Goal personal planning setting success – 3 Tips To Avoid Getting Trapped by Stubbornness
We've all been told time and time again that the key to success in achieving your goals is persistence. Just keep going, through the good times and bad, never giving up until you get there. But sometimes persistence can become foolhardy stubbornness, denial of reality - like the soldiers who emerge from the jungle 20 years after the war finished only to find that their heroic action was now completely irrelevant. This article will help you to walk the fine line between persistence and denial.
To quote Kenny Roger's famous song "The Gambler" - "you've got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em". Just like the character in the song, this is something that you are going to have to learn through your own experience in your own situation. However I'd like to share a few pointers with you.
One thing to remember is that you set your goals with a good reason and you should only change them for a very good reason – don’t confuse being realistic etc. for lack of persistence. If, after careful consideration you do decide to change your goals, you should make the smallest possible changes to them – just small tweaks are best rather than completely going off in a different direction. Do not make a habit of completely changing direction – that’s the fastest way to end up going round in circles.
Know your major definite purpose
You may be pursuing several goals – loose weight, make more money etc. but there will be just one thing that you are aiming for in the next 3-5 years. This will be your dream, your overarching goal, your major definite purpose. It will also be the yardstick you use to measure everything else against.
Your goals should always be moving you towards your major definite purpose, and when you started out, you probably set your goals with that intention. However over time, you have been learning and developing new ideas – are your goals still taking you where you most desire to go? If they are great – be persistent. If not, it’s time to rethink them.
Re-examine your goals regularly
Don’t just stop at checking your goals against your major definite purpose, take time to think about them regularly. Review your progress, ask yourself why things have gone well/badly. Listen to your inner voice, is it telling you something about your goals.
Compare yourself with other people in a similar situation and with a similar purpose in life who have been successful – how did they do it? Can you see a better way to achieve your current goals. Sometimes it’s not the goal that is the problem, it’s the method you are using.
Based on what you know now, was your original goal realistic and achievable. Remember goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. If you’re like me, you may tend to set yourself over-ambitious goals. I frequently need to reappraise the timescales for my goals, however I rarely change direction.
Take time for Rest and Recuperation
If you’ve had a difficult time, taking a break for a few hours or a weekend can help you to rest, relax and recharge your batteries. It can also give you a bit of distance and perspective on what you are doing. You should expect to come back refreshed and ready to face the next challenge.
However, by taking the focus of your conscious mind away from your goals, you can allow your subconscious mind to get to work and it might just generate some excellent new ideas for you!
To achieve ambitious goals, you are going to have to be persistent. A lot of goal setting, personal planning and success literature urges to you to be persistent. You should never give up too easily.
The danger is that you can become totally focussed on one objective and never look at the world around you. You will run the risk of becoming trapped by stubbornness. You need to develop the ability to know when to hold on to your goals and when to rethink them.
Would you like to learn more about goal setting, personal planning and success?
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