General goals that determine the main direction of production development imply an appropriate style of management and decision-making throughout the life of the company. But this is far from enough to manage companies. It needs to set more specific and specific tasks for all divisions and departments. First of all, it is necessary to develop goals for a period of 3 to 5 years. These goals are called long-term goals. They are designed for the company as a whole and its structural units. In addition, they provide the basis for organization-wide coordination and a benchmark for determining the degree of success of the company's actions.
In addition, the manager also develops specific short-term goals, which include immediate actions (for 1 year or less). They must, however, be strictly subordinated to the idea of long-term goals. There are eight main areas of goal development. We will talk about them later.
Survival and growth. These concepts are among the most important for any organization. They are reflected in the strategic plan. The manager enters into it such indicators as sales volume, sales growth rate, demand data, etc. Moreover, special attention is paid to growth indicators.
From time to time, companies set out to find the key element that links goals to survival and growth. Growth-oriented organizations never pay enough attention to the goal of meeting customer needs, at least in the first 5 years of their existence. The introduction of new capacities, reducing the firm's dependence on suppliers, and abandoning unprofitable production lines are examples of achieving the goals of survival and growth.
Profitability. The ability of any company to develop from a sufficient level of profitability. A well-oriented business necessarily has in its plan sections that characterize the sources of profit, such as profit from the sale of assets, interest on securities of other companies, revenue from sales of products, revenue from equity participation in other industries.
Resource allocation and risks. Another example of the goals of a business organization can be goals related to the allocation of resources and the prediction of possible risks that arise during the period of the organization's emergence. Goals related to the payment of dividends to shareholders can be classified under the “Allocation of Resources” section.
Production productivity. One of the tasks of a manager of any company is to take care of increasing the level of productivity. And in conditions of growing competition, this task actually comes to the fore. Productivity is the number of products produced or sold per unit of money spent or the number of services provided also per unit of money spent.
Examples include occupancy percentage for a hotel, table occupancy percentage for a restaurant, number of goods sold per unit of cost, or revenue per person. Productivity goals can be set in monetary, physical, or percentage terms. For example, a transportation company might set goals to reduce costs per flight.
Having these kinds of goals in the firm's plan is an additional point in favor of the manager and will ultimately have a positive impact on profitability.
Competitive position. The most sensitive indicator of a firm's success or failure is its industry market share or its competitive position. Managers typically measure market share by:
1) by the number of goods sold (as a percentage of the industry total);
2) by the number of consumers buying goods from a given company (relative to the total number of consumers. This indicator is most often used when consumers are companies);
3) by geographic scope (relative to the total territory).
When setting goals, market share is usually expressed as a percentage of sales. For example, Pepsi aims to be the largest soft drink manufacturer and reach 25% of the market, i.e. to ensure that the amount of products sold by this company would be 25% of the total products of this industry.
Improving the qualifications of employees and relations with the team. Employees in any job always appreciate the ample opportunities for professional growth provided to them. Companies with a flexible management system pay special attention to this issue when setting goals. Ultimately, the company receives enormous returns (increased productivity, reduced staff turnover) from any activities that allow employees to realize their creative potential and make a career.
Good relationships with the team on the part of management can be maintained by paying attention to the interests of workers in both long-term and short-term plans. Such actions strengthen employees' confidence in the manager's interest in supporting their well-being. Goals of this kind may include the adoption of programs to strengthen workplace safety, various types of incentives for fulfilling established standards or achieving a set goal, involving employees in the management process, etc.
Technological activities. The manager must almost constantly decide whether it is worth carrying out technical re-equipment in a given month (year) or whether production will be effective on the existing technological base.
Some companies, when setting goals, pay great attention to the technical perfection of their equipment. Others deliberately choose a position of moderate improvement of technology, preferring drastic reconstruction only in a situation where the market and competition require it. Both of these approaches can be equally successful. In a specific situation, everything will depend on the skillful construction of short-term goals related to technological research and equipment upgrading.
Responsibility to society. Every successful company, at a certain stage of its development, becomes a kind of social institution that assumes certain responsibilities to consumers and society as a whole. And in such a company, the manager, when setting goals, will take into account all the local, national and international features of the environment. Examples include participation in charitable and educational programs, special work with members of social minorities, public services, political activities and contributions to general economic development.
When a manager decides which areas the goals should cover, he should not limit himself to one area, but direct them to several at once, as suggested in the previous section. Regardless of the specific area for which a manager sets a goal, the following tips will be very useful.
1. Convince that goals affect the top of the organization. If senior management does not have clear goals, lower levels of the organization become directionless, and people at those levels may assume that goal setting itself is not important.
2. Provide a clear statement of the organization's mission and ensure that all members of the organization are familiar with it. Subordinates often have little understanding of it, and this leads to the fact that the mission, which gives meaning and meaning to the work, becomes secondary. Managers must systematically remind people of the organization's key goals by asking, “Why are we working? What is the purpose of this organization? What does she focus her attention on?
