Getting Smarter

How can you be specific about your goals when they are just a bunch of vague, foggy, wishes, hopes and dreams? It's time to take that pie-in-the-sky endeavor down from its celestial pedestal and see if it tastes as good as it looks from afar. (Forgive me for bringing up desserts so early in your diet-shackled day)...Is it really, truly unachievable, or that your perception because you don't currently have the means or mechanisms to reach it?

If there is a yellow-brick road to your dream, I promise you that underneath lies a foundation of solid research. It's the best preparation for turning those dreams into reality. Would we have ever reached the moon, or even this continent, without it? As brilliant and passionate as the explorers of Earth and space were, without their tedious hours buried in books at a drafting table, we would probably all still be back in the old world, and certainly never beyond it, thinking the Earth was flat and all of space was unattainable. 

Start building a sales proposal--to yourself! Research, plan, and pull together whatever supporting facts you need to convince yourself that the things you've decided to do, ARE do-able.  Whenever you begin to get discouraged or doubt yourself, refer to the proposal. From it, begin building a plan to achieve a SPECIFIC goal, not based on wishes or hopes, but on a solid foundation of facts that will bridge the abyss of distance between where you are now, and that proverbial pie-in-the-sky.

Ready to begin? Research, read, and ask around, until you find out what it may involve to get there. How good does it need to be? When you build a proposal, of course, you must always remember who your audience is. In this case, it's that mean girl in your head. Yes, I know we are treading on dangerous ground, taking note of her opinions, but this is, in fact, very necessary. She gets to play the devil's advocate, and we get to disprove her wicked-witch-of-the-west, negative-nancyisms, failure-floggings, and everything demeaning that has ever glared at you from your rear-view mirror, taunting you for every past deficiency.  It's time to quit cowering and get going.  

Psalm 27:3

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

Copy and paste the worksheet below and begin building that winning proposal.

SMART GOAL PLANNING, PHASE ONE

GOAL: ??? [NAME IT!]

       

      RESEARCH:

              1. What resources are required to achieve this?

              2. Funds (be precise):

              3. Hours per week can currently commit: (be realistic)

       BRAINSTORM:

              1. What connections do I have that could help me achieve this?

              2. Are there some creative modifications or shortcuts that would make it more achievable?

       ACTION ITEMS:

              1. Schedule time on your calendar each week to work on this goal, and be faithful to keep those appointments with yourself!

              2. Schedule a phone call, lunch, or coffee with two people you think could help you achieve this goal. 

              3. Tell your spouse or best friend what you are trying to achieve. Ongoing conversations about your goal will not only keep you accountable--they will keep you going!

PS: thanks to my daughter Sarah for the graphic above.... custom graphics by www.couturecheval.weebly.com