How many times have you established a goal for yourself, your family, your business, or your team and within a week you forgot about it and never achieved it. Let’s talk about what it takes to achieve a goal.
During my first year in the health care recruitment business, I had to develop a positive talk script that I repeated to myself during the 30 minute drive to work every day. It went something like this: “I am the most outstanding health care recruiter in the United States of America. I am grateful for the contacts I am going to make today. I am grateful that I will be reaching out today to physicians who need to know about the opportunities that I am representing for my clients. I can help them achieve career goals and resolve personal issues that they may be facing. I look forward to reaching out to them and to make more contacts and calls in the office than anyone else. I will log more phone time than anyone else.”
The reality of the job during that first year is that I would make 100 dials a day and sometimes would go days without reaching anyone on the phone. Or if I did, they wanted nothing to do with entertaining another opportunity or having a meaningful conversation with me. It was only that positive self talk script that kept me in the game. When spoken out into the atmosphere enough times, it will cause circumstances to change and the most poignant change was in my attitude. I lived it. I believed it.
I still run into the unprofessional prospect now and then, but they stopped dictating my behavior long ago. I wanted to quit during the first two weeks in the business as I felt like a telemarketer who was constantly rejected day in and day out. But I didn’t and that has made all of the difference for me and it can for you as well.
By repeating this goal to myself every day, I was able to achieve my goal. The goal was realistic and tangible. By motivating myself and remaining focused, the obstacles evaporated and I was successful .
There are several ways to stay focused on a goal:
1. A Talk Script: Develop a mental script for your goal, memorize it and speak it out on the way to work (or whenever it makes sense) every day until it becomes a part of what you believe and it will change your circumstances.
2. Write it and Post it. Commit your goal to writing. But don’t just stick it in a drawer and forget about it. Put the essence of the goal on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper and tack it to the wall in front of your computer….or put it onto a 3 x 5 card and tape it to the bottom of your monitor. Every day, all day, you will be reminded of your goal and it will become part of you.
3. On your computer, set up an auto- reminder so that every day you receive the pop-up reminder on your goal. It becomes a constant motivator. Yes, that reminder can be irritating at times, but don’t delete it. It will be your constant reminder to stay focused.
4. Set up benchmarks of performance with dates and outcomes. Track your performance and make adjustments to insure that you stay on track to achieve your goal. Even give yourself an incentive, so that when you reach certain milestones, you treat yourself to something special….with a bonus when the goal is achieved. (Computer reminders work great for benchmarks as well).
So I have just touched on some strategies for achieving goals. What has been your experience? What works for you? Would love your comments.