3. Make sure that every person, work group or unit in the organization has at least one clear, understandable, regularly monitored goal.
4. Don't assign more than 6-9 goals to anyone at once. Overloading subordinates with too many goals scatters their efforts and undermines their effectiveness.
Although it is very useful to move towards your intended goal, it is important not to connect your self-worth with achieving the goal. You remain normal regardless of whether the goal is achieved. Regardless of the outcome of your efforts, you are one of a kind, worthy, attractive person. By keeping this in mind and applying the techniques outlined in the previous chapters, you will be less stressed, more happy, and achieve better results.
Most of the successful people I know have failed at their goals from time to time. But rather than allowing these “failures” to undermine their self-worth, they looked at them as learning experiences in life and, as they continued to move forward, they ended up achieving even more success than their original goals anticipated. We should always remember that goals are good tools that we can use to achieve the desired result, but they can never mean more than ourselves.
Setting goals is natural. We are purposeful machines. We are designed to solve problems. Even in early childhood, we observed how people walk, talk, read, ride bicycles, etc., and planned that we would also do all this. Without realizing it, we set goals for ourselves. It wasn't always easy to achieve them, but we continued to strive for success. We loved the challenge, loved the learning process, and embraced the thrill of achievement and accomplishment. This is how we learned to walk and talk, and do many other things that seem simple and natural today.
Having a goal can even help you stay young and healthy. One of the saddest statistics in the country shows that men die on average 2 years after retirement. When we do something for many years, it fills our lives, and the sudden loss of it deprives us of the main meaning of existence and the will to live. As a result, our resistance to disease and ability to survive decreases.
Many of my seminars are attended by people who are over 60, 70 or 80, they are concerned about the future, they have long-term goals. They know that their mind can help them stay young, healthy, active and productive. And they understand that the key to this is love and a sense of direction or purpose.
At the end of a seminar I gave to 150 nuns of St. Paul's Monastery, one of them said to me: “I am 96 years old and I agree with everything you say. I lived exactly as you preach.” And it was obvious. She looked about forty years younger. She set goals for herself, sent love to others in her thoughts and prayers, and emphasized self-love. She knew that without self-love, she would have nothing to give to others. She has a long life because she believes in the good she can do.
Any doctor will tell you that the will to live is of paramount importance. Did you know that widows and widowers have a much higher mortality rate within a year of losing their partner than other people of the same age? According to Dr. Paul Rosch, director of the American Institute of Stress, Yonkers, New York, published in Time magazine on June 6, 1983, “the mortality rate for widows is 3-3.” 13 times higher than in married women for all major known causes of death.” It is quite possible that another person is the main meaning of our existence. And when he dies, our will to live dies with him.
Let's imagine riding a bicycle. It is easy to maintain balance while moving forward, but it is very difficult, even impossible, to maintain it while remaining in place. Goals keep us young and healthy. This is all the more true if we love life and intend to live it profitably.
When it comes to goals, flexibility is never too much. You can change your goals whenever you want. It will take no more than 10 minutes to record a new goal. in fact, you have less freedom when there are no goals. When there is no set course, the winds (or people) can pull you in any direction they want. Without goals, you lose control. Without goals, you are not truly in control of your life.
Your wish list
The first step in defining goals should be to compile a complete list, including: who you want to become, what you want to achieve, what you have, what you want to accomplish in all areas of your life. There are no restrictions. It doesn't matter how old you are, whether you have enough money, or what education you have. Throw away all restrictions for a moment and write down everything that comes to mind. You have no obligation to perform what is recorded. You are simply making your desires clear. However, as you realize the prospects are favorable, many, if not all, of your desires become more easily fulfilled.
The examples of desires given here were written down by people who attended my seminars. You can include them in your list:
1. Get a college degree.
2. Lose one hundred pounds of weight.
3. Find out everything about a country.
4. Visit Europe.
5. Have a happy marriage.
6. Become a foreman, manager, manager, president of your company.
7. Conquer Everest.
8. Buy a yacht.
11. Have a popular vacuum cleaner and toaster.
12. Achieve success in a baseball tournament.
13. Play the piano well.
14. Perform responsible work in a government, public or religious institution.
15. Quit smoking.
16. Help children study.
17. Achieve financial independence.
18. Speak several foreign languages fluently.
19. Travel around the world.
20. Open your own business.
21. Learn restraint.
22. Swim the English Channel.
23. Compose a song.
24. Become famous.
25. Dress well.
26. Improve your golf score by 10 points.
27. Donate large sums to certain charities.
28. Stop drinking alcohol.
29. Become a good artist.
30. Be able to provide financial assistance to friends and family.
Make a complete list of who you want to be, what you want to achieve, what to have, what to accomplish in all areas of your life. Write it all down in the space provided here or on a separate sheet of paper.
