Goals revisited, met and unmet: What to do?
“Goals” look ahead to possible outcomes. “Achievements” look back on successes.
I am sick of goals and goal experts. You know, the people that spam you around the first of the year proclaiming they are the ones who can “help you” get to the next level. They have the magic “goal achievement formula.”
All you have to do to achieve your goals is pay the sender of the email. I am not an expert at setting goals. I’m an achiever.
To me “goal” is the wrong word. It tells me there’s something I HOPE or SEEK to achieve. I think you should call them the “achievements I’m striving for, and intend to make happen.” Whoa! That sounds like a whole different [better] process.
The reason most goals are not met is simple: Starting with the goal is wrong. Making the goal is the middle of the process.
Big picture: before you make a goal, you need information, and you need to define your own reality.
Here’s the achievement formula and process that will work: Before you craft a goal, ask yourself some critical questions—there are many possibilities—and write down the answers:
What is my present situation? What’s happening in my life? What’shappening in the lives of others that may affect me? What’s happening at my job and in my career? What’s going on in my family?
What is my present status? What are my skills? My capabilities? My shortcomings? What are the things I need to work on? What is my experience level? How’s my health? What’s my demeanor? How positive is my attitude?
What are my opportunities this year? What is available for me to grasp, accomplish, or achieve in both career and life? If you’re facing major change, maybe you should redefine it as opportunity. If you do, you’ll see the other side of the picture.
What are my objectives? What’s been on my mind to do? What do I want to make happen?
What are my needs? What do I have to do, whether I like it or not?
What are my desires? What do I really want to do?
What are my intentions? Am I writing down a 20-year dream, or am I dedicating myself to the tasks necessary to get something achieved in a short space of [defined] time?
What are my beliefs? How strong do I believe in my company? My product? My service? Do I believe I can differentiate myself from others? Do I believe that my customer is better off purchasing from me?
Then write down what achievements you’d like to make:
What have I been thinking about? What are my thoughts I’d like to turn into achievements?
What have I ALWAYS wanted to do?
What am I willing to do? If I make a goal, am I willing to actually do the work to make it happen?
What’s the time requirement? If I set a goal, do I have the time to achieve it?
What am I willing to sacrifice to achieve it? Give up bacon? Beer? TV?
What are the barriers? Can I overcome them alone or do I need help? If so, from whom?
What’s my level of dedication? What has been my history of achievement?
What’s my attitude toward doing? Am I “gung ho” or “ho-hum”?
What’s my date to start? Pick a firm date. Document it.
What’s my plan? What do I need to do every day? What’s my “daily dose”?
What’s my expected date of achievement? Pick a firm date. Document it.
What’s my plan to celebrate? Where’s the party? When is the party? Who is coming?
What are my outcome expectations? What will happen AFTER achievement? How will that affect my life?
Get the picture?
There’s a heck of a lot that goes into the achievement process. Setting the goal is just one small part of it. That’s why I substitute “achievement” for the world “goal.”
You have ideas, you have dreams, you have aspirations, you have desires, and you have needs. And now you have a full-blown plan of understanding and attacking. But the plan alone will not work without this secret ingredient: Your hard work.
In my years of achievement, hard work has always been my secret weapon. Make it yours. 
Return to Ingram's March 2012
Jeffrey Gitomer is author of The Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Red Book of Sales Answers.
P | 704.333.1112
E | salesman@gitomer.com