Personal Development/Success/Happiness

A 7-Step Goal Achievement Strategy That Actually Works!

Try this proven NLP-based system to bring about the changes you want in your life

I know many of you are busy putting together your plans for the new year. Some of you will make “resolutions,” making a list of the things in your life you want to change.

For example, you may want to stop smoking or lose weight, make more money, or find a new relationship, a better job, or perhaps change professions altogether. In short, you’re looking for a way to change or improve some situation in your life that’s not as positive or rewarding as it could be.

As you begin the goal-setting process, you may decide to use one of the more formal or structured methods to describe your objectives and define the actions necessary to accomplish them. For example, there’s the business-oriented technique of Management by Objective (MBO), or one of the various permutations of what is commonly called S.M.A.R.T. goals, in which the word smart is used as an acronym to make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

I don’t recommend either of these systems.

I used Management by Objective for years, and it always felt inflexible, forced, and even confrontational — not at all conducive to doing creative work.

And the S.M.A.R.T. system?

Two of the five benchmarks used to evaluate and structure a new goal are achievable and relevant — terms that are inherently vague and subjective. For example, what you achieve is usually based on what you’ll willing to give up — to sacrifice — before you can get what you want.

The idea of relevancy is even worse.

How do you define or establish relevancy when the concept is so open to individual interpretation?

What I’m getting at is that many of the commonly used goal-setting processes and exercises often contain an inherent excuse for failure.

For example, “Hey, I tried to find a better job, or stop smoking, but the goal just wasn’t relevant.”

Then why did you choose it in the first place?

Terms like achievable and relevant are impossible to measure. You can’t really produce any kind of useful feedback by trying to evaluate where you are on a spectrum that’s defined by relevancy.

That’s like saying, “I had to give up on that goal because I discovered that it was only thirty percent relevant.”

One of the reasons to use a goal-setting methodology is to remove as much of the subjective criteria as possible, so you’re not tempted to quit on the basis of some non-specific feeling. Yes, that “feeling” may help you placate your conscience, but it also disguises the truth: You weren’t willing to do the work or make the required sacrifice.

Ready for an alternative method of creating change in your life that actually works?

The following is based on the NLP process for creating change in your life. I’ve used it successfully to vet new objectives and to identify the specific actions required to accomplish them.

The process is very user friendly, and emphasizes the importance of personal ecology — choosing and pursuing goals that are compatible with your highest values.

Step One — Describe what you want.

Write down a statement that defines what you want to change.

For example, “I want to stop smoking.” Or “I want to lose weight.” Maybe you want to move up professionally, make more money, or expand your business with an increase in market share or profitability. Whatever it is, write it down in a brief statement.

Step Two — Objectively define how you will know when you have accomplished your goal.

This is where you add the parameters of measurement and feedback by describing the outcome of your goal as specifically as possible. Simply ask yourself, “How will I know when I’ve accomplished my objective?”

Your answer might be, “When I haven’t had a cigarette in six months, or a year.” It could also be, “When I’ve lost ten pounds, and have adopted a new diet and exercise regiment that keeps the weight off indefinitely.”

Just write down the specific criteria — the evidence — that you will see, hear, or feel that will prove you’ve reached your goal. This eliminates all those airy-fairy feelings that allow you to change your perspective without changing your life . . . because the work gets hard, or you’re not willing to do what it takes to bring about the change you originally wanted.

Step Three — Determine what you’ll have to give up to achieve your goal.

This is a hard one. It’s the reason over ninety percent of the population fails to realize the objectives they set, with most giving up in the first ninety days.

It‘s caused by not being realistic about the pursuits and activities you’ll need to give up to make your goal a reality. It could mean sacrificing a large part of the time you spend socializing, or reducing the number of hours you spend in front of the TV set.

This step requires you to face the two most important questions of setting any new goal:

“Is what I want to achieve better than what I have right now?”

If so, “Am I willing to pay the price?”

And by the way, if you can’t commit to paying the price upfront, don’t kid yourself about increasing your commitment later on. Admit it now, because you don’t need to waste your time and resources pursuing a goal that ultimately, isn’t right for you.

If you determine the cost is too high, face the realization that you’re already living the life you want to live — because you’re not willing to pay the price to change it.

Step Four — Describe the resources you currently have that will help you accomplish your goal.

It might be an existing relationship, money, your time, or the influence you have within your industry. It could also be your reputation or your history as a successful change-master. So list your resourses, especially the ones you can rely on to get the process started.

Step Five — Ask yourself what you need to accomplish your goal.

Make a list. It might be an introduction to someone of influence, or if your goal has a formal education requirement or prerequisite, you may need additional schooling and/or professional certification. If you find you’ll need financial assistance, determine what sources are available to you.

And don’t worry if you’re not sure of everything you’ll need, because as you begin making progress, you’ll typically realize the need for additional resources to make your goal a reality.

Step Six — Establish a timeline.

How long do you anticipate it will take to accomplish your goal? Is it something you can do in six months? Or will it take five years? What’s the basis for establishing your schedule? Are you guessing, or just choosing an arbitrary time span that gives you plenty of wiggle-room?

A goal without a time limit has no power. Without a deadline, it’s difficult to produce the necessary motivation to stay with the program and maintain your momentum.

Yes, sometimes, you’ll underestimate how long it will take to complete your objective. But it’s more typical to overestimate the amount of time you’ll need to produce a result.

So take advantage of getting it done sooner, and don’t consider an overestimated timeline as permission to slow the pace, or to take a break.

Step Seven — What’s the first step?

How will you start? What will you do first? Write it down, then add the next step — if you know what it is. This begins the process of breaking down the goal into doable steps. Yes, it’s okay to take that first step without knowing the subsequent steps. You may not realize the next action-step until you complete the previous one.

I’ve used this NLP-based process for over twenty years, and I can personally attest to its power to produce real results.

Regardless of the system or method you ultimately choose to identify your goals, organize your resources, and track your progress, consider the process of setting goals as a life-management tool, a personal plan to focus your time and resources to make desirable changes in your life.

Implementing positive life-change can be challenging.

But setting a new goal often becomes the catalyst that helps us recognize our highest calling, motivating us to pursue a life of self-design and personal achievement, which in turn, can ultimately lead us to a happier and more satisfying life.

“Happiness can be defined, or at least in part as the fruit of desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.” — Stephen Covey

© 2021 Roger Reid. All Rights Reserved.

Listen to the podcast of this article at Success Point 360 Podcast.

Roger A. Reid is the author of Better Mondays: The New Rules for Creating Financial Success and Personal Freedom (While Working for the Man)

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the host of Success Point 360 Podcast and author of Better Mondays and Speak Up. A certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business, Roger offers tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.