The list can be quite long. For some people it included a hundred or more points. Remember, these are not goals, but listing desires can give you ideas for goal setting that we can use later.
How to turn work into pleasure
Richard Bach often gives this advice: “Find what you like best and do it.” And if you run into barriers to doing what you love, find something you love about what you're already doing. Work should be fun and you can make work fun by simply doing it accordingly and finding fun in everything you do. Pleasure is there, just waiting for you to discover it.
You may not want to do what you do today for the rest of your life, but you will get a lot out of it by enjoying it until you move on to something better. Life is fuller when you love what you do.
Here are some of the benefits you get when you find joy and love your work:
Time goes by much faster while working.
You retain more energy at the end of the day.
Your relationships with people at work and in general improve.
You experience fewer negative emotions.
Labor productivity increases.
What really matters to you comes to light, and you are better equipped to do responsible work well and joyfully.
I've had jobs that I hated in the beginning. Later I decided to get the best out of them; as a result, they were not only more enjoyable, but brought enormous practical knowledge. They served as stepping stones to greater success and enjoyment.
Another way to start doing what you love is to make the following three lists:
1. Ten things I love to do.
2. Ten ways I can make money doing what I love and benefiting others.
3. Ten ways I can benefit more people by doing what I love, at a profit for myself.
Take a few minutes right now and make these three lists.
Making lists like this has helped many people see the opportunity to do what they love profitably and gain the confidence to succeed. I recently received a letter from a man who was going through divorce proceedings while he was attending my Productive Meditation ® workshop. He writes that in the two years since he mastered my goal setting technique, he has achieved the following:
Survived the divorce process, maintaining his dignity and high self-esteem.
Stopped abusing alcohol.
Lost 30 pounds of excess weight and maintains it.
I achieved the goal I set: to open my own business in 5 years (in less than 2 years).
Increased my annual income from $22,000 to over $100,000.
He bought the Corvette car he dreamed of and is planning to soon get a Ferrari.
At the end of the letter, he persistently asks me to continue to convince listeners of the benefits of programming, because their goals are achievable, if only they want to.
Eight Essential Principles for Successfully Achieving Goals
Eight tips on what to do to help you achieve your goals:
1. Write down your goals.
2. Be specific.
3. Make sure these are truly your goals.
4. Share your plans (goals) only with those people who will react positively.
5. Use pictures and symbols.
6. Make a commitment.
7. Be persistent.
8. Program your goals at least three times a day.
1. Write down your goals. This is the most important step in setting goals. Writing down your goals is the first step in turning them into physical reality. Numerous studies show that people who write down goals are 10 times more likely to achieve them than those who have clear goals but don't write them down. Writing down your goals will also help you organize your thoughts and stay on track. It's helpful to carry a list of goals with you so you can refer to it several times a day. Writing down your goals will help you become more aware of them and help you consciously look for opportunities to achieve them.
In everyday life, you will take actions that bring you closer to achieving your goals, and the likelihood of counterproductive actions will decrease. Written goals also serve as a measure of your progress. The success you achieve will come very naturally and will consistently align with your new beliefs and realities. In practice, some people barely notice how much progress they have made until, after achieving their goals, they come across the notes and exclaim: “Great, I really did a lot!”
2. Be specific. The more specific you write down your goal, the higher the likelihood of achieving it. “I would like to have more money” is not a goal. This is a desire, not a goal. Be specific. How much money? And over what period of time? Likewise, “I want a better job” is not a goal, but a desire. More specific! What kind of job do you want? When exactly do you want to receive it?
3. Make sure these are truly your goals. I know doctors, lawyers, people in other professions who look successful, but don’t feel like they are because they are not doing what they really want to do. They wanted to manage their lives differently. Instead, they acted according to the will of their parents, someone else. You have your life in front of you, make sure these are truly your goals. Do they reflect your values and your desires? Do they match what you like?
4. Share your plans (goals) only with those people who will react positively. This does not mean that you should ignore those who offer constructive criticism. Sometimes this can be useful. But you should avoid people who tend to make negative assessments. People who can't imagine that you can do something if you haven't done it before can make you doubt yourself. You may even give up on a project that you could have completed quite successfully. Surround yourself with positive, compassionate people. Their faith in you will strengthen their faith in themselves. They will help you realize your potential.
5. Use pictures and symbols. There is no doubt that it is very helpful to cut out pictures or symbols that will remind you of your goals and put them in your wallet, purse, or attach them to the mirror. Several years ago I met a woman who was a sales agent and had some understanding of goal setting techniques. One of the goals she strived for was to own an expensive foreign-made sports car. She wanted to buy this car for cash within 5 months. Given the level of income at that time, she had no chance of making such a purchase, however, knowing the technique, she not only wrote down her goal, but also cut out a picture of the car she wanted to buy from the advertising brochure. There was a fashion model next to the car in the photo. Instead of her image, my friend pasted her photo.
