One of my clients recently lent me Brian Tracy’s CD collection on “The Psychology of Achievement.” (For more information, go to www.briantracy.com) While what he explores relative to achievement ranges from the origins of our individual self-concepts, to marriage, to parenting, to goal setting and more, the focus of this letter is on his blueprint for “activating your success mechanism”.

The Importance of Goals

An intense goal orientation (setting goals and related plans) is the most important attribute for peak performance. A study done at Yale demonstrated that the 3% of graduates included who in fact set goals were worth more in dollar terms 20 years later than the 97% who didn’t. Intense goal setting marks the winners, always.

How to Set Goals

Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor:

• Identify goals you intensely desire.
  

• Try not to diffuse your efforts by seeking to accomplish too much. Often accomplishing the most important things will lead to attainment of other goals.
  
  
• If you want a balanced life, identify balanced goals.
  
  
• Goals should not contradict each other.
  
  
• Make the goal believable, challenging, measurable, and time bound.
  
  
• Articulate your goals clearly, specifically and in vivid, precise detail exactly as you wish the outcomes to be.
  
  
• Write them in the first person singular present tense as though you have achieved them.

  Why People Don’t Set Goals
  
  Apparently less than 3% of people have clearly articulated goals and plans in writing that they work on every day. Here are some of the reasons why:
  
  

• They don’t understand their importance.
  
  

• They don’t know to set high performing goals.
  
  
• They fear rejection – if I set this goal, my friends and family will think I’m nuts, be jealous, etc.
  
  
• They don’t understand the importance of failure in achievement, and thus fear rather than welcome it. You can’t realize your full potential unless you fall on your face enough times that you learn the lessons needed to move forward.
  
  
• They fear success – how hard will I have to work, how will my life change and can I handle it?
  
  
• They fear change – the natural tendency to play it safe and stay in our comfort zones.
  

  Self-Conditioning to Ensure Follow Through
  

• Articulate goals that you find compelling.
  
  
• Repeat your first person, present tense goals as personal affirmations, either out loud or in writing, every day. What we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.
  
  
• Form a vivid mental picture of what perfect performance looks like and hold it clearly in your mind on a continuous basis through visualization. This will imprint the required behaviours and reactions in your brain. Whatever the conscious mind believes and accepts the subconscious rallies around to manifest. “First I throw my mind over the bar and then my body follows” – Dick Fosbury, High Jumper.
  
  
• Accept total responsibility for everything that happens. Don’t make excuses for mistakes and failures.
  
  
• You become what you think about. Positive attitudes come from positive expectations about outcomes. Be optimistic.
  
  
• Learn to talk to yourself in a way that sustains your spirit and commitment when the going gets tough. This facilitates your ability to recover from setbacks.
  
  
• Exercise disciplined action toward the achievement of your goal. Determine the price you have to pay, and resolve to pay it.
  
  
• Associate with other winners and/or people who will unconditionally support you in your goals.
  
  
• Undertake thorough tactical planning. Focus your time and attention on what’s most important.
  
  
• Back your plan with determination and resolve never to give up. The best plan in the world won’t work unless you do.
  
  
• Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals.
  
  
• Relax. Self-conditioning is more effective if you do.
  

  Food for Thought
  
  

• Based on exactly how you spend your time and physical and mental energy, what implicitly are your most important goals?
  
  
• What goals do you say are most important but aren’t in alignment with the above?
  
  
• What one goal, if you were to accomplish it, would make the greatest positive impact on your life? Use the process described above and see what happens!

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