“How do you want this to turn out?”

As we continue our roll toward the end of 2007, the process of setting goals begins to hit our to-do lists. Here’s a valuable piece to add to that process as we head into the New Year. This was shared by a student in a “Success Principles” class I conducted a few months ago. I’m convinced that this one additional question is commonly overlooked, and is one of the most powerful steps we can take toward fulfilling our goals and lives. Here’s how it works:

Every time she is preparing for a meeting or even an unfamiliar situation, she asks herself, “How do I want this to turn out?” She thinks through what she ideally wants from it and visualizes what that looks like. For instance, in a situation where she had to confront a coworker who had overstepped their bounds and affected her team, she prepared ahead of time, ending with asking herself this question. She then firmly set in her mind the vision of maintaining a good working relationship while clearly defining their roles. She was able to keep this picture of her ultimate desired outcome in mind during the meeting and operated from that standpoint. Needless to say, she attained that goal effortlessly.

This reminds me of how experts say a brain is a “goal-seeking organism” – it will work relentlessly to achieve the goals we feed it. Being clear about what we want (remember that vague goals = vague results), and adding this personalized one last question to our planning process can make a big difference.

This is an important step to add to your Goal Setting activities as you look ahead to 2008. It adds some color to the sometimes dry “Goal-Actions-Results” model and lets you put some imagination into it. Then it’s no longer just about numbers and dates – it becomes something you truly want and can feel and see in your mind’s eye. Write down your goal, ask the question, and then imagine what that will look and feel like.

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”
Andrew Carnegie (the richest man in America in the early 1900’s)

Please post your comments and best goal setting tips!