Looking at the picture, every time she saw herself next to the car. She placed the picture in her work notebook, which she opened often throughout the day, so that it would serve as a constant reminder of her goal. Later she showed this picture to me and said: “This is my car.” Then she turned the page: there was an almost identical picture - the same car, the same color - but it was a real photo, depicting her next to the car. “Here is my car,” she said. It was really her car! She purchased it 5 months after setting it as a goal, paying cash. My friend was convinced that she succeeded with the help of a picture.
The daily reminder and positive mindset increased enthusiasm and inspired greater activity and creativity in working with clients. Income increased accordingly. By the way, the model in the picture was very slender, and my friend, striving for a goal we know, simultaneously lost ten pounds of weight without even trying, which further demonstrates the power of figurative influence.
6. Make a commitment. Something wonderful happens when you make a commitment to your goal. The moment you definitely commit yourself, something comes to the rescue - God, the universe, the forces of nature. Support is coming. By making a commitment, you generate that support and increase your energy and ability to succeed. Determination, in itself, sets off a chain reaction of events, helps you and leads you to your goal. People, resources, material opportunities arise and appear, seemingly miraculously, to support your efforts. As Goethe said:
You can achieve any goal, without a doubt,
Be bold, because in courage lies hidden a mighty genius.
Courage, strength, magical power - everything is ready to serve you. All you have to do is make a commitment and get started.
The following formulas for success will help you in your endeavor:
With all my determination, I commit myself to achieving what I want.
Absolute determination strengthens my energy.
Making a commitment makes me feel confident and empowered.
I love the feeling of absolute determination.
Determination makes achieving any goal easier.
7. Be persistent. In essence, persistence will come automatically if you have sincerely made a firm commitment, but a few words on this topic can still help you stick to it. Perseverance is one of our most important qualities. We have it from birth. When we were little and learning to walk, we persevered. We fell, but got up again and again until we achieved success - we learned to walk. The same thing happened when we learned to speak. And the same thing was repeated when they mastered the bicycle. We owe many achievements in life to our perseverance.
Over the years, we acquire a tendency to use this quality less and less. Other values come. We begin to place more importance on what others think and say about us. In self-esteem, we listen more to what is said from the outside than to the inner voice. We attach more importance to other people's opinions of us than our own. We become dependent on their approval.
Our opinion of ourselves is even influenced by other people's thoughts about us - to the point where we develop a negative self-image. When we were kids and we fell, it didn't stop us. If we show the same persistence in adulthood, we will never lose.
Many years ago there lived a young man in Illinois who had failed in business. He ran for the Legislative Assembly, but was unsuccessful. He went back to business. And once again he failed, after which he spent 17 years paying off his partner’s debts. His lover died and he suffered from a nervous disorder. He returned to politics again, nominated himself for Congress, but again suffered a crushing defeat. Then his attempt to obtain an appointment to the United States Land Department ended in failure. After that, he took part in the elections to the US Senate, but also unsuccessfully.
Two years later he tried again and lost again. Defeat followed defeat. He could have easily given up and would have had a convincing excuse for not achieving anything more in life, since he was so unlucky. But he persevered and became one of the greatest men in history. His name is Abraham Lincoln. He came to terms with himself, although many considered him a fool, a freak and a complete failure. He knew he was imperfect, but he was confident in his potential and continued to push through obstacles towards self-realization. He recognized the merits of other people. He cared about people and dedicated his life to them. He was driven and persistent and succeeded even when it seemed like he had failed. Every obstacle provided an opportunity to learn, grow, and develop positive qualities. There are no losers - there are people who give up too quickly.
Calvin Coolidge said this about perseverance: “Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. There is no substitute for talent - there is nothing like an ordinary talented loser. There is no substitute for genius - unrecognized genius has almost become a proverb. Education will not replace it - the world is full of educated poor people. Only perseverance and determination are omnipotent. The motto “stand your ground” has always solved and will continue to solve the problems of the human race.”
Here are some success formulas that will help strengthen your persistence:
I enjoy the process of implementing my plan from start to finish.
I'm very persistent.
I have innate tenacity.
I am determined and firm.
I will see it through to the end.
I will finish what I started.
I will concentrate all my abilities on my goal until I achieve it.
8. Program goals at least three times a day. When programming, encourage yourself to feel as if the desired end result has already been achieved. Be grateful. It is clear that in this case we are using the second element of the “mental movie” technique (you remember, of course, that the first part (element) of this “movie” is scrolled only once).
To remind you to repeat this procedure, stick a small note on or near your watch: “Take a few minutes to program your goal - now!”
If, for example, your goal is to give a good speech, relax your mind and body, using the technique we have already mastered, and, while replaying the second part of your “movie”, mentally move forward in time, imagine that you are already presenting material - with a good effect and impression, feel what is happening with pleasure and joy. You focus your efforts on conveying the message to the audience in a clear, acceptable way, but do not focus on yourself, trying to impress or worrying about the audience's reaction.
You successfully complete what you set out to do, achieve your goal, and enjoy the process. Your presentation is well organized and prepared. It contains an introduction, body and conclusion. You are good at maintaining eye contact with the audience and mentally sending "I love you" to everyone, whether it's a thousand people or one listener. By radiating love and focusing on your goal, you automatically free yourself from awkwardness and shyness, becoming natural and at ease, which makes your performance more impressive.
Short, medium and long term goals
Some of your goals will take longer than others. Therefore you will have:
- Short term goals Goals that you think can be achieved in a few days to a few weeks.
- Medium-term goals Goals that you think will take anywhere from a few weeks to a year.
- Long term goals Goals that you expect will take a year or more to achieve.
Sometimes short-term goals will serve as steps towards medium- and long-term goals. If you want a million dollars, it's easy to see that planning to achieve such a goal in a few weeks is unrealistic when your current asset value is, say, $1.85. However, a short-term goal focused on a smaller amount will be quite feasible in the same way as a million as a long-term goal.
It is very important to believe. If you don't believe you will achieve your goal, you probably won't. As Richard Bach (Illusions) said in his book Illusions, “Wishes never come to you without the possibility of making them come true...” However, you will probably have to work hard (about how to turn the work into for fun, discussed in Chapter 6). Your goals may seem unrealistic to other people, but you yourself must believe in their reality.
How to Write Goals
The following eight principles of goal writing have been proven effective in thousands of cases. If you write on a standard piece of paper, make sure that it takes no more than two pages to capture all eight (see below for an example of a goal written using these eight principles).
1. Statement of purpose.
2. Start date.
3. End date.
4. Benefits.
5. Starting point.
7. Obstacles.
8. Ways to overcome obstacles.
1. Statement of purpose. After analyzing the list, including who you would like to become, what to get, what to have, what to accomplish, choose one thing that you want to accomplish most - in the next few days or weeks, if the goal is short-term, in a period of several weeks to year if the goal is medium-term, next year or later - if the goal is long-term.
Analyzing the list of desires, you may very likely find that in reality everything written down will take more than a year. How to select a short- or medium-term goal from the list? For example, you have written down that you would like to lose 100 pounds of weight, but you hardly admit that this can be done in less than a year. If so, your goal may represent a milestone along the way to an end result. Let's say 50 pounds. And you set £100 as a long-term goal. Another example. If you've written down that you want to get a degree but currently only have a high school diploma, your mid-term goal would be a quarter or semester of college.
2. Start date._The sooner you start, the sooner you will achieve your goal. So why not start right now?
3. End date. You will reach the goal by_. Maybe you will be able to do this a little earlier or a little later than the specified date, but you will be convinced that focusing on a given period will stimulate the biochemical processes and activity of the body, help avoid slowness, and increase the efficiency of your actions.
4. Benefits. List the benefits you will receive by achieving your goal. Imagine, imagine, feel and enjoy the fruits of these benefits - at least three times a day. This is one of the most enjoyable components of the goal setting system. Getting a degree may not seem all that exciting if you think of it as just getting a piece of paper. However, if you focus on the benefits this degree will bring, a very exciting picture can emerge.
Examples of the benefits that can be expected as a result of achieving the goal of an advanced degree are: the opportunity to fill a position that was not available without an advanced degree; an increase in income that was impossible without a degree; admiration and respect from family members and friends for achieving a goal that required so much effort, time, and expense; the feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction, accomplished action that you will experience as a result of what you have achieved. This is where programming comes into play.
Relax your brain according to the method we have learned and imagine in detail the positive end result, the achievement of the goal. Encourage yourself to feel as if this is already happening. You get a great feeling from programming, focusing on the benefits you'll receive while mentally creating patterns that will set you up for future success.
5. Starting point. Let's start with the date you started, the day you write down the goal. Where are you relative to the milestone you want to reach? This step is important for two reasons. First, it captures your starting point. This will help you measure your progress. Often, when we look back on the past, returning to a goal that we wrote down a year or two ago, we are amazed at how far we have come and how much we have achieved. Progress seemed so natural that we forgot where we started. When we reread a goal we wrote down a year or two ago, we realize how much progress we have made. And our success today is what we chose and created.
Realizing our plans helps us. We are inspired by new goals. This stage is also important because it helps to see the current situation with greater clarity. Helps identify the problem.
And formulating a problem is often considered to comprise 90% of the process of solving it.
6. Plan. Write down the steps you will take to achieve your goal. At this stage, it is useful to have an individual brainstorming session. Write down all possible steps that could lead to achieving your goal. Do not approach these steps critically at this stage. Write down everything that comes to mind. Later, when you analyze them, you may decide to discard some of them. But you will have material for analysis and decision, which is quite valuable in itself.
