of success. An Olympic medal. The gold. A new world's record. Remarkable stuff.

These athletes have a lot to teach us about tenacity and perseverence. They know that there's no side-stepping the time and effort involved in reaching our goals, whether large or small. The greater the accomplishment, the more tenacity required. Hey, it took Thomas Edison 10,000 tries before he got it right with the electric light bulb.

Take a lesson from Edison. Never give up on your goals, no matter how much frustration or disappointment you may face along the way.

Success may be just around the corner.

Until next time...

Liz

Effective Goal-Setting Tip #5: What's the Point?

To set relevant goals, you've got to ask yourself, What's the point? Why am I shooting for this goal? Does it really mean something to me? To my family? Will it help further my career? Will it improve my relationships? Make me stronger, healthier, better able to manage stress? What's the significance at this particular point in my life?

In other words, why bother?

If you can't identify the relevance of a given goal, chances are it's not so relevant after all. And if it's not relevant, you probably won't try all that hard to achieve it. Why should you? Your time is valuable and you've got a lot on your plate. Why push yourself to accomplish something that's just marginally relevant, if that?

Setting goals is a useful activity that can lead to tangible and intangible rewards but only when you remember to build upon Strengths, find your Motivation, build in Accountability, and find the Relevance. Oh and there's just one more thing to bear in mind. Achieving even the best-laid goals is challenging work. It takes time, dedication and real effort. Not to mention tenacity in the face of setbacks. Check back soon for more on the role of Tenacity in achieving your goals.

Until next time...

Liz

Recession? Coulda Fooled These Shoppers!

Took the kids to the outlets earlier this month, looking for boots for my daughter (didn't find what we needed) and an ice cream for my son (found exactly what we were looking for!). I'm not sure what I was expecting to see. The last time I visited the outlets was years ago and I recall seeing hoardes of shoppers loaded to the gills with shopping bags. But that was before the Great Recession. It was a time when people spent their money freely and sometimes excessively. I didn't imagine things would look the same this time around.

Was I ever wrong! The place was absolutely mobbed. Wall to wall people. Some were even waiting in lines to get into their favorite shops (including the Coach outlet and the Ugg store). What's more, they were obviously doing more than window shopping. Multiple bags in tow, they made their way across the vast retail complex.

Does this suggest that the Great Recession is truly lifting? Is consumer confidence on the rise? While my visit to the outlets doesn't qualify as a rigorous economic analysis, I was certainly encouraged by what I saw.

What do you think? Are we finding our way out of the woods?

Perhaps more to the point, are you ready for the Great Recovery?

Until next time...

Liz

Effective Goal-Setting Tip #4: Keep Yourself Accountable

You'll be amazed at how diligent you can be when someone else is watching.

All right then, time to get back to goals. We've already covered the Strengths and Motivation aspects of SMART goals, so let's move on to Accountability.

The basic fact is this: Without accountability, it can be awfully difficult to follow through on our promises. And, in some ways, that's what goals are. They are promises that we make to ourselves - and sometimes to our bosses, our peers, our clients, our spouses or our kids. Even the very best of intentions and the best laid plans can go astray if we don't build in that accountability piece.

So here's how it works. Find someone who cares whether you reach your goal. This might be a boss, a coworker, a friend, a family member, you name it. This person cares about you and wants to see you succeed. And he (or she) is willing to lend a hand in making that happen. He'll be honest, forthright and clear in giving you feedback on the progress you've made. He'll cheerlead your successes. Just as important, he'll give it to you straight when you're falling short of your goal.

Enlist this person as your accountability partner, or SMART partner. Let him know what you're looking to accomplish and how you're going about it. Stay connected and reach out when you've hit a stumbling block or simply need some prodding.

You'll be amazed at how much more diligent you can be when someone else has his eyes on your progress.

Who will your SMART partners be?

Until next time...

Liz

Flying in V-Formation

The Goose Story

This fall when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying together in "V" formation, you might be interested to know what science has discovered about why they fly that way: We know that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to do it alone, and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

When the lead goose gets tired, he or she rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots and falls out, two other geese will also fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they then launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

- Source Unknown

Working in isolation just doesn't make sense.

The truth is, we are so much more effective, creative, energized when we work in partnership with others. Toward a shared vision, a common goal. Helping one another along the way. This type of collaboration, so far from hindering our success, instead brings it nearer, more rapidly and easily than if we attempt to go it alone.

Teamwork, delegation of responsibility, and mutual accountability are vital factors in optimizing performance. In fact, it is only when we fly in V-formation that we — as individuals and members of the larger community — can truly soar.

Effective Goal-Setting Tip #3: What's Your Motivation?

Okay, let's get back to our discussion of practical goal-setting. As you may recall, we were talking about setting goals that build upon your strengths. (You do remember this, right?) Quick review: My take on SMART means setting goals that are based on Strengths, Motivation, Accountability, Relevance and Tenacity.

Let's talk about motivation.

The simple truth is, reaching your goals means changing your behavior. Doing more of this, less of that, trying something new. And make no mistake, modifying behavior is incredibly difficult work. It's so much easier to keep doing things the same old way. Not necessarily better but usually a whole lot easier.

That being said, if you really want - or need - to make some changes, you'll have to tap into some serious motivation. Why do things differently? Why push past the natural resistance to change? What's in it for you?

Here's how it might play out. Let's say your goal is to sit down to dinner with your family every night rather than working late and grabbing a Big Mac on the way home. To achieve this goal, you'll need to make some serious changes. You'll have to be more efficient with your time. You'll need to start saying no to 11th hour requests at the office. You'll have to delegate more often. You may have to wake up and begin your day an hour earlier each morning. All of this will take a lot of effort and planning. It won't be easy.

That's why motivation is so important. Ask yourself: What's the upside of making these changes? What's in it for me? Well, a warm dinner home with your family for starters. A chance to reconnect with your spouse and kids. More time, perhaps, to catch up on the day's headlines, flip through a magazine, go for an evening walk, toss the ball to Fido, jump on the treadmill for 20 minutes. The possibilities are endless.

And you know, when you think of it that way, the benefits really start to outweigh the challenges. You see the value. You push yourself to make it happen. You reach your goal.

It's all in finding the right motivation.

Until next time...

Liz

Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit Just Three Weeks Away

Just three weeks until my presentation at the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit (GCECS) in Philadelphia! I'm one of three panelists speaking about Interns and Mentors as Tools of Innovation. I’ll be discussing the many benefits of mentoring - to the mentor, the mentee and the organization - and I’ll provide practical tips for selecting a great mentor and doing what it takes to make the most of a mentoring relationship. Here's the "official" workshop description:

Companies are constantly examining ways to be more productive, more cost-effective and foster employee loyalty. Examine strategies for using interns and mentors as effective tools for today’s creative economy and the businesses that own that sector, as well as ways to establish professional relationships and positive connections that increase company and location retention.

The Summit takes place on October 5 and 6, 2009, at the Philadelphia Convention Center. My workshop kicks off at 2pm on the 5th. So come on out for what promises to be an incredible event, filled with dynamic presentations and fabulous networking. Keynote speakers include Elizabeth Gilbert, Best-selling Author of Eat, Pray, Love, Peter Shankman, Founder of HARO (Help A Reporter Out), Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development, Institute for the Future, and Randall Kempner, Executive Director, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs.

For additional details and registration information, check out the GCECS website. I hope to see you there!

Until next time…

Liz