The course of action will also become clearer during goal programming, which you do daily. You will find that when you relax and focus on a positive end result, ideas will come about steps you can take to achieve the end result. You will see that these ideas help justify the actions necessary to achieve the goal. As these ideas come to you, include them in your written plan along with the ones you wrote down earlier.
7. Obstacles. Make a list of possible obstacles you will encounter. Include on the list everything that might prevent you from achieving your goal. Mentioning interference may seem like a negative thing, but the presence of obstacles is not necessarily a negative thing. It all depends on how we deal with them. If we write down the obstacles and look at them carefully, we may discover that they do not exist at all.
For example, you say: “I would like to get into better physical shape. But now I just don’t have time for that.” When you write down a goal like this and really think about it, you'll realize that getting into better shape every day doesn't take that long. If you really want it, you will find the time. And very soon you will see that improved physical condition is accompanied by good health. You think more clearly and have more energy to do more things. Therefore, exercise actually saves you time by increasing your performance and efficiency, thereby helping you achieve and maintain higher levels of well-being.
Of course, one day you may encounter a truly formidable obstacle. Such a case should be welcomed. Research shows that people who set goals, write them down, make plans without encountering obstacles, achieve their goals as originally set. Everything is correct, isn't it? If we wrote down a goal, developed a plan and did not encounter obstacles, then, of course, we will achieve the goal. However, those people who encounter obstacles along the way and persevere in overcoming them not only achieve their intended goal, but achieve much more than they originally planned.
Obstacles often represent beneficial advantages or opportunities, even blessings in disguise. By the way, the word for “crisis” in Chinese consists of two characters - and one of them means “opportunity”. Richard Bach writes in Illusions: “There is no difficulty that does not bring something as a gift.”
However, I didn’t always think so. I used to give up very easily when faced with an obstacle. I could easily be laid on my shoulder blades. Since then, I've learned that obstacles can stimulate creativity and better use of one's potential—a very important lesson.
Some of my listeners have told me that they have changed the way they think about these things so much that now, when they encounter an obstacle or receive “bad” news in connection with a goal, they automatically exclaim, “Great!” And they immediately begin to look for the positive in the current situation. They say that by doing this, they always find that the “bad” news turns into an advantage or opportunity. What at first glance seemed like the worst thing that could happen actually turned out to be the best. I tested this when faced with “catastrophic” news, and I got the same result.
8. Ways to overcome obstacles. Make a list of ways to overcome possible obstacles. Approach every obstacle as if you already have a good solution. I want to reiterate that very often, if not always, great opportunities arise when we encounter obstacles. These opportunities and solutions are better identified if you maintain a positive attitude and take time to analyze the situation or obstacle in a relaxed state.
You may agree with Booker T. Washington's statement regarding overcoming obstacles: "Success should be measured not so much by the position one has achieved in life as by the obstacles one has overcome along the way to success."
You'll find that it only takes about 10 minutes to write down your goal using the formula provided here. With each new goal written down, the process becomes easier and more enjoyable. Always remember that we are purposeful machines. We function best when we strive to achieve a goal.
Example of a goal entry
1. Goal Statement: Double your income in 12 months._
4. Advantages:
I can pay off my debts._
I can buy a new car._
I will be able to spend my vacation the way I have long dreamed of._
5. Starting point:
Today my income is_
I will immediately discard negative thoughts, ideas, feelings.________
I will immediately replace them with appropriate positive statements.___
I will use the “mind movie” technique at least three times a day, imagining that I have already achieved my goal. I will be happy enjoying the listed advantages and benefits._
I realize my creativity and energy through positive affirmations, mental images and feelings of success.____
I will turn work into pleasure and do everything necessary to work with pleasure. This will give me the energy and enthusiasm to increase productivity and improve understanding and collaboration with colleagues and customers._____________
7. Analysis of obstacles (if any):
1. Doubts and fear of failure._
2. The feeling that I don’t deserve it._
3. Lack of time to do everything necessary to double your income._
8. Possible ways to overcome obstacles and the benefits that can be derived from them:
1. Doubts and fears will be overcome at the initial stage by positive statements and images, and soon by successful progress towards the goal, which will lead me to my new, true state of a successful person, a person who deserves it and will succeed more and more._
2. I will increase my level of motivation using goal programming techniques using positive affirmations and mental images, and thus a) I will have more energy for necessary actions, while work will feel more like fun; b) I will exclude from my business routine everything that turns out to be unnecessary or unpleasant in relation to my goal; c) I will be more efficient and productive and will be able to get more done in less time; d) I will always find time to do what is necessary!_
Recording forms
You can use the following pages to write down a short-, medium-, or long-term goal. You can do the same on separate sheets of paper, making sure to include all eight steps.
Short term goal #1
1. Statement of purpose:_
2. Start date:_
3. End date:_
4. Benefits received:_
5. Starting point:_
Mid-term goal No. 1
1. Statement of purpose:_
2. Start date:_
3. End date:_
4. Benefits received:_
5. Starting point:_
7. Analysis of obstacles (if any):_
8. Possible ways to overcome obstacles and the benefits that can be derived from them:_
Long term goal #1
1. Statement of purpose:_
2. Start date:_
3. End date:_
4. Benefits received:_
5. Starting point:_
7. Analysis of obstacles (if any):_
8. Possible ways to overcome obstacles and the benefits that can be derived from them:_
They are essential attributes of a successful person. The clearer we are about what we want to achieve in the future, the better. This way, there is a greater chance of not missing out on the opportunities that, as we know, life is rich in. When an individual actually works on himself, he has additional opportunities. Even the smallest details matter here, since they form the whole picture. What are short-term goals? How to correctly formulate and achieve them? Let's take a closer look.
Definition of the concept
It is very important to correctly understand what we are really talking about. To achieve success in life, you need to learn to distinguish between long-term and short-term prospects. Short-term goals are those desires and aspirations that an individual hopes to achieve within two to six months. Sometimes you can find tasks scheduled for a year, but they can be completed even earlier. The main difference is that a person must see in his head the realization of his dreams.
In the most general case, you need to clearly understand why you need to achieve a particular goal. The goals we set come true much sooner than those that we simply carry in our heads but do not write down on paper. As a rule, they help to achieve more global aspirations. Examples of short-term goals can be found below.
Desired income
This point is perfectly illustrated by an example of goals that a person sets for himself and plans to achieve in the near future. If in the long term an individual dreams of getting rich and receiving millions in royalties, then at the initial stage he needs to at least increase his income by one and a half to two times. All types of short-term goals in one way or another affect those that we set for ourselves for many years to come. After all, in order to achieve the expected result in a few years, you need to take certain steps every day towards what you want. Short-term goals may include increasing your monthly earnings.
Most people will definitely include this item in their forward planning. Having a clear idea of how much money you want to receive will help you organize yourself in the right direction.
Making purchases
What joys of life can exist without shopping! For immediate purposes, you must indicate the things you are going to purchase. It is necessary to think through everything well in order to be able to control the process of progress towards the task. If you let the situation take its course, you can very soon become disappointed in yourself and lose faith in your existing inner strengths. When we can afford the purchases we want, it is incredibly encouraging and gives us confidence in our own prospects. Each of us has our own wish list that we need to learn to manage. You should definitely please yourself with those purchases that bring you pleasure. By denying yourself everything, you can lose inspiration.
Health category
It also cannot be ignored, since well-being in general depends on our physical condition. You should not forget about your own health. It is necessary to include intentions to maintain your physical well-being in your list of goals in a timely manner. While young people may not bother themselves too much about this, older people are more concerned about this issue.
Trips
It is also recommended to plan your outings or vacations in advance. If this is not done, then later you will have to frantically search for a suitable case. Some people love spontaneous travel, but it is only good when the individual has a sufficient amount of free time. When things take up most of the day, you invariably have to sacrifice something. It is extremely important that there is always free money available to implement the desired intention.
Only then will a person feel truly happy and self-sufficient. The goals set should motivate you to new achievements. As a rule, if an individual has a dream, he strives with all his might to achieve it. Here the obstacles that arise even cease to play a certain role.
Clear wording
Setting and achieving goals is a whole science that you often have to learn throughout your life. The clearer the intention, the better. This way we create a clear idea in our head of what we need. Without this vision, it is unlikely that a new project can be started. We must be fully aware of what we are striving for. Try to write down your goals in a notebook. If you just carry them in your head, then most likely they will remain only dreams.
It is best when a person has a very specific idea of what he wants to achieve. Such a desire will not be lost over time, nor will it fade away under the influence of numerous difficulties.
Measurable and Achievable
Very important characteristics, without which you cannot follow your desires. Short-term goals in life and at work help you not to give up and not give up in the face of difficulties when they begin to manifest themselves especially clearly. A person should always have the opportunity to measure his desires and bring them to a certain date. If you know you have to save a certain amount by June, you're more likely to be able to do it. You should not make exorbitant wishes. In any case, they must somehow relate to our real situation.
Of course, you should dream big, but the accumulation of victories must be carried out gradually. Otherwise, you may be bitterly disappointed. You need to give yourself time to get used to victories. They should become an integral part of life, and not some kind of miracle. We must definitely understand that we will be able to achieve the stated result. Any person wants to get what he wants, especially when he makes significant efforts every day to make his dreams come true.
Positive character
All goals related to your near future must be formulated in a positive way. A positive attitude already at the stage of identifying your desires helps you find inspiration. If you have a habit of constantly replaying negative impressions in your head, urgently change your approach to life.
You need to learn to see the positive sides of what is happening, even if it is still difficult for you to believe that what you want will really come into your life. With a positive mindset, you can achieve anything because there will be no factors that could hold you back or limit you too much.
Present tense
All intentions must be formulated as if changes were already happening to you right now. By writing down your goals in the present tense, you bring their achievement closer. It just seems that nothing depends on our desires. When difficulties drag on, the individual gets used to thinking and perceiving any information in a negative light. Only formulation in the present tense can bring us closer to what we want. It is necessary, if possible, to re-read the written down goals every day and, of course, believe that they will certainly be fulfilled. Trust the Universe, and then it will pleasantly surprise you.
Necessary steps
No matter how great your intentions are, it is important to start moving in the direction of what you want in advance. After all, the result will not arise out of nothing, by itself, unless you make very specific efforts. Having decided on your goals, you need to start a new life as soon as possible. A new goal will lead you forward and inspire you to great achievements. It’s wonderful when a person begins to really believe in the prospects available. Only then does he have the opportunity to achieve any result, wings grow behind his back, and the desire to act arises. A surge of enthusiasm and the emergence of fresh ideas is a good sign. All these manifestations indicate that the person has accepted responsibility for what is happening to him. He will definitely achieve the desired result, because he does not doubt the correctness of the decision made. The willingness to act, despite the obstacles that arise, is actually worth a lot.
Thus, short-term goals must be formulated in a timely manner and written down in a notebook. If you just keep them in your head, they will not come true soon. It is recommended to start taking the necessary steps as soon as possible so as not to waste time. Concentrating a large amount of positive energy will help you get closer to your cherished dream.
Due to the fact that strategic goals are long-term in nature, their achievement requires constant monitoring and analysis of their implementation.
What periods should be established for monitoring the achievement of the company’s strategic goals?
Typically, the desired results of a company's future activities are described using three types of standards - long-term, medium-term and short-term. Long-term goals set the desired goals for the long-term development of the company over a period of 3-5 years or more, depending on the dynamism of the business in which the company operates. These long-term goals are then broken down into medium-term goals at intervals of 2-3 years. Information on the achievement of medium-term goals is the result of an analysis of short-term activities. For each of the specified time periods, it is necessary to establish activity standards. However, in practice, companies do not always do this.
We know that achieving any goal begins with the first steps towards a given goal. This is exactly how interim short-term goals for the year are set for each indicator in the balanced scorecard. They represent quantitative standards for each of the indicators and allow us to measure success in achieving goals in the medium and long term. These goals serve as leading indicators, providing timely information about achieving the desired state in the medium and long term. These standards are often used as short-term indicators for the year. But the most convenient format for using such standards to achieve goals is their quarterly breakdown in accordance with the frequency of reporting on the company’s performance indicators. Establishing quarterly standards allows us to use actual results for decision making because we can compare actual results with the plan. This also allows you to more closely “keep your finger on the pulse” of the company, and not be surprised to discover a year later that the specified goals have not been achieved even in a distant approximation.
When setting long-term, medium-term and short-term standards, the following must be taken into account:
- Long term goals and norms must be supported by a system of organizational support. This long-term support should be both at the level of the motivation system and the management system. If the motivation (reward) system is focused on short-term results - profit in the current year, then such a short-term goal will conflict with the goals of long-term development. A motivation system is needed that balances long-term and short-term results.
- Medium-term goals must be realistic. While long-term goals are meant to shake up the company, medium-term goals should be realistic and achievable. Otherwise, if the goal is not based on reality, it will demotivate the company's employees. For example, there is no need to set goals of doubling profits in half a year, or tripling turnover in a year. These goals are unlikely to be achievable. In order for goals to be achievable, they must find a balance between motivation and achievability.
- Initial goals- should become additional norms of activity. This means that the established standards must improve the existing indicator by some achievable percentage. For example, reduce unit costs by 10% compared to last year. Increase sales profitability by 5%. It is important to remember that these goals should be challenging but achievable. Also, each goal should be determined on the basis of a program of measures to improve this indicator, and not by simply adding (subtracting) a certain percentage from the previous year’s norm.
Not every metric in the BSC can have a big, challenging goal in the long run. Otherwise, it would lead to a scattering of company priorities. However, it is necessary to develop strict standards for each indicator. The BSC must include additional standards and for each of the indicators it is necessary to determine what the company wants to achieve in three years, five years and what additional results will help with this. The cause-and-effect relationships identified in the strategy map, as well as the expected degree of interaction between the indicators, will help develop norms that in turn will help the company achieve significant improvement in results.
For example, a company has set a goal to increase its return on equity by 25% over the next three years. At first glance, this goal may seem unattainable. However, having analyzed the leading and lagging indicators in all four components of the BSC, we can come to the conclusion that it is possible to successfully implement this goal. Now it is necessary to determine the necessary set of norms and measures that will help turn plans into reality. Knowing the standards for each of the company’s indicators, it is possible to determine the optimal combination of events that will lead to the achievement of the specified financial